Focus Taiwan
Date: 03/09/2020
By Flor Wang and Huang Shih-ya

Rome, March 9 (CNA) With cities in northern Italy locked down under quarantine rules aimed at preventing further spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, Taiwanese expatriates in Milan are hoping Taiwan's government will send charter flights to take them home, a Taiwanese businessman said on Monday.

Jeff Lai (賴天福), chairman of the Taiwanese business association in Milan, said many Taiwanese businesspeople and their family members in northern Italy are very nervous about the situation there.

As of Monday morning, the total number of infections had risen to 7,424 in Italy, with 366 deaths, making the European country the hardest-hit outside China.

Lai called on Taiwan's Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) to visit Italy and share Taiwan's experience in fighting the virus with Italian officials.    [FULL  STORY]