Former department of health directors Twu Shiing-jer (涂醒哲), Yeh Ching-chuan (葉金川) and Yaung Chih-liang (楊志良), and former minister of health and welfare Lin Tzou-yien (林奏延), also endorsed the petition. “It is wrong that China has been using politics to interfere with [Taiwan’s] disease prevention efforts,” he said. Credit for successful disease prevention goes to the government’s strategies and utilization of technology after it set up an infectious disease prevention network after SARS, tightened disease prevention measures at hospitals, conducted annual on-site simulation drills and established virus labs, Lin said. Taiwan can contribute to global health by lending its experience to developing countries, Lin said. The WHO on Tuesday officially named the coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, China, COVID-19.

Source: Taipei Times February 13, 2020 15:56 UTC