By Lin Chia-nan / Staff reporterThe Oceanographic Society yesterday asked the US-based Ocean Sciences Meeting to distinguish Taiwan from China, after the event organizer advised speakers from China and Taiwan to “discuss alternative arrangements” amid an outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus. “We have contacted conveners and speakers who are from designated countries, currently China and Taiwan, to discuss alternative arrangements,” it said. Upon seeing the message, the society wrote to the organizer, suggesting that it consider excluding Taiwan from its announcement, society chairman Jan Sen (詹森) wrote on Facebook yesterday. As of Friday, Taiwan had only confirmed 16 coronavirus cases, which were all linked to travelers returning from overseas, and the disease is well under control in Taiwan, he wrote. More than 20 academics from National Taiwan University, National Taiwan Ocean University and National Sun Yat-sen University are expected to attend the meeting, Jan told the Taipei Times.

Source: Taipei Times February 08, 2020 15:56 UTC