Chiang sees KMT institute as key to attracting talent
Chiang sees KMT institute as key to attracting talentBy Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporterChinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) yesterday said that he hopes the party’s Institute of Revolutionary Practice could become an “important cradle” for attracting and cultivating party talent. The party must show the public through action, not just words, that it wants to develop new talent, he added. Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei TimesLo, who outlined his three major goals for the institute, which has reverted to its original name from the National Development Institute. However, on Dec. 6 last year, the KMT said it was struggling to pay staff, due to an asset freeze imposed by the Ill-gotten Party Assets Settlement Committee. The committee said that the KMT had income of NT$420 million in 2018 that had not been frozen.
Source:Taipei Times
April 07, 2020 15:56 UTC
Airlines mull cargo in passenger cabins
Airlines mull cargo in passenger cabinsNEW CONSIDERATIONS: An airline manager said the idea is tempting, as demand for air cargo is strong, but issues such as training loaders would need to be addressedBy Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporterTaiwanese airlines might repurpose passenger jets to carry cargo in their cabins to offset lost revenue amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Airlines are considering applying to the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) for permission to transport cargo in passenger cabins after StarLux Airlines Co (星宇航空) last month became the first among the nation’s airlines to offer cargo-only flights using the normal cargo holds of its three Airbus SE A321neo passenger jets. “We are considering whether to increase our capacity by putting cargo on passenger seats,” Starlux spokesman Nieh Kuo-wei (聶國維) told the Taipei Times by telephone. They are assessing whether to boost capacity by using passenger seats, with a decision to be made after the CAA provides official documents. The regulator is expected to release documents and guidelines for the safe transportation of cargo in passenger cabins today, CAA Flight Standards Division director Clark Lin (林俊良) said by telephone.
Source:Taipei Times
April 06, 2020 15:56 UTC
Virus Outbreak: Community spread may be avoidable
Virus Outbreak: Community spread may be avoidableCRITICAL PERIOD: The 14 days after the holiday would determine whether cluster infections have occurred due to crowds gathering during the break, academics saidBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterCommunity spread of COVID-19 is less likely if domestic cases remain under 12 percent of all confirmed cases, National Taiwan University’s College of Public Health said yesterday. Observing whether cluster infections have occurred during the four-day holiday last week is crucial in the next 14 days, it said. If the situation remains the same, with the number of weekly reported domestic cases kept at less than 20, community spread would be unlikely, it said. “If domestic cases remain under 12 percent of all cases, we do not think a second wave of large-scale local outbreak will occur,” Chen said. In Taiwan, real-time information and resources on COVID-19 are sourced from the nation’s Centers for Disease Control, Facebook said.
Source:Taipei Times
April 06, 2020 15:56 UTC
Central bank can double funds for SMEs, FSC says
Central bank can double funds for SMEs, FSC saysReuters, TAIPEIThe central bank has pledged if required to double the amount of money earmarked to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) said yesterday. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-long (楊金龍) last week said that more money would be made available if that was insufficient, although he did not give details, and said he had personally spoken to banks hoping they could help. Financial Supervisory Commission Chairman Wellington Koo speaks at a news conference at the Executive Yuan in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times“The central bank promised that it would offer another NT$200 billion if the initial funding was insufficient,” Financial Supervisory Commission Chairman Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said at a news conference in Taipei. The central bank on March 19 cut its full-year GDP growth forecast to 1.92 percent from a December forecast of 2.57 percent, although some banks expect the economy to shrink this year.
Source:Taipei Times
April 06, 2020 15:56 UTC
Virus Outbreak: Holiday crowds trigger CECC warning
The large crowds at popular scenic areas and tourist spots over the four-day holiday that ended on Sunday triggered concerns about the risk of COVID-19 transmissions. A worker sanitizes a cartoon figure inspired by the drawings of artist Jimmy Liao at Jimmy Park next to Yilan Railway Station yesterday. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung talks to reporters during the Central Epidemic Command Center’s daily news conference in Taipei yesterday. The government cannot provide a comprehensive definition of “crowded places” and it is up to every person to protect themselves, their coworkers and their family when making such decisions, he said. The CECC would not ban all business activities, but it would adjust policies according to the current situation, with “disease prevention the priority,” he said.
Source:Taipei Times
April 06, 2020 15:56 UTC
Virus Outbreak: Popular minister inspires pop art
Virus Outbreak: Popular minister inspires pop artBy Liu Hsiao-hsin and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerA pop-up card designed by illustrator Tonn Hsu (許彤) depicting Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) has become popular on social media. A pop-up card depicting Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung, designed by illustrator Tonn Hsu, is pictured on Sunday in Changhua County. An undated photograph shows latte art featuring the likeness of Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung made by Changhua County cafe owner Chen Ming-hsiung. In Changhua, cafe owner Chen Ming-hsiung (陳明雄) shared images online of his latte art depicting the minister’s likeness. When others saw the photograph of the latte art they immediately recognized it as Chen Shih-chung, he said.
Source:Taipei Times
April 06, 2020 15:56 UTC
Falls, poisoning common risks to cats, advocates say
Falls, poisoning common risks to cats, advocates sayMISCONCEPTION: Cats can injure themselves if they fall from a high place, despite being able to right themselves, an advocate said, urging owners to secure their windowsBy Wang Shu-hsiu and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerInjuries from falls and poisoning are common among domesticated cats, two animal welfare advocates said, urging cat owners to pay attention to the safety of their pets. “It is a common misconception that cats cannot injure themselves by falling, as they generally have a good sense of balance,” he said. Owners who keep cats in apartments accessed through a balcony should install robust netting to prevent falls, he added. They should also use retractable metal rods in the bases of window frames to prevent their cats sliding the windows open, Cuddy said. Tainan veterinarian Hsu Chia-chan (許嘉展) said that owners should also prevent their cats from eating plants or food found outside, which could cause poisoning.
Source:Taipei Times
April 06, 2020 15:56 UTC
Virus Outbreak: Ten new cases reported by CECC
Virus Outbreak: Ten new cases reported by CECCBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterTen new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed yesterday, bringing the nation’s total to 373, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said, including a four-year-old boy who caught the virus from his grandparents. There were nine imported cases and one domestic, said Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center. A passenger is screened for COVID-19 symptoms by an official after arriving at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday. 356, although he had not experienced any symptoms after returning from the US on March 17, CECC data showed. 364 is a woman who works in the US, who reported experiencing symptoms to airport quarantine officers upon arrival on Monday last week, but tested negative, he said.
Source:Taipei Times
April 06, 2020 15:56 UTC
Virus Outbreak: Disinfection teams sweep across the nation
Virus Outbreak: Disinfection teams sweep across the nationBy Yang Mien-chieh, Chen Hsin-yu and Dennis Xie / Staff reporters, with staff writerPopular tourist spots and transportation hubs nationwide were disinfected yesterday to prevent a spike of COVID-19 cases following the Tomb Sweeping Day long weekend, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said. Taitung County Public Health Bureau employees spray disinfectant in a night market early yesterday morning as part of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the CECC, yesterday reminded the public to practice good personal hygiene and self-health monitoring following the long weekend. Crowded areas were also on the mind of New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) yesterday. Effective today, anyone not wearing mask would be barred from entering New Taipei City government buildings, including officials, Hou said.
Source:Taipei Times
April 05, 2020 15:56 UTC
Virus Outbreak: Crowd control urged at night markets
Virus Outbreak: Crowd control urged at night marketsCONTAGION RISK: The government should install sensors at tourist hotspots and at the entrances of night markets to monitor the number of visitors, an academic saidBy Hsiao Yu-Hsin and Dennis Xie / Staff reporter, with staff writerCrowd control measures should be implemented at night markets and other crowded areas to prevent cluster infections of COVID-19, an academic said yesterday. People crowd the Luodong Night Market in Yilan County on Saturday. The government should strive to protect the public’s well-being regardless of whether some people would try to circumvent its control measures, Liu said. Tatung Institute of Technology’s Department of Travel and Leisure Management professor Kao Ming-tu (高洺塗) said that announcing crowd control measures and traffic regulations before the holidays, rather than in the middle of a long break, would reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread ing. Should the pandemic continue, the government would hopefully learn from this experience and implement more thorough crowd control measures for the next holiday, Kao added.
Source:Taipei Times
April 05, 2020 15:56 UTC
Virus Outbreak: CECC warns against mask waste
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said that from Thursday, people can buy nine masks per 14 days, which should be sufficient. “However, I have to urge everyone to use masks economically,” Chen said, adding that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released information on how masks can be reused. Two people wear masks in Taipei on Friday. People can dry masks in this manner three to five times and their effectiveness would remain at about 99 percent, she said. “However, we do not suggest using this method if the mask is stained or broken,” she said.
Source:Taipei Times
April 05, 2020 15:56 UTC
Virus Outbreak: Premier Su urges continued vigilance
Premier Su Tseng-chang, center, speaks to reporters during a visit to the Central Epidemic Command Center in Taipei yesterday, as Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung, left, looks on. 356, who was confirmed yesterday, is the husband of a domestic case (No. She tested positive on Friday, and 12 of the other 14 group members have tested negative, while two more are awaiting their test results, Chen said. However, as six of the 17 people in the group had tested positive, the rest were tested after their 14-day home isolation ended, and the three tested positive, with chest radiography showing mild pulmonary infiltration in two of them. 352, a man in his 40s who had not traveled abroad recently — is likely to have been case No.
Source:Taipei Times
April 05, 2020 15:56 UTC
Virus Outbreak: Taiwanese donate more than NT$10m to Italy virus relief
Didone yesterday expressed his gratitude and said that he was touched by the love shown by Taiwanese. Photo: Chang Yi-chen, Taipei TimesWhile state-funded hospitals in Italy are mostly adequately supplied, many local clinics are suffering from massive shortages of masks, ventilators, protective gowns and medication, Didone said on Thursday. She yesterday went to the hospital to donate eight masks and her week’s earnings of NT$800 from selling vegetables. PRAGUE MESSAGEIn separate news, two Czech politicians have thanked Taiwan for donating medical equipment to fight the COVID-19 outbreak in the Czech Republic. Hrib added that Taiwan’s success in its fight against the outbreak has been inspiring for the residents of Prague.
Source:Taipei Times
April 05, 2020 15:56 UTC
Virus Outbreak: Taiwanese snub transport hubs amid outbreak
Virus Outbreak: Taiwanese snub transport hubs amid outbreakStaff writer, with CNATaiwanese have significantly reduced their use of public transport hubs and visited parks more frequently amid the COVID-19 pandemic, data released by Google showed on Friday. The number of visits to indoor venues, such as restaurants, cafes, shopping centers and movie theaters, fell 9 percent over the period, the data showed. Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei timesHowever, the number of visits to outdoor locations, such as parks and beaches, increased 17 percent. The reports show that activity at workplaces and shopping centers have dropped worldwide, especially in areas hardest hit by the coronavirus. Activity at Italy’s transit stations fell 87 percent and activity at workplaces fell 63 percent, while residential location activity rose 24 percent as many Italians stay at home amid a nationwide lockdown.
Source:Taipei Times
April 05, 2020 15:56 UTC
Virus Outbreak: Centralized data management key to virus control
Virus Outbreak: Centralized data management key to virus controlStaff Writer, with CNAAn article posted on a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site has highlighted Taiwan’s early steps to contain the spread of COVID-19, especially its coordination and use of data. “Of note, the centralized, real-time database of the country’s National Health Insurance (NHI) helped support disease surveillance and case detection,” the article said. Despite its proximity to China, where the COVID-19 outbreak originated, Taiwan has reported relatively fewer confirmed cases with five deaths. Globally, the virus has infected more than 1 million people in 188 nations, and more than 50,000 have died of the disease. “Unlike some other nations, in which cities and states fought against the outbreak alone, Taiwan strengthened cross-departmental collaboration on quarantines,” Chuang said.
Source:Taipei Times
April 04, 2020 15:56 UTC