Taiwan reports 335 confirmed covid cases on 17 May 2021, Liaoning and Anhui officials held accountable

 News (1)

Taiwan reports 333 confirmed local covid cases on 17 May 2021, Taipei has the largest number of 158 

Reporters : Wang Yahui, TVBS  / Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

The number of covid cases in Taiwan has increased rapidly. Following the surge of 386 cases in the previous two days, on 17 May 2021, there has been a surge of 333 local confirmed cases and 2 inbound cases, continuously hitting new highs in a single day. 

According to the command centre, the newly added 333 local cases today are 189 females and 144 males, aged between 5 and 90 years old, and the date of onset/collection is between 5 May and 16 May. The counties and cities of residence are cases in Taipei (89 cases in Wanhua District), 148 cases in New Taipei (41 cases in Banqiao District), 10 cases in Taoyuan City, 6 cases in Keelung, 5 cases in Changhua, 2 cases each in Taichung and Yilan, 1 case each in Hsinchu and Miaoli.

 Among them, there are 155 cases in Taipei Tea Art House, 86 cases related to Wanhua's activity history, 6 cases related to the Southern Fragrance Group, 5 cases related to a group gathering, 3 cases related to Yilan Recreation Center, 38 cases in the epidemic investigation, and the group is unknown. Forty cases' relevant epidemic investigations are ongoing. 

New Taipei Yadong Hospital broke out the crisis of "in-hospital infection" today. The hospital confirmed that 7 inpatients and caregivers were diagnosed. However, there is no plan to "close the hospital" for the time being. Inpatients will be expanded for examination, and special attention will be paid to hospital care. It is a high-risk area that conducts regular inspections for 5 to 7 days. 

In response to the continuous outbreak of the epidemic, Shuangbei  today urgently announced that the city’s senior high schools and below, including high schools, junior high schools, elementary schools, kindergartens, security classes, public and private nursery schools, will be suspended until 28 May, deducting 2 days of weekly rest for a total of 9 days. Later, new policies will be announced at any time in accordance with the progress of the epidemic.

The two inbound cases today are from Indonesia and Haiti.

Refs: news.tvbs.com.tw/life/1510955?from=Copy_content

News (2)

Warning "Taiwan Epidemic Prevention Information Stagnation", Justin Yang: Don’t take the meaning out of context

Editor : Zheng Yurong / Translation, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

The epidemic in Taiwan is heating up and the outbreak of local cases has caused public concern. Justin Yang, a Chinese-American physician in the United States, warned that Taiwan’s epidemic prevention practices are still based on last year’s information and have not been updated with this year’s research. Any scientific evidence shows that disinfecting street surfaces can prevent covid, and the US CDC released a report stating that "wearing a two-layer mask" can effectively reduce transmission by more than 90%. This is important, but it is rarely known in Taiwan. As soon as this remark came out, a lot of doubts were raised. 

In this regard, Justin Yang once again posted on Facebook yesterday (16 May) to respond to netizens’ doubts one by one, and emphasized that he was not criticizing the Taiwanese government, but merely giving a kind reminder. . Justin Yang warned that Taiwan’s epidemic prevention practices are still based on last year’s information and have not been updated with this year’s research. (Ref: https://www.facebook.com/initialDPP/posts/1432089687141892; https://www.facebook.com/justinchihchao.yang) 

In response to external doubts, Chinese physician Justin Yang posted on Facebook on the 16th that he dare not say that he is an authority on COVID-19, but he is a community emergency centre director. His research and clinical experience in the past year is relatively rich. He revealed the reason for publishing that article a few days ago was entirely a kind reminder, "Please don't take the meaning out of context and obliterate my original intention."

Justin Yang emphasized, "I never said that disinfectant should not be sprayed, but should be sprayed on high touch surface areas, such as doorknobs, buttons, desktops, etc., instead of spraying on the road or the floor. As for whether Taiwan officials maintain social distancing at all times, does everyone do it? I am not specifically criticizing the Taiwan government, but a kind reminder. In many cases, the implementation is not complete. Seeing that the people in Taiwan are crowded and queue at the store, I saw my scalp numb, and I was very worried about group infection." 

As for some netizens mocking, "You have more than 30 million people diagnosed in the United States. How do you teach Taiwan how to prevent the epidemic?" Justin Yang said that the United States did not control the epidemic in the past year. Many people passed away due to the epidemic, but there were many reasons. It does not mean that the epidemic prevention research published by the CDC is wrong information. 

Much of the understanding and research on the epidemic in the United States has been exchanged for the lives of millions of people. Justin Yang said, "It is very unkind to laugh at other countries like this. It is not the Taiwanese in my opinion. Let us be kind, courteous and frugal in our response." 

Justin Yang pointed out that in the past year, American doctors have gradually changed their epidemic prevention practices along with new research and recommendations. No one should stop learning and stop accepting new knowledge and concepts. He said, "The civilization of a country lies in its citizens being able to accept other people's suggestions and new arguments, especially those with scientific basis." 

As for whether wearing a two-layer mask will help prevent the epidemic? Justin Yang said, "In fact, in April, the CDC specifically emphasized not to wear double-layer surgical masks because they will not increase the degree of tightness. The double masks mentioned in my post are the original practice of internal surgical masks and outer masks recommended by the CDC." 

Commander Chen Shizhong responded on the 15th. Basically, medical masks that have passed the inspection are sufficient for epidemic prevention. If you want to wear more, "You can change your breath. It doesn't matter if you have more layers." As long as you need to pay attention, some people may take off their masks because they can't change their breath, which will cause a breach in epidemic prevention.

Ref: news.tvbs.com.tw/world/1510932?from=Copy_content

News (3) to (4) / Reporter : Li Yun / Editor : Fan Ming / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/05/17/a103121195.html / Direct translation

News (3)

Officials in Liaoning and Anhui have been held accountable for a cluster of outbreaks

Image : Anti-epidemic personnel in Anhui Province are spraying disinfectant. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

The CCP virus outbreak broke out again in Anhui, Liaoning and other places in China. Many officials including Yingkou, Liaoning Province and Lu'an, Anhui Province were held accountable for ineffective epidemic prevention and control.

According to the website of the State Supervision Commission of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China, the Office of the Liaoning Provincial Epidemic Prevention and Control Headquarters issued a notice that a cluster of epidemics occurred recently in Bayuquan District, Yingkou City, and many officials were due to "the failure to implement the first diagnosis responsibility and the ineffective supervision of duties. Be accountable.

Among them, Song Liangwei, deputy secretary and deputy director of the Liaoning Provincial Health Commission; Jin Li, deputy mayor of Yingkou Municipal Government; Meng Xin, deputy secretary and district mayor of Bayuquan; Wang Chengcheng, director of the Yingkou Municipal Health Commission, and others were exhorted to talk; Li Hongyang, deputy head of Bayuquan, was punished and removed from office by the government affairs recorder.

There are other municipal and district officials in the city that have been punished to varying degrees, such as warnings or dismissal. The Li Bo clinic where the epidemic broke out was also shut down, and Li Bo's practice certificate was revoked.

In addition, according to a report by the Office of the Comprehensive Epidemic Control Headquarters of Lu'an, Anhui Province on the 16th, it put forward preliminary opinions on how relevant units and individuals in Yu'an District of the city violated the first consultation responsibility system, and ordered the Lu'an Municipal Hospital to suspend operations for rectification. Yu'an District Health The main officials of the Health Commission were suspended for investigation, and the Yu'an District Committee and the district government were ordered to conduct a thorough inspection.

It is reported that Lu'an is still investigating other medical institutions and personnel involved in the confirmed cases. The main officials of the city’s Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision were the team leaders and set up a special supervision team to hold accountable officials who did not perform their duties effectively and did not take adequate measures to prevent and control the epidemic.

Since the outbreak of local confirmed cases in Anhui and Liaoning on 13 May, 12 areas in Anhui and Liaoning have been classified as medium-risk on the 15th. The National Health Commission of the Communist Party of China has sent an expert team to the two places to guide traceability investigations, Nucleic acid testing, community prevention and control, and hospital infection prevention and control, etc.

The Beijing CDC announced on the 15th that it was determined that 28 people in Anhui had close contacts in Beijing and 167 people had close contacts with close contacts; a total of 195 people. In addition, in Enshi, Hubei and Rizhao, Shandong, close contacts of people diagnosed in Anhui were also found.

News (4)

Confirmed covid cases throughout CCP China on 16 May 2021

The National Health Commission of the Communist Party of China reported on 16 May that in the past 24 hours, 25 new cases were confirmed, including 8 cases in Zhejiang, 6 cases in Shanghai, 4 cases in Guangdong, 1 case in Hunan, 1 case in Sichuan, 3 cases in Liaoning, and 2 cases in Anhui. In other words, the CCP virus epidemic has spread rapidly throughout China.

Because the CCP deliberately concealed the epidemic situation in the mainland, and local officials concealed the true situation for fear of losing their officials. The outside world believed that the CCP officials might assess that the epidemic could not be covered up, so they began to pave the way for public opinion. The real situation may already be very serious.

At present, it is the second wave in India. On the eve of May Day, Wu Zunyou, the chief expert of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, warned at a press conference on April 29 that some Chinese cities had detected the Indian mutant strain, but he did not disclose which cities in CCPC had the Indian mutant strain.

According to the announcement by the Chinese Communist Party authorities, 20 new cases were confirmed in various places on 28 April. Among them, the Zhejiang Health Commission announced that 10 cases were from the Hong Kong cargo ship "Huayang Chaoyang", which had anchored in India.

After the "May 1st" holiday, the China CDC, the Health Commission, and Premier Li Keqiang released epidemic warnings in early May. Li Keqiang has repeatedly suggested that "the epidemic is not transparent" and that "underreporting and underreporting in various places" seems to coincidentally to announce a new round of outbreaks.

Reporter : Li Yun / Editor: Fan Ming / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/05/17/a103121135.html / Direct translation

News (5)

Zhang Wenhong on epidemics in China: The virus has become resident and long-term preparations must be made

Zhang Wenhong, an expert in infectious diseases of the Chinese Communist Party and director of the Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Fudan University, responded to a new wave of Chinese Communist Party virus (COVID-19) outbreaks in Liaoning, Anhui and other places in China on 16 May. He stated that the disease has become a “resident virus in the world” and it is necessary to prepare for a long-term response.

On 16 May, Zhang Wenhong posted a post on Sina Weibo to discuss the road map to eliminate the CCP virus epidemic.

In response to the outbreaks in Taiwan, Liaoning, and Anhui, China, Zhang Wenhong said that the virus did not go away on its own, but was distributed all over the world. As long as we relax our prevention and control measures a little bit, the epidemic will restart immediately, and the speed of transmission will not be the slightest compared with last year or weakened.

He wrote that based on more than a year's experience, as long as strict social distancing restrictions are adopted, testing and personnel movement tracking are strengthened, it is only a matter of time before the local epidemics are controlled.

However, he also reminded that from the current pandemic, the CCP virus has become a resident virus in the world, "We must be prepared for a long-term response."

Zhang Wenhong said that none of the confirmed cases in Yingkou, Liaoning or Lu'an, Anhui had been vaccinated.

News (6)

Covi explosion in Liaoning and Anhui spreads to Xicheng District of Beijing

According to Lu media reports, since 13 May, local confirmed cases and asymptomatic infections have emerged in Anhui, Liaoning and other places. As of 7 pm on the 15th, a total of 11 newly confirmed local cases (5 in Anhui and 6 in Liaoning) have been added.

The report said that the confirmed cases had traveled to Lanzhou, Beijing, Dalian, Yingkou and other cities, counties, and districts before and after 1 May, which once again sounded the alarm for domestic epidemic prevention and control. As of 14 May, a total of 12 regions in Anhui and Liaoning were classified as medium-risk regions.

On 16 May, there were two more confirmed cases in Lu'an, Anhui, and one new confirmed case in Shenyang, Liaoning. Xicheng District, Beijing, also received a notice from the Lu'an CDC that a family of three in the area was a contact of a confirmed patient in Lu'an.

In response to the problem of the source of the virus, Anhui and Liaoning have thrown off each other. An Anhui official report stated that a woman surnamed Li had visited 3 provinces and 5 cities in the past 18 days and believed that this woman was the source of the current round of the local epidemic in Anhui. It is reported that the woman surnamed Li had contacted foreigners in Dalian, Liaoning Province. Dalian officials immediately released the woman's activity trajectory in Dalian, slapped Anhui and said there was no contact.

The mutual rejection of the two provinces has caused official media to criticize and talk about themselves, and aggravated the public's misgivings and worries. Since the situation of the epidemic situation in mainland China has been opaque, the outside world believes that the epidemic situation in various parts of the mainland may not be kept secret.

News (7)

Official CCP agencies have warned about the epidemic

After the May 1st holiday, the Chinese Communist Party’s Xinhua News Agency reported on 7 May that the China CDC recommended that the public should observe themselves for 14 days after returning from travel. If suspicious symptoms occur, they should seek medical treatment promptly and proactively inform the doctor of their travel history.

On 8 May, the CCP’s National Health Commission also stated that the current situation of epidemic prevention and control is still severe and complicated, and the risk of the epidemic is rising, and the risk of mutated strains being introduced into China cannot be ignored.

On 9 May, the party media published Li Keqiang’s speech at the State Council’s Integrity Work Conference, stating that all localities must “see facts, open and transparently release information, curb epidemics in key areas, and improve normalized prevention and control mechanisms”.

[Tang Hao Vision] The host believes that this should be an official assessment that the epidemic may not be concealed, so he has prepared public opinion in advance and is ready to shift the responsibility to foreign countries. "Actually, we learned from special authoritative channels that the three provinces in Northeast China where the epidemic had relapsed a while ago." There is still an epidemic, but the official is covering it up.

"Moreover, in China, people still die every day because of the epidemic. Therefore, please friends from all over China, we must not take it lightly." Tang Hao reminded.

News (8) to (10) / Reporter : Zhu Yuxian / https://health.tvbs.com.tw/medical/328131 / Translation, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

News (8)

Taiwan: Protect yourself against epidemics by quick binding your real names to your public transportation cards

 

Taiwan's epidemic has entered a severe moment. The number of local cases in Taiwan has exceeded 200 for two consecutive days. The number of covid cases in Taipei, New Taipei and Shuangbei have raised the alarm. Chen Zongyan, deputy commander of the Central Epidemic Command Center, reminded the public at a press conference that there are people who take public transportation and use electronic tickets. The registering function achieves the spirit of the real-link identification system. Currently, the people in Taiwan can bind their real names to their leisure cards, all-in-one cards, and icash.

News (9)

Engage in epidemic prevention and protect yourself! 

Commander Chen Shizhong reminded that the public must now routinely prevent the epidemic and avoid going out to parties to reduce the spread of the virus. Deputy Commander Chen Zongyan also said that convenience stores, restaurants, etc. currently require a joint system, while Shuangbei commuters use mostly bus, MRT or YouBike. To help future epidemic investigations, they can register frequently used electronic tickets online. Let the public transportation also achieve the real-name commuter system.

News (10)

Press with your finger! Youyou card, all-in-one card, icash online registration

At present, there are 3 Taiwanese companies whose cards can be registered online, namely, Youyou Card, All-in-One Card, and icash.

News (11) to (14) / Report by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

News (11)

Unrelated community cases continue to increase, epidemic prevention measures are tightened

The covi outbreak rebounded, local transmission and unrelated community cases continued to increase, and the Singapore government further tightened epidemic prevention measures, including ban on dining in restaurants, hawker centres and further reducing the number of gatherings from five to two. Variant viruses spread in the community and are more contagious. Speculations and rumors about variant viruses also cause people to worry.

News (12)

Variant viruses more difficult to detect

It has recently been circulating in Singapore that some patients initially tested negative, but the lung CT scan showed lesions. It is believed that a variant virus caused the test to go deep into the lungs to detect the virus. In response to this rumor, Leong Hoa Nam, an infectious disease specialist at the Elizabeth Novena Hospital, said that last year there was a precedent of a “false negative” test, but the local area has been doing a good job in swab testing if the virus has not been detected in the first place. If it is detected, it is also possible that the detection method is not in place. For example, the cotton swab is not deep enough to collect virus samples behind the nostrils.

Dr. Leong also does not rule out the possibility that the virus has mutated to make it more difficult to detect. He urged that once the body is unwell, seek medical advice as soon as possible. The earlier the test, the higher the virus index, the easier it will be to be detected. He also reminded that even if the test result is negative, it does not mean that it is completely normal. If the body is still unwell, he recommends another test.

News (13)

Variant virus cause atypical symptoms of covid

Recently, students in several schools have been diagnosed one after another, and they are believed to be related to a teacher in a tuition center. In the past, the typical symptoms of coronary disease were fever, cough, sore throat, etc. However, the initial symptoms of the confirmed tuition center teacher were diarrhea and headache. It is speculated whether the different symptoms are caused by infection with a variant virus. 

Dr. Leong reminded that if you have symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection, you should see a doctor as soon as possible and get a covid test. If you have other symptoms, such as headaches, muscle pain, etc., you should also see a doctor and have a test to avoid infecting family members or other people.

News (14)

Experts recommend wearing medical masks with stronger anti-epidemic effects when going out

As more students become ill, the government has also mandated that all schools and tuition centers must wear masks instead of the previously allowed masks. Dr. Leong said that the effectiveness of face masks and medical masks is different. 

If you are wearing a mask, breath droplets will fly out from the sides or under the mask. The medical mask has at least more than 90% filtering efficiency. Even if there are a few viruses that have not been filtered, the symptoms are mostly mild if they are accidentally infected. 

Dr. Leong also recommends that everyone wear medical masks as much as possible. If you want to wear reusable fabric masks, you can wear masks issued by the government or the Temasek Foundation.

 Avoid using homemade masks or masks with beautiful fabrics that do not meet medical standards. 

Dr. Liang also urged the public that during this period, everyone should try not to go out without going out. 

If there are more than five unrelated community cases every day, stricter epidemic prevention measures are needed.

News (15) to (17) / Editor : Cai Minggen / Translation, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

News (15)

Breaking through the 5 loopholes in epidemic prevention,"Not as good as the mainland" Taiwanese businessman sigh: Is it something for Taiwan to be proud of? 

As Taiwan's covid epidemic heats up, there are also waves of review of epidemic prevention policies. Li Laixi, the former chairman of the National Association of Public Servants, relayed a Shanghai-Taiwanese businessman’s views on cross-strait epidemic prevention measures, pointing out that the mainland has already achieved a "decisive battle abroad" but Taiwan still has five major loopholes, and believes that the mainland has no selfish intentions in epidemic prevention, only public health professional, and Taiwan seems to worry that general screening will lag behind the epidemic prevention rankings, and lamented, "Is there really no loopholes in Taiwan's epidemic prevention? Is it proud of it?" 

Li Laixi posted on Facebook yesterday (16) the opinion of a Taiwanese businessman on the epidemic prevention policy. A famous Taiwanese businessman said that he stayed in a Shanghai quarantine hotel in mid-September last year. At that time, he had to undergo a general screening before entering the country. After the quarantine period expires, he would receive a health code. This is a typical "decisive battle abroad." Including imported food frozen packaging testing, because there were basically no local cases in the mainland, so it could ensure social security. 

News (16)

Loopholes in Taiwan epidemic prevention

The Taiwanese businessman lament that the price for self-financed inspections is too high. He mentioned that not everyone entering Taiwan has to undergo nucleic acid testing, so there will be fish that slip through the net. This is the first loophole; after entering Taiwan, you can choose to be isolated at home or in a hotel, but the traffic process is not like in the mainland. 

It is mandatory to take the epidemic prevention bus, so the second loophole arises. People who are isolated at home share the same house with their family members. Although they claim that they cannot leave the house, they have a separate room and wear masks when they leave the room, but the family can run around freely. 

The third and fourth loopholes: Some people even left their mobile phones at home and sneaked out several times. In the end, employees reported to the epidemic prevention centre.

 The last loophole is that Taiwanese people need to report to the doctor for nucleic acid testing and have to pay at their own expense. The rapid test costs NT$7,000 for a one-time test and NT$5,500 for general items. Health insurance is not paid. "It is said that this is the third most expensive "Nucleic acid testing" in the world because it is too expensive to do the general screening of entry, let alone the general screening of all the city's population like Wuhan. Li Laixi believes that the views of the Taiwanese businessman are simple and clear. 

News (17)

Businessman's comparisons between Taiwan and CCPC covid cases trajectory

This Taiwanese businessman believes that the mainland will announce all routes and find all contacts as soon as the diagnosis is confirmed. However, in Taiwan, “how many routes are announced and how many contacts are found, everything will be done by Commander Chen Shizhong. One person decides." He lamented that the mainland’s epidemic prevention has "no selfishness or political purpose", only the public health profession and the welfare of the people. However, Taiwan regards the epidemic as a “political messenger” and seems to be worried that the expansion of general screening will screen out a bunch of people, fearing that Taiwan’s epidemic prevention ranking will fall behind. He said, "If there are really no loopholes in the epidemic prevention, is it something for Taiwan to be proud of? Think about it, everyone."

Ref: news.tvbs.com.tw/life/1510765?from=Copy_content

News (18)

Chinese company completed the construction of the new terminal of Suvarnabhumi Airport

Reporters : Song Yu , Guo Xinhui / Publisher : Xinhua News Agency / Image : An artistic display at Suvarnabhumi Airport's existing terminal.

The new terminal building of the satellite hall of Thailand's Suvarnabhumi Airport Expansion Project undertaken by China State Construction Engineering Group Co., Ltd. (abbreviated as CSCE) has completed construction a few days ago and has officially entered the acceptance phase.

The new terminal constructed by CSCE is the No. 1 Satellite Hall of Suvarnabhumi Airport, with a construction area of ​​216,000 square meters and a construction length of 1,070 meters. The new terminal has four high-span areas in the middle and three floors at both ends, which cleverly combines Thai characteristics with modern decoration styles.

Shen Minghua, Deputy General Manager of Overseas Department and Airport Project Manager of China Construction Eighth Engineering Co., Ltd., introduced that despite the tight schedule and large amount of tasks, the employees of China and Thailand worked together to work in an orderly manner to ensure that the project was completed on time, efficiently and with high quality. During the covid pandemic, the construction of the project was carried out as scheduled while ensuring the safety of project personnel.

Shen Minghua said that as a key project of Chinese companies in Southeast Asia under the "One Belt and One Road" initiative, the airport expansion project fully reflects the characteristics of mutual benefit and win-win results, providing about 15,000 local jobs, "promoting local employment and talent training, And it has strengthened the cultural exchanges between Chinese and Thai personnel."

He told the Xinhua News Agency reporter that while the project construction uses local materials and equipment in Thailand, it also introduces brands that represent China's speed and quality into the Thai market, and promotes the export of Chinese equipment.

Suvarnabhumi Airport is located in Samut Prakan in the eastern suburbs of Bangkok. It was put into use in 2006. After completion, Satellite Hall One is expected to be put into use next year. By then, the passenger flow capacity of Suvarnabhumi Airport will increase from the current 45 million passengers per year to 60 million passengers.

News (19)

The Taiwan Pro-Communist camp calls for a vaccine from the mainland and is reprimanded: Weasel visits chickens

Reporter : Liu Minghuan / Editor : Wen Hui / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/05/17/a103121293.html / Translation, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

The epidemic in Taiwan is on the rise, and hundreds of new cases have been confirmed for two consecutive days. On the 16th, the pro-communist camp "Unified Promotion Party" led people to the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Disease Management Agency to request the Taiwan government to accept the Chinese Communist Party's domestic vaccine. The legislators of the Taiwan Democratic Progressive Party and the Taiwan Foundation Progressive Party criticized the actions of the unified promotion party as "united front" and "weasel visiting chickens."

According to comprehensive media reports, the Taiwan Foundation Progressive Party stated that since the outbreak of the CCP virus last year, the pro-Beijing forces in Taiwan have been "using the epidemic to seek reunification." Being alert to the CCP virus and advocating general screening and the purchase of mainland reagents, the latest development has been to urge the party to join the camp of Lian Shengwen and others, demanding that Taiwan accept the mainland Chinese medicine vaccine.

The CPP pointed out that the effectiveness of mainland vaccines has been widely questioned all over the world, and said that the African country Seychelles has the highest rate of vaccinations in the world, reaching 60%, of which 57% are administering mainland Chinese medicine vaccines. However, Seychelles, with a population of about 100,000, still reported 1,799 confirmed cases in a single day on 10 May.

The CPP also claimed that the Taiwan government originally purchased 5 million doses of Pfizer vaccine from BNT in Germany, but was blocked by pro-Beijing forces within the mainland and Taiwan, which delayed the procurement of vaccines for more than a month and the dose dropped to 500,000 doses. At this time, Taiwan was asked to accept the low-protection vaccine from the mainland Chinese medicine. "This is not the weasel visiting the chicken, what is it?"

The MAC emphasized that this kind of cooperation with the CCP’s political propaganda cannot be recognized by the people of Taiwan.

Regarding CCPC's criticism of Taiwan’s refusal to accept its vaccine imports due to political factors, the MAC has reiterated that the committee has repeatedly stated that the use of vaccines is a medical and health professional matter and must be based on scientific data and in compliance with relevant laws and regulations. “We do not accept the use of vaccines as a tool for political operations."

The MAC emphasized that at this time of the severe epidemic in Taiwan, it is believed that Taiwanese society has a high degree of consensus, "We must unite to prevent the epidemic before we can survive the crisis together." The Taiwan government is not happy to see a minority of people, and deliberately criticizes the government and caters to the CCP’s remarks.

DPP legislator Wang Meihui said that CCP's vaccine defenses are low and have many side effects. Many foreign attackers are still diagnosed. It is believed that Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shizhong will not make fun of Taiwanese lives and cater to the CCP's introduction of ineffective Chinese vaccines.

Wang Meihui also criticized that everyone is responsible for the prevention of the epidemic. The party urged the party to deliberately choose to instigate the outbreak of the epidemic in Taiwan, clamoring for the government to accept the CCP vaccine, and it is really unnecessary to cooperate with the United Front.

DPP legislator Lai Ruilong pointed out that on the one hand, the CCP is obstructing Taiwan’s procurement of vaccines from foreign countries. On the other hand, it uses "pro-CCP forces" to create a trend of public opinion. By constantly hyping up the issue of CCP’s vaccine opening, it creates unrest in Taiwan’s society and causes epidemic prevention crisis. The political situation is chaotic.

According to reports, the quality of the CCP's domestic vaccines is not good enough, and the epidemic situation in many countries that have been vaccinated by the CCP has not decreased but increased. For example, Chile has received nearly 9 million doses of Coxing / Kexing vaccine in February, an average of 47 doses per 100 people, which is the country with the highest vaccination rate in South America. However, the number of confirmed cases in the local area rose instead of falling. On 26 March, a single-day high of 7,626 confirmed cases was recorded.

Turkey has been vaccinated with the Chinese-made Coxing vaccine in mid-January, and at least 8 million people have been vaccinated, accounting for more than 10% of the total population but the epidemic also counterattacked after late February.

In addition, some presidents were still diagnosed with the virus after being vaccinated with the Chinese Communist Party's domestic virus vaccine. Former Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra, who was the first to be vaccinated by the CCP's covi vaccine, tweeted on 25 April, "Despite taking necessary protective measures to avoid bringing the virus home, my wife and I have tested positive."

News (20)

How Wuhan Institute of Virology obtained U.S. funding? Nunes urges Biden to investigate

Reporter : Li Jiaxin  / Editor: Mei Lan / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/05/17/a103121255.html / Translation, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

Last Saturday (16 May), the Chief Republican Member of the U.S. House of Representatives Intelligence Committee Devin Nunes urged President Biden to order the government to address the CCP virus issue (the origins of SARS-CoV-2, covid and how the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China received funding from the U.S. government) by conducting a full investigation.

California Republican Representative Nunes wrote to Biden and National Intelligence Director Avril Haines  on Saturday, requesting the declassification of intelligence related to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in order to fully investigate the origin of the CCP virus and publish information on any US funds provided to WIV.

On the past Sunday Morning Futures on the Fox News Channel, Nunes revealed the content of the letter he wrote to Biden and the Director of National Intelligence. In the letter, he talked about the origin of the CCP virus, mentioned that there is some indirect evidence that the virus came from the laboratory, and pointed out that, in fact, it is very likely that funds flowed out from the US government and actually supported those in CCPC through non-profit organizations  conducting this type of research.

Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee are concerned about these circumstantial evidence about the origin of the virus, and the evidence also shows that a laboratory of the Wuhan Institute of Virology has received millions of dollars in funding from the US government.

"A thorough review of this possibility is critical, especially considering that the Chinese government obstructed multilateral biological forensics research investigations and destroyed important evidence," Nunes said.

In explaining why an investigation is necessary, Nunes quoted Secretary of State Anthony Blinken as saying, "If we are to have the best chance of preventing this from happening again, then we need to understand what happened and to ensure that we can build a stronger global health security system and ensure that we can prevent, detect, and mitigate future pandemics."

News (21)

The epidemic situation in Taiwan has risen sharply. Has Taipei lockdown begun? Look at the alert level at once

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

The sudden increase in the number of confirmed covid cases in Taiwan has shocked the world. On 15 May, 185 new cases were announced, which was the first time since the outbreak broke out. 207 cases were reported on 16 May when Taipei and New Taipei have entered the third level of alert. On 17 May, 333 confirmed community covid cases are reported island-wide. Taiwan's epidemic alert is divided into four levels, of which the fourth level is equivalent to what is commonly referred to as "lockdown". Which activities and venues will be closed at different alert levels? What do the people need to pay attention to?

Image : The Taiwan Epidemic Command Center issued the COVID-19 epidemic alert standards and countermeasures. (Provided by the Central Epidemic Command Centre in Taiwan)

First level alert

Escalation conditions: sporadic cases of community infection caused by overseas migration.

The people must:

● You must wear a mask at all times when taking public transportation and entering and exiting public places.

● It is recommended to cancel or postpone non-essential, non-specific objects, and gatherings with close contacts in the form of activities.

● All businesses and public places implement anti-epidemic measures such as the actual joint system, social distancing, temperature measurement, and disinfection.

Second level alert

Escalation conditions: A local case of unknown source of infection appears.

The people must:

● Those who fail to comply with the mask regulations can be fined.

● Suspend outdoor gatherings of more than 500 people and indoor gatherings of more than 100 people.

● The assembly activities must be implemented to ensure that the people maintain social distancing, or wear masks/use partitions throughout the process, and implement measures such as physical linkage, temperature measurement, disinfection, crowd control, total volume control, and movement planning. Otherwise, the processing should be postponed.

● Initiate crowd control operations at business premises. Those unable to implement various epidemic prevention measures shall suspend business.

● When necessary, compulsory closure of business premises and public areas related to leisure and entertainment.

Third level alert

Upgrade conditions:

1. There are more than 3 community gathering events in a single week, or:

2. More than 10 local cases of unknown infection were confirmed in one day.

The people must:

● Wear a mask all the time when going out.

● Stop gatherings of more than 5 people indoors and more than 10 people outdoors.

● Except for life support, order maintenance, essential services, medical and official services, other business premises and public areas need to be closed.

● Wear a mask and maintain social distancing in business or public places.

※For communities with cluster infections, if rapid containment is required, people need to cooperate with virus screening, and must not leave the containment area arbitrarily, stop all gathering activities and suspend classes.

Fourth level alert

Upgrade conditions:

1. The number of local cases is increasing rapidly (more than 100 cases are diagnosed daily in 14 days on average), and:

2. More than half cannot find the chain of infection.

The people must:

● You must not go out unless necessary (except for food, medical, and necessary work needs), and you must wear a mask and maintain social distancing when you go out.

● You must also maintain social distancing or wear a mask in your home.

● Stop all party activities.

● Except for life support, order maintenance and essential medical and official duties, classes will be suspended.

※For the towns, cities, and counties or cities with severe epidemics, regional blockades are implemented, clear blockades are set up, and people are controlled to enter and exit, and people stay at home and do not go out. 

News (22)

New Taipei’s epidemic continues to heat up. Hou Youyi: Thinking about building a shelter hospital

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

New Taipei's epidemic is heating up. New Taipei’s Mayor Hou Youyi said today that he has instructed relevant municipal government units to think about building shelter hospitals and will cooperate with the central government to continuously increase capacity as the epidemic changes and the Municipal Works Bureau said it is proceeding pre-work. 

 Hou Youyi, was interviewed after a meeting on epidemic prevention and response in the afternoon. The media asked whether New Taipei’s current medical manpower is insufficient and whether it would like the central government to deploy it. He said that the amount of medical care can be adjusted continuously. There are no major problems at present. 

New Taipei will remove patients with mild and asymptomatic diagnoses from their beds. A centralized quarantine station with a total of 183 rooms has been requisitioned. Vacancies will also be moved out, and the adjustment speed will become faster and faster. However, Hou Youyi emphasized that it is of course necessary to be prepared for the future. He has instructed the Health Bureau and the Public Works Bureau to think about building shelter hospitals, but still has to cooperate with the Central Epidemic Command Centre, hoping to continue to expand capacity.

Chen Runqiu, Director of health of the New Taipei Government, added that the number of cases has increased sharply in the past two days. The confirmed patients are mainly mild or asymptomatic, and 68 have been sent to the centralized quarantine station; 63 are elderly, feverish or have a history of chronic diseases. The patient is sent to the dedicated ward. 

Chen Runqiu said that many people who are diagnosed are mild and asymptomatic. If they wait for notification at home after being diagnosed, the central government has put forward relevant guidelines, including how to separate from their families and notify potential contacts. Please follow the guidelines to take the first step. protection.

The Director of Works of the New Taipei Government, Zhan Rongfeng, received a telephone interview after the meeting and said that the pre-operations related to setting up similar shelter hospitals are in progress, including inventory and survey of suitable sites, contact with partner vendors, planning of facilities, etc. As for the construction time, it is necessary to cooperate with the municipal health bureau and other relevant units in the evaluation. (Central News Agency)

Ref: news.tvbs.com.tw/politics/1511157?from=Copy_content

News (23)

656 hometown in 3 days! Chen Shizhong "is afraid to hold on soon" exposes the possibility of lockdown 

Editor : Chen Yiling / Translation, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

Taipei and New Taipei have entered the third level of prefectural alert. Unexpectedly, 333 local cases broke out today (17), including 158 in Taipei and 148 in New Taipei. The epidemic situation is getting worse. As for whether the city should be "closed", Chen Shizhong responded today, expressing that he is afraid that "how long can he be locked up soon?" Among the 206 new local cases added yesterday (16), 97 were in New Taipei City (with 32 cases in Banqiao), and 89 in Taipei City (with 58 cases in Wanhua District). In Shuangbei alone on the 15th and 16th, a total of 172 people have been diagnosed in New Taipei, while Taipei has increased by 178 people. Shuangbei has a total of 350 people diagnosed. Unexpectedly, Shuangbei added 306 new cases today, and 656 in 3 days. 

In the face of the epidemic, whether there will be strict lockdown, Commander Chen Shizhong said that there is no “just do it” approach to epidemic prevention, because it affects the whole body, and every step requires relevant thinking. "I emphasized again and again yesterday that this kind of thing is not the stricter the better. Just like you just mentioned "simply close the city", how long can everyone be detained?" 

Chen Shizhong further explained that the overall economic and health-related needs need to be considered. The overall changes are too great. How to take measures and "make the greatest control with the smallest damage." This is what the government is now actively working on.

Ref: news.tvbs.com.tw/life/1511007?from=Copy_content

News (24)

Community infection at least three rounds! Doctor: Early infiltration of the virus into central and southern Taiwan

Writer : Shen Zhengnan, Psychiatrist of the Tun Nursing Home / Direct translation

The virus has spread in Wanhua for five rounds, and it has spread in other places for three rounds. The virus has infiltrated into Yilan and is a leading indicator of epidemic prevention Everyone is safe! The more severe the epidemic, the more we must face it with wisdom. Ke Wenzhe said, "The virus has already dispersed in the community. From 0 to 206 it is a bomb detonated!" The evil is not entirely correct. It is right for the virus to disperse in the community, but how long does it take to disperse?

If starting from the "3+11" implementation date on 15 April and spreading to the exposure of the epidemic on 11 May, there would be about 5 rounds of transmission. Ke Wenzhe said that "from 0 to 206 is a bomb detonation."  If R0 value=4 (3.9 under the United Kingdom without protection, the old virus strain last year was 2.6) and the infection interval (passed to the next person) = 5 days to calculate, there may be 1,024 cases in Wanhua area. But because there are many asymptomatic infections, not all of them will come back for screening. 

How did the 180 cases come from yesterday (15) and the 206 cases today (16)? The command center informed the 600,000 people who had been to Wanhua after 15 April that they should come back for screening if they have symptoms, so it is a retrospective screening, not an infection case after 11 May. If the screening is fast, it is also possible to go back one thousand cases a day, but the current situation is that a part of it is returned every day, so the number will not drop until these cases are screened. 

As for Shuangbei, today there have been cases where the source of infection could not be found in Keelung, Hsinchu and Taichung. This is proof that the virus has spread for at least three rounds, and there may be 64 cases. Therefore, the virus has penetrated into the central and southern regions, and it must not be underestimated! 

In fact, there is a cluster in Wanhua. As early as 2 May, the infected person sought medical attention, but they were not diagnosed. Until the outbreak was exposed on 11 May, two more rounds have been released. In two rounds, the number of infections was 16 times worse! 

The current central and southern parts are like Shuangbei on 2 May. So you must defend well and press R0 below 1 (less than one person in a round). Those who are worried about the epidemic can look at Yilan. A total of more than 1,100 cases were screened in the amusement park cluster. As a result, 16 cases were diagnosed, with a diagnosis rate of only 1.3%, which is by no means the 10% of Taipei's rapid screening. Now in Yilan, all contacts have been identified. 

If there is a diagnosis, it is the R0 value after the epidemic was exposed, not a retrospective test. In other words, Yilan will be Shuangbei in a few days to two weeks, depending on how fast Shuangbei can go back to the old case.

Ref: news.tvbs.com.tw/life/1510689?from=Copy_content

News (25)

Shenyang, Liaoning: People who come to Shenyang from Yingkou need to hold a certificate of negative nucleic acid test within 7 days

Editor : Zhang Kaixin / Publisher : China News Network / http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2021/05-17/9479188.shtml / Direct translation

According to the official Weibo news of the Network Information Office of the Shenyang Municipal Party Committee of Liaoning Province, from now on, the personnel who came or returned to Shenyang from Yingkou (hereinafter referred to as the personnel who came to Shenyang) should hold them within 7 days before arriving in Shenyang. If the nucleic acid test is negative, you must take the initiative to report to the community after the sink.

If you are unable to provide a negative nucleic acid test certificate, please report the relevant situation to the community (village) and unit where you are located immediately. The epidemic prevention and control headquarters in the jurisdiction will organize professionals to take the initiative, orderly, free of charge, and come to (return) personnel to carry out nucleic acid. For detection, the personnel from Shenyang shall be invited to cooperate with the epidemic prevention and control headquarters in the area under the control of epidemic investigation, nucleic acid testing, medical observation and other prevention and control measures.

At the same time, those who come (return) to Shenyang pay attention to their own health check. If they have fever, dry cough and other uncomfortable symptoms, they should take protective measures, avoid taking public transportation, and go to the nearest medical institution for fever clinics as soon as possible. Please take the initiative to inform when you see a doctor. Doctor’s travel history and contact history are easy to rule out in time. Prevention and control measures will be adjusted in real time according to the requirements of Liaoning Province.

News (26)

The employer requested a special holiday for epidemic prevention and care. Ministry of Labour: The maximum fine is 1 million.

Direct translation

Taipei and New Taipei today announced the suspension of classes below vocational high school until the 28th. Parents must ask for epidemic prevention and care leave. The Ministry of Labor explained that the epidemic prevention and care leave is a special measure to prevent the epidemic. Employers should grant leave. If forced labor must take special leave or personal leave, the penalty can be 20,000 to 1 million NTD. 

Taipei and New Taipei announced that public and private high school vocational schools, elementary schools, kindergartens, cram schools and after-school care centers will be suspended from 18 to 28 May and remote teaching will not be available at school. 

The New Taipei Government stated that if working parents have children under the age of 12 or children with disabilities under high school or junior high school who need to take care of them, they can request epidemic prevention and care leave, and employers should grant leave. 

As for wages, employers are not compelled to pay wages, which can be negotiated between employers and employees. 

According to the official website of the Ministry of Labor, "Epidemic Care Leave" is a special measure for epidemic prevention and is not a public holiday. The employer should cooperate in granting eligible persons. However, this special measure does not force the employer to pay wages. It is hoped that both employers and employees will work together to prevent the epidemic and work hard. 

The Ministry of Labour explained that this special measure is in response to the delay in the opening of primary and secondary schools or during the suspension period according to the suspension standards, so that parents with children under 12 years old and other children in care have an additional option to ask for leave, which is related to the existing ones of the public and private sectors. Leave provisions (such as family care leave, personal leave, special leave, etc.) are parallel, and there is no exclusive or substitute relationship. 

Taiwan Ministry of Labour’s "Epidemic Prevention and Care Leave Q&A" stated that if workers fail to attend work in response to the needs of epidemic prevention and care, employers shall not deem them as absenteeism, forced laborers to take personal leave, or deduct full attendance bonuses and other unfavourable sanctions. 

If the employer withholds the full attendance bonus, it will be punished according to the violation of Article 22 of the Labor Standards Law if the wages are not paid in full. 

If the forced labourers must take special leave or personal leave, they will be punished in accordance with the provisions of Article 38 or Article 43 of the Labor Standards Law. It is NT$20,000 to NT$1 million. 

The Labour Bureau of the Taipei Government stated that parents of children under the age of 12 or physically and mentally disabled can take "family care leave." If employers do not give the leave, they may be fined 20,000 to 300,000 NTD. The Labour Bureau will strictly consider increasing the fine.

In addition, it is recommended that employers give it as far as possible. These two kinds of leave are not paid and do not affect the performance appraisal. The so-called "family care leave" means that the employee can take family care leave when his family members are vaccinated, serious illnesses or other major accidents need to take care of them in person. The number of family care holidays is included in the calculation of personal leave, and the whole year is limited to 7 days. (Central News Agency)

Ref: news.tvbs.com.tw/life/1511000?from=Copy_content

News (27)

Starting 16 May, those entering Macau from Taiwan must be quarantined for 21 days

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

The Macau Novel Coronavirus Infection Response Coordination Center announced that from 16 May, people who have been to Taiwan in the 21 days before entering Macau must receive 21-day quarantine medical observation at designated locations in accordance with the requirements of the health authorities.

The Response Coordination Center emphasized that the adjustment of relevant measures was made in response to the recent epidemic in Taiwan and in accordance with the relevant provisions of Macau’s "Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases." Violators may not only bear corresponding criminal liabilities, but also be subject to compulsory isolation measures.

As of 4 pm on 15 May, Macau has received 130,761 doses of the covi vaccine, and the number of people vaccinated is 83766. Since the start of vaccination, a total of 595 adverse event notifications have been received, of which 2 were serious adverse events and the rest were minor adverse events.

News (28)

No electricity in Taiwan without warning! Taipower urgently explained the main cause of the power outage

Editor : Liao Zipan / Direct translation

 At 12 pm on 17 May, the Xingda Power Plant No. 1 unit tripped due to a failure. Although hydropower was used to make up the gap, hydropower was unable to perform due to poor water conditions this year. There were power outages in some areas, and Taipower explained that because the power supply peak came earlier than in previous years, the demand has risen beyond expectations.

Ref: news.tvbs.com.tw/life/1511336?from=Copy_content

News (29)

Is it time to switch to a power outage? Taipower: "Unfortunately, we are in the CD team this year" 

Reporter Yang Zhizhong / Direct translation

In response to the 517 night blackout, Taipower Chairman Yang Weifu, General Manager and Zhong Bingli held a press conference to apologize to electricity users in the evening.

Electricity has soared to its peak again, with peak load reaching 37.443 million kW at 2:9 pm, breaking the historical May electricity consumption record once again, and the power supply peak came earlier than in previous years, and the demand side climbed beyond expectations. 

At 7.30 pm, the load far exceeded the normal nighttime electricity consumption, reaching 34.872 million kWh. With the addition of the No. 1 nuclear power plant, Linkou No. 3, Datan Recirculation No. 6, Xingda Recirculation No. 2, Dalin Gas No. 6, and Concord No. 4 and other overhaul units according to the planned schedule, It is not yet possible to return to the team to generate electricity. In the case of insufficient power generation, the district has to take turns to cut off the electricity.

 As for why this time there will be a power outage alternately between Group C and Group D, each round of power outages is 50 minutes. Taipower said that according to the method of alternate power outages in different districts, it will be Group C and Group D in 2021. Therefore, unfortunately, Group C and Group D will work out new methods in the future.

Taipower stated that it is expected to start two rounds of power rationing in the evening, the first round of power rationing will be from 8.50 pm to 9.40 pm, the power limit will be 1 million kWh, and the number of power rationing households will be about 660,000. The second round is started at 9.40 pm and we are trying to see if we can start the second round. If the system goes down, all users can share the difficult times and save electricity, and maybe it is not necessary to start the second round.

Ref: news.tvbs.com.tw/life/1511339?from=Copy_content

News (30)

Epidemic escalation in Shenyang, Yingkou detection, National Health Commission enters Liaoning

Editor : Ye Ziwei / https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/21/5/17/n12955209.htm / Translation, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

Image above : The epidemic situation in Liaoning Province is on the rise, the number of confirmed cases in Shenyang has increased, and the relevant areas have been locked down. The picture shows the block near Luyuan, a square in Heping District, Shenyang. (Video screenshot)

The CCP virus epidemic in the mainland is escalating. The latest news is that the National  Health Commission has stationed in Liaoning Province, and the relevant cities Yingkou, Shenyang and Gaizhou in Liaoning Province have once again been locked down. Recently, people in relevant areas have been required to conduct nucleic acid testing but officials have not yet explained the results of large-scale testing.

According to official data alone, as of 15 May, Liaoning Province had a total of 18 new confirmed cases, of which 4 were local cases, from Bayuquan District, Gaizhou, Yingkou, and Heping District, Shenyang.

At the same time that CCP's National Health Commission moved into Liaoning Province.  Residents in areas that were upgraded to medium-risk, such as Yingkou, were required to undergo nucleic acid testing overnight. According to Shenyang officials, the seven routes of China Southern Airlines Northern Company departing from Shenyang need to provide a negative nucleic acid test certificate ranging from 72 hours to 7 days.

At present, the mainland media focuses on reporting the itineraries of the confirmed cases, close contacts, and the vaccination of close contacts. However, since the authorities have seriously concealed the epidemic since the end of 2019, the actual number of people infected with the epidemic in mainland China is still unclear to the outside world.