COVID-19: SMS registration used for tracing ‘confirmed cases’
NO MASS SURVEILLANCE: An interior ministry official said users’ telecoms see the number, the date and time, and the venue’s code which they already have
By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter
The free short message service (SMS) registration launched by the government last week so that retail stores and restaurants could record customers’ contact information is only to be used for tracing the contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases, not for mass surveillance, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday.
All businesses and public venues are required to record their customers’ contact information for possible use in contact tracing, after the center raised the COVID-19 alert to level 3 for the whole nation on Wednesday last week.
2021/05/23 10:25 Health Minister Chen Shih-chung. Health Minister Chen Shih-chung. (CNA photo) TAIPEI (Taiwan News) Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) has shared the backstory to the 400 new, locally transmitted COVID-19 cases that were retroactively added for the past week, in an attempt to clear confusion among the general public. Taiwan reported 321 new local COVID infections on Saturday (May 22), along with 400 cases over the last six days whose positive tests were not included in previous reports. The two sets of numbers have led some netizens to question the legitimacy of the country s total case counts. However, the Twin City (雙北, double north ) mayors of Taipei City and New Taipei City respectively, Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and Hou You-yi (侯友宜) echoed Chen s explanation and called for the public s understanding. They also urged Taiwanese to continue to stay home and
Chipmakers tighten virus measures
READY: TSMC introduced a rotational work schedule when the alert level was raised, so it said operations would not be affected by one of its staff testing positive for COVID-19
Staff writer, with CNA
Semiconductor suppliers are on alert over an escalation in domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases in Taiwan, to ensure that there is no interruption to their production, especially amid a global chip shortage.
As the companies’ production is predicted to remain unscathed due to tightened disease prevention measures, several IC heavyweights still expect their second quarter sales to smash quarterly records.
That is because the semiconductor sector is expected to continue benefiting from solid global demand caused by emerging technologies such as 5G applications, high-performance computing devices and gadgets, including notebook computers, tablets and Internet-related communications equipment used in t
Negative test report required for travelers flying to Kinmen
05/23/2021 09:15 PM
Kinsmen Airport. CNA file photo
Taipei, May 23 (CNA) Kinmen County government on Sunday announced that it will require travelers arriving by air to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result from no more than three days before their flight, as Taiwan proper is currently experiencing a surge in domestically transmitted infections.
The new measure will come into effective on Monday, and those unable to produce the required document will have to take a rapid test at Kinmen airport, the county s Public Health Bureau said in a statement.
If a test comes back positive, the passengers will immediately be taken by ambulance to Kinmen Hospital, the bureau said, noting that the new measure was introduced to shield the outlying county from the possible spread of the virus.
COVID-19: CECC reports 287 new cases, six deaths
CLOUD SYSTEM: People who undergo PCR testing can access their test results through the NHIA’s mobile app, instead of waiting for a phone call, Chen Shih-chung said
By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter
The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported 287 new local COVID-19 infections, 170 backlogged local cases and six deaths.
Of the local infections, 138 are male and 149 are female, and the onset of symptoms or testing dates ranged from May 6 to Saturday, it said.
Most of the cases live in Taipei and New Taipei City: 142 in New Taipei City, including 32 in Banciao District (板橋), and 77 cases in Taipei, including 38 in Wanhua District (萬華), the center said.