CECC advisor Chang Shan-chwen. Photo courtesy of the CECC
Taipei, Feb. 2 (CNA) Two of the 19 patients in a COVID-19 cluster linked to Taoyuan General Hospital are in intensive care units and on respirators, a Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) official said Tuesday.
The two are the only ones in the cluster so far to develop a severe case of the disease, while four others have pneumonia, CECC advisor Chang Shan-chwen (張上淳) said at a press briefing in Taipei.
The rest of the patients all have mild cases of COVID-19, and some will be able to be discharged soon, Chang said.
As of Tuesday, 19 people linked to the hospital in Taoyuan have been confirmed with COVID-19 two doctors, four nurses, one migrant caregiver, six relatives of two of the nurses, two hospital patients, three relatives of the two patients, and a contact of one of the patients.
Diplomats’ vaccine shots rest on desire, local policy
PAID: Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Joanne Ou said that if insurance through their embassy did not cover shots for overseas officials, the ministry would pay
By Lin Chia-nan / Staff reporter
Whether overseas officials should be vaccinated depends on their preference and their host country’s regulations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday, adding that vaccine costs could be covered by medical insurance or the government.
As of Monday, 35 officials stationed abroad had contracted COVID-19, ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) told a news briefing in Taipei yesterday.
While 24 had recovered, eight were asymptomatic and three had minor symptoms, and were in home isolation, Ou added.
UK CPTPP bid an ‘opportunity’: MOFA
DETERMINED: All of the CPTPP nations fully understand Taiwan’s intention to join the partnership, and they are ‘positive’ about the bid, spokeswoman Joanne Ou said
By Lin Chia-nan / Staff reporter
The UK’s application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is an opportunity for Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday, adding that the government would submit its application to join the trade partnership at “the most favorable time.”
“CPTPP is one of the most important free trade areas in the world and UK accession could see CPTPP’s proportion of global GDP rise to 16%,” British Secretary of State for International Trade Liz Truss wrote in a letter of intent published on Monday.
Taiwan mulls lifting ban on Indonesian workers if needed
02/02/2021 09:55 PM
CNA file photo
Taipei, Feb. 2 (CNA) Taiwan is considering lifting the current entry ban on Indonesian migrant workers if demand for workers from the Southeast Asian country requires it, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), said Tuesday.
In December 2020, Taiwan decided to impose an indefinite ban on the recruitment of Indonesian migrant workers, as the reliability of Indonesia s polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for COVID-19 was called into question.
Indonesian officials have talked since then with Taiwan s representatives in the country on the issue, during which the Taiwanese side expressed hope that Indonesia can provide a list of certified PCR testing facilities there.