The next two weeks are critical for containing the COVID-19 outbreak, which hinges on the cooperation of confirmed cases and the public, infectious-disease experts said on Saturday.
After a sharp spike in cases, the Central Epidemic Command Center on Saturday raised the pandemic alert for Taipei and New Taipei City to level 3 until May 28.
While serious, Taiwan would make it through if the outbreak is contained over the next two weeks, said Chen Yee-chun (陳宜君), director of National Taiwan University Hospital’s (NTUH) Division of Infectious Diseases.
Cases have been climbing so rapidly due in part to the reluctance of confirmed cases
Positive pressure booths set up in Taipei to increase COVID testing
05/16/2021 05:25 PM
Photo courtesy of the ITRI
Taipei, May 16 (CNA) Two positive pressure COVID-19 testing booths were assembled in Taipei overnight on Saturday to increase the ability to rapidly detect new coronavirus patients amid the worsening cluster infections in Taiwan.
Each of the testing booths are capable of screening 12 individuals for COVID-19 per hour, with a maximum of 240 individuals per day during urgent situations, according to a press release from the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI).
The ITRI, founded in 1973, is Taiwan s leading technology research and development institution.
The two testing booths, developed by the ITRI in June 2020, were originally installed at the National Taiwan University Hospital Hsinchu Biomedical Park Branch and the Mackay Memorial Hospital Hsinchu Branch, both of which partnered with the ITRI in the development of the device.
The Ministry of Culture is working to aid arts and cultural groups dealing with new COVID-19 restrictions through a special subsidy program, it said on Saturday.
The ministry on Friday announced a special subsidy program to aid arts and cultural groups and workers a day before the Central Epidemic Command Center raised the COVID-19 alert in Taipei and New Taipei City to level 3.
The program, which is accepting applications starting at noon today, aims to help arts groups and performers whose commercial performances, music concerts and film screenings were scheduled to be held from Tuesday last week to June 8, but
Mild COVID patients should stay home due to lack of isolation wards
05/16/2021 06:10 PM
An isolation ward. CNA file photo
Taipei, May 16 (CNA) The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Sunday called on people with only mild COVID-19 symptoms in the greater Taipei region to stay at home instead of seeking medical attention at hospitals, due to limited numbers of isolation wards there following a hike in confirmed patient numbers in Taipei and New Taipei.
Vice Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) made the call during a CECC press briefing after the country on Sunday confirmed 207 new cases of COVID-19, of which 206 were classified as domestic infections, the highest number ever recorded in Taiwan in a single day since the pandemic began.
2021/05/16 16:19 (Google maps image) (Google maps image) TAIPEI (Taiwan News) As contact tracing has become very difficult in the wake of a surge of 180 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported by the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Friday (May 14), several enthusiastic netizens have marked out potential hot spots for infections on Google Maps, making it easier for people to check if they have passed through those areas during the relevant timelines.
Ettoday has listed three such maps dealing with CECC data released since May 14. It is important to note that although the maps were created by netizens using CECC data, the maps do not carry the imprimatur of the CECC.