CECC mulls eased rules for travelers
PALAU ‘TRAVEL BUBBLE’: If all the tourists who returned on Sunday test negative for COVID-19, changes might be made to make the scheme more attractive, the center said
Staff writer, with CNA
The government might relax quarantine measures for people who visited Palau under a “travel bubble” arrangement if all first returnees test negative for COVID-19, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday.
The first group of 100 travelers left for Palau under the scheme on April 1 and returned to Taiwan on Sunday.
Upon return, they are required to practice 14 days of self-health management, including stricter measures on the first five days, the center said, adding that additional measures would apply should any group member test positive.
AstraZeneca jab’s benefits outweigh risks: ministry
NO SUSPENSION: The risk of embolism as a side effect of the vaccine might be lower in Asia, where more people have adenovirus antibodies, a virus expert said
Staff writer, with CNA
The Ministry of Health and Welfare yesterday recommended that the rollout of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine should continue, adding that people would be informed of all known risks.
The European Medicines Agency in a statement Wednesday said that “unusual blood clots with low blood platelets should be listed as very rare side effects” of the vaccine.
“The reported combination of blood clots and low blood platelets is very rare, and the overall benefits of the vaccine in preventing COVID-19 outweigh the risks of side effects,” the statement said.
Travelers could buy shot by end of month: CECC
By Kayleigh Madjar / Staff writer, with CNA
Those needing to travel abroad should be able to buy a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of this month at the earliest, pending an official announcement next week, Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said yesterday.
An expected 5,000 to 10,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine are to be set aside for purchase by those with a specified need to travel, said Chuang, who is also the Central Epidemic Command Center’s (CECC) spokesman.
Whether doses would be limited to business travelers or could include leisure travelers needs further discussion, he said, adding that a vaccination timeline is to be announced next week at the earliest.
All healthcare facility staff now eligible to get vaccine
RACING THE CLOCK: Eligibility is likely to expand further as batch expiration dates approach, Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang said
By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter
Eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines now includes all healthcare facility workers, while a further expansion is to be considered tomorrow, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday, as it confirmed two new imported cases of COVID-19, both arrivals from Egypt.
Vaccine eligibility was yesterday expanded from frontline healthcare workers at designated COVID-19 hospitals to all healthcare facility workers.
Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), the Central Epidemic Command Center’s (CECC) spokesperson, said that 17,245 people had as of yesterday morning received their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.