Although probable SARS cases broke 600 and five new deaths were reported yesterday, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Taiwanese health officials announced that the epidemic is coming under control nationwide.
"The trend of new cases has been declining," Lee Ming-liang (
The WHO, in its Tuesday report on SARS, quoted a WHO official in Taiwan as saying that important strides had been made in strength-ening hospital infection control and contact tracing.
Listing the efforts health officials have implemented to contain the disease, the WHO said "these efforts are beginning to bear fruit."
"The situation in Taiwan is expected to improve gradually in the coming days and weeks," the WHO report said.
Thompson -- who drew a strong response from Director-General of the Department of Health (DOH) Chen Chien-jen (
Dr. Cathy Roth, one of the two WHO experts in Taiwan, checked with the organization's headquarters in Geneva on Tuesday after Lee asked why Thompson had made the comment and found that the spokesman had been misquoted.
Thompson said he could not identify the news agency because the interview was conducted by phone.
Thompson told the Taipei Times what he actually said in the interview was: "You know the peak only when you've passed it. But Taiwan has been doing all the right things."
Lee said WHO experts, who have been in Taiwan and touring hospitals over the past three weeks, are well informed of the development of the epidemic in the country.
The Cabinet's SARS prevention committee reported that as of yesterday, probable SARS cases reached 607, 11 more than the previous day's, with more than 76 percent of the probable cases originating in northern Taiwan.
Around 16 percent, or 102, of the probable cases were reported in southern Taiwan, the second most severely hit region, whereas only about 6 percent of the caseload was from the central and eastern parts of the country, the committee said.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) carried out viral tests on 467 of the probable cases and discovered that only 1 percent of the cases tested positive for the coronavirus, the causative agent of SARS.
Another study by the CDC revealed that other viruses such as chlamydia and mycoplasma were showing up in tests taken by probable cases.
Meanwhile, apart from establishing fever clinics in nearby hospitals, the committee is planning to set up fever clinics in every local town and village.
The Thai government on Friday announced that Taiwanese would be allowed to stay in the country for up to 60 days per entry, under the Southeast Asian country’s visa-free program starting from today. Taiwan is among 93 countries included in the Thai visa-waiver program, which has been expanded from 57 countries, with the visa-exempt entry extended from 30 to 60 days. After taking office last year, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has vowed to grant more visa waivers to foreign travelers as part of efforts to stimulate tourism. The expanded visa-waiver program was on Friday signed by Thai Minister of the Interior Anutin
PEACE AND SECURITY: China’s military ambitions present ‘the greatest strategic challenge to Japan and the world, Japan’s annual defense white paper said yesterday Japan yesterday warned that China risked escalating tensions with Taiwan with an increase in military exercises that appeared aimed in part at readying Beijing’s forces for a possible invasion. Japan’s annual assessment of security threats, including those posed by China, North Korea and Russia, comes as Taiwan closely monitors Chinese People’s Liberation Army air and sea exercises, including one with the Shandong aircraft carrier in the Pacific Ocean. The drills are the latest in a series including maneuvers in the Taiwan Strait last year that a senior US general said would be key to any invasion. “Because of that increase in military activity,
CHIPS AND DEFENSE: Trump said the US had lost its chip business and Taipei should pay it for defense, and added that ‘we’re no different than an insurance company’ Taiwan-US relations are solid, and both sides are in agreement that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region are everyone’s concern, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday following comments by former US president Donald Trump that Taiwan “should pay” for US defense. Taiwan is thankful to the US for supporting Taiwan’s bid to participate in international organizations, Cho told a news conference in Taipei. “I know the people very well, respect them greatly. They did take about 100 percent of our chip business,” Trump told Bloomberg on June 25 in an interview that was published on Tuesday. “I think
SECURITY CONCERNS: An FBI agent said it was surprising that the shooter, whose motive remains unknown, was able to open fire before the Secret Service killed him On the heels of an apparent attempt to kill him, former US president Donald Trump yesterday called for unity and resilience as shocked leaders across the political divide recoiled from the shooting that left him injured, but “fine,” and the shooter and a rally-goer dead. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee said the upper part of his right ear was pierced in the shooting His aides said he was in “great spirits” and doing well. “I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place,” he