■ HEALTH
Enterovirus case confirmed
The Department of Health yesterday confirmed an enterovirus-71 case involving a 21-month-old child in Pingtung County, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 14 for the year. Lin Ting (林頂), deputy director-general of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), said the girl's parents had taken her to a Kaohsiung medical center on Feb. 4 after finding blisters all over her body. The child was released from the hospital the next day after her condition improved. However, on Feb. 6, the child developed a fever, symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease, as well as arm and leg spasms, Lin said. The parents brought the child back to the medical center where she was immediately admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit. After conducting tests, the hospital reported the suspected enterovirus-71 case to the CDC. The child was released from the medical center several days later after her condition again improved.
■ POLITICS
Chen to decide on proposal
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) will decide whether to negotiate a third referendum proposal this week as the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has pitched a third proposal to Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平). Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) yesterday said that the president would consider different opinions, including DPP presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷). During his meeting with President Chen last week, Hsieh expressed his support for the two referendum proposals that will be held concurrently with the presidential election on March 22. Hsieh also urged the president to call a meeting with DPP and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) representatives to discuss how to take advantage of the referendum mechanism to serve the best interest of the nation. The DPP has proposed holding a referendum on whether to join the UN using the name "Taiwan," while the KMT has suggested another referendum on "rejoining" the body using the country's official name.
■ TRANSPORTATION
TRA to try EasyCards
Railway passengers will be allowed to pay their fares with EasyCards in four stations in the greater Taipei area later this year on a trial basis, the president of the Taipei Smart Card Corp (TSCC) said yesterday. The Taipei, Wanhua (萬華), Banciao (板橋) and Shulin (樹林) stations will be included in the trial, which will allow the Taiwan Railway Administration to evaluate the feasibility of expanding the use of EasyCards to all 19 stations between Keelung and Jhongli (中壢), which see 400,000 commuters per day, company president Lin Chih-ying (林志盈) said. The contactless prepaid cards were first launched by the company in September 2002 as a travel pass for passengers using the metro and public bus systems in Taipei City.
■ CROSS-STRAIT TIES
Games an opportunity: Chen
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) told a diplomatic gathering last night in Taipei that many human rights activists see the Beijing Olympics an opportunity for China to address its human-rights problem. He said he hoped China would host a successful event and adhere to the peaceful spirit of the international games, in addition to improving its human-rights policies. Chen urged China to give up its plans to invade Taiwan so that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait could coexist peacefully.
READY: The CGA said it closely monitored China’s maritime exercise, deployed vessels to shadow the Chinese ships one-on-one and set up emergency response centers Chinese navy and coast guard ships have returned to China, signaling the end of a massive maritime exercise, authorities said yesterday. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) released images it said showed Chinese vessels sailing north in rough seas past Taiwan on Thursday, on their way to China. “All the Chinese coast guard went back to China yesterday, so although they have not officially made any announcement, we consider it over,” CGA Deputy Director-General Hsieh Ching-chin (謝慶欽) said. Beijing has not confirmed the drills and the Chinese Ministry of National Defense did not say whether the maneuvers had taken place when asked at a
People can take the Taipei MRT free of charge if they access it at Nanjing Sanmin Station or Taipei Arena Station on the Green Line between 12am and 6am on Jan. 1, the Taipei Department of Transportation said on Friday, outlining its plans to ease crowding during New Year’s events in the capital. More than 200,000 people are expected to attend New Year’s Eve events in Taipei, with singer A-mei (張惠妹) performing at the Taipei Dome and the city government’s New Year’s Eve party at Taipei City Hall Plaza, the department said. As people have tended to use the MRT’s Blue or
PUBLIC TRANSPORT: As some roads would be fully or partially closed, people are advised to take the MRT, with services expanded to accommodate more riders This year’s Taipei Marathon, which has obtained its first gold label certification from World Athletics, is to be held from 5am to 1pm tomorrow and would have 28,000 participants. The race is to start from the Taipei City Plaza and would go through major roads throughout the city, with traffic control implemented from 6am to 2pm, officials said. The Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system and New Taipei City MRT Circle line would start operating at 5am on the day of the race, they said. The race would cover Renai Road, Xinyi Road, Hangzhou S Road, Aiguo east and west roads,
Taiwanese professional baseball should update sports stadiums and boost engagement to enhance fans’ experience, Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) commissioner Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) told the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) in an interview on Friday. The league has urged Farglory Group and the Taipei City Government to improve the Taipei Dome’s outdated equipment, including relatively rudimentary television and sound systems, and poor technology, he said. The Tokyo Dome has markedly better television and sound systems, despite being 30 years old, because its managers continually upgraded its equipment, Tsai said. In contrast, the Taipei Dome lacked even a room for referees
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