MEDIGEN: The vaccine must also be reviewed by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices before it is added to the national vaccination program
An emergency use authorization (EUA) for Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp’s (高端疫苗) COVID-19 vaccine — MVC-COV1901 — for people aged 20 and older was issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said a specialists’ meeting was held at the FDA on Sunday to review Medigen’s application to manufacture and distribute its COVID-19 vaccine, and the panel approved it. FDA Director Wu Hsiu-mei (吳秀梅) said the meeting consisted of 21 specialists from the fields of chemistry, manufacturing and controls, pharmacy, toxicology, clinical medicine, public health, law and medical ethics. There were no major concerns over
LAND ALERT UNCERTAIN: The CWB was waiting to observe how In-Fa shifts as it moves north to determine when to issue a land alert, a forecaster at the bureau said
Residents of northern Taiwan should brace for heavy rain today and tomorrow as Typhoon In-Fa approaches the northeast, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said yesterday. A land alert for the typhoon would be issued depending on the angle at which it moves north today, the bureau said. The bureau on Wednesday issued a sea alert for the typhoon, which applies to ships operating off the nation’s northern, northeastern and southeastern coasts. As of 8:30pm yesterday, In-Fa’s center was 470km southeast of Taipei, moving northwest at 6kph. It was carrying maximum sustained winds of 180kph, and had a radius of 200km. The typhoon was moving
‘BREAKTHROUGH’: All countries should be free to pursue closer ties with Taiwan, a leading democracy, a major economy, and a force for good in the world, the AIT said
Taiwan is to establish a “Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania,” the first office in Europe to be called Taiwanese, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced yesterday. “It is an important diplomatic breakthrough,” President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) wrote on Facebook, thanking diplomatic personnel for the significant achievement. To expand the nation’s relations with central and eastern Europe, especially with Baltic nations, the government decided to establish the office in Vilnius, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) told an online news conference. The plan signals progress in Taiwan-Europe relations, as it has been 18 years since the nation last opened an office on the
TARGET RAISED: The CECC said vaccination coverage has reached 24.35%, while Premier Su Tseng-chang said the government hopes for 30% by the end of July
The government has signed a contract to buy an additional 36 million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, 1 million of which are to be delivered in the fourth quarter, the Executive Yuan announced yesterday, as it updated its vaccination target to 30 percent coverage by the end of the month. The two-year deal with the US company covers “prime series” vaccines and future booster shots to protect against SARS-CoV-2 variants, Executive Yuan spokesman Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成) quoted Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) as saying during an Executive Yuan meeting in Taipei. In the two weeks since vaccine registration opened, more than 9.8
STAY VIGILANT: Although a level 2 alert would raise the limit on indoor gatherings to 50, people should still wear masks and practice social distancing, the center said
A nationwide COVID-19 alert is to be lowered from level 3 to 2 on Tuesday, but strict border controls would remain, the government said yesterday. The level 3 alert in place since May 19 is to end on Monday, with a level 2 alert in place from Tuesday until Aug. 9, the Executive Yuan said. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), told a news conference in Taipei that over the next two weeks, people should still wear masks at all times outdoors, except while eating or drinking, and practice social distancing. The maximum
FORCED TITLE: Most of the nation’s Olympians identify as Taiwanese, and a majority of them do not hail from Taipei, adding another layer of absurdity to the misnomer
The sports world is to focus on the Tokyo Olympic Games starting on Friday, and once again Taiwanese will not have a “Team Taiwan” to cheer for, but will be stuck with the deceitful, contrived name of “Chinese Taipei.” It is a dishonest name, imposed by international politics under pressure from China and the International Olympic Committee, acquiesced to by the former lackeys on Taiwan’s Olympic committee. For a majority of Taiwanese, it is more fitting and simpler to shout “Go Taiwan!” (台灣加油). More people are saying that “Chinese Taipei” is a gross distortion and fraudulent representation for Taiwan’s star athletes in
Tropical Storm In-Fa could be upgraded to a typhoon today, while another tropical storm formed in the South China Sea yesterday morning, the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday. As of 8am yesterday, In-Fa was 1,050km east of Taipei, bureau data showed. The tropical storm was moving northwest at 8kph and its radius had reached 100km. Tropical Storm Cempaka, which had formed in the South China Sea, was 800km west of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻). It was moving north toward China’s Guangdong Province at 6kph and had a radius of 80km. Cempaka was not expected to affect Taiwan directly, but In-Fa is expected to affect the
Border controls would not be loosened, but domestic COVID-19 restrictions could be eased gradually after Monday next week, the Central Epidemic Command Center said yesterday, as it reported 15 new locally transmitted COVID-19 infections and one death. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said the 15 local infections were eight males and seven females aged from under five to over 80, and seven tested positive during isolation or upon ending isolation. New Taipei City reported 11 cases, followed by Taoyuan with three cases and Taipei with one, Chen said. The infection sources of nine cases had been
FOSUN CONTRACT: Sources said the vaccines would be delivered directly from Germany by BioNTech and items would not be labeled with the Chinese name
The Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation yesterday signed a contract with Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co (上海復星醫藥集團) to purchase 5 million doses of BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine, the Executive Yuan said. Shanghai Fosun is the German company’s agent for distributing COVID-19 vaccines in Taiwan and China, including Hong Kong and Macau. At about 8am, the foundation submitted documents to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to be reviewed, Executive Yuan spokesman Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成) told a news conference in the afternoon. At about 10am, CDC Director-General Chou Jih-haw (周志浩) signed a contract with the foundation regarding its plan to donate the BioNTech vaccines
MEDIGEN RUCKUS: KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang said that Taiwan had set the lowest bar for vaccine approval worldwide as the KMT alleged the process was corrupt
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday filed a lawsuit against Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Director Wu Shou-mei (吳秀梅) alleging corruption in the decision to issue an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Medigen Vaccine Biologic Corp (高端疫苗生物製劑). The FDA had bypassed standard procedures and, in broad defiance of public and international opinion, decided to approve the vaccine, the KMT said. Citing FDA data, KMT caucus secretary-general Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) said that Medigen started producing vaccines last month, before it received the EUA, which is evidence that the
The Central Weather Bureau (CWB) at 8pm yesterday issued a sea warning for Typhoon In-Fa and said that a land warning might be issued today. In-Fa was about 540km east-southeast of Taipei and was moving west at 8kph, the bureau said. It had maximum sustained winds of 144kph, with gusts of up to 180kph, bureau data showed. The international standard for a typhoon is maximum sustained winds of at least 119kph. Given that In-Fa has been moving slowly, CWB forecaster Lin Ping-yu (林秉煜) said that the bureau is likely to issue a land warning today, either in the afternoon or in the evening. Neither the
HEAVY TOLL: The closure of the plants, which produced 56 percent of Feng Tay’s shoes last year, followed similar shutdowns in India, its second-biggest production base
Feng Tay Enterprises Co Ltd (豐泰), a supplier for Nike Inc, on Saturday temporarily shut down four factories in Vietnam, its biggest manufacturing base, for about a week amid COVID-19 lockdowns, it said yesterday. Feng Tay is the latest in a slew of local manufacturers with operations in Vietnam that have suspended operations as the country grapples with its worst outbreak of COVID-19. Pou Chen Corp (寶成工業), the world’s largest manufacturer of branded athletic and casual footwear, last week said that it had suspended operations at its plant in Ho Chi Minh City, as virus restrictions shuttered factories in the business hub
‘FAILED TACTICS’: A lawmaker said Beijing’s actions in Hong Kong and Taiwan’s success at boosting its ties internationally have boosted identification as Taiwanese
Self-identification as “Taiwanese and Chinese,” or solely as “Chinese,” has dropped to record lows, while 63.3 percent of the public regard themselves as Taiwanese, a survey released on Tuesday by National Chengchi University’s Election Study Center showed. Respondents identifying as Taiwanese and Chinese dropped to 31.4 percent, while those identifying solely as Chinese fell to 2.7 percent, the survey showed. The results reflect changes in attitudes since 1994 among Taiwanese toward independence and unification with China, as well as self-identification trends since 1992, commenters said. Support for independence was 25.8 percent, while about 5 percent of respondents said that they want the nation
The national Olympic team yesterday departed for Japan to compete in the Tokyo Games starting on Friday. The 134-strong Olympic delegation includes officials, support staff and 68 athletes, who are to compete in 18 sports through Aug. 8. Taiwan is competing in the Games under the name Chinese Taipei. The delegation is led by Taiwan’s top female weightlifter, Kuo Hsing-chun (郭婞淳), who is to carry the team flag at the opening ceremony. It also includes world No. 1 women’s singles badminton player Tai Tzu-ying (戴資穎), as well as athletes who are to compete in cycling, taekwondo, judo, shooting, canoeing, rowing and archery
The Chinese government yesterday offered an indirect thank you to President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) for her message of concern over devastating floods in Henan Province, in a rare show of goodwill between Beijing and Taipei. Thirty-three people have died so far from heavy rains that have deluged Henan and its capital, Zhengzhou, for almost a week. Tsai on Wednesday, through her spokesman, expressed concern and sent her condolences to the victims. “President Tsai extends her sympathies and condolences to the flood victims and hopes life can return to normal soon for the survivors,” Presidential Office spokesman Xavier Chang (張惇涵) told reporters. In a brief
CONTINUED BACKING: The US Department of State is aware that China ‘seeks to abridge Taiwan’s international space’ and would try to counter it, Naz Durakoglu said
Acting US Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs Naz Durakoglu on Friday said that the US would continue to express support for Taiwan as China seeks to reduce Taiwan’s international standing. Her statement was made in response to a letter written on Wednesday last week and addressed to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in which US representatives Scott Perry and Tom Tiffany urged the US Department of State to be wary of Chinese meddling in Haiti following the assassination of Haitian president Jovenel Moise. In their letter, the two representatives highlighted the importance of the Caribbean nation’s ties
LOW-KEY OPENING: With just a few hundred dignitaries in the stands and hundreds more protesting outside, socially distanced athletes marched together in masks
The opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics took place yesterday in a nearly empty stadium after a year-long COVID-19-pandemic postponement and a build-up marred by scandal and controversy. The stripped-back celebration began with a video showing athletes training at home during the pandemic, before fireworks burst into the air above the Olympic Stadium. Just a few hundred officials and dignitaries were in the stands of the 68,000-seat venue, including French President Emmanuel Macron, US first lady Jill Biden and Japanese Emperor Naruhito, who would declare the Games open. The Olympics have faced opposition in Japan over fears the global gathering of 11,000 athletes
A sea alert for Typhoon In-Fa could be issued this morning as it moves toward Taiwan, although it remains uncertain if its center would make landfall, the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Cempaka was upgraded to a typhoon yesterday morning as it moved north toward China’s Guangdong Province, the bureau said. As of 2pm yesterday, In-Fa was classified as a tropical storm and was centered 800km east of Taipei, moving west at 13kph with maximum sustained winds of 101kph. It was upgraded to a moderate typhoon at 8pm yesterday evening. In other news, the bureau yesterday announced that it had completed
SPEED IS KEY: Local governments would soon have a central platform to help them accelerate contact tracing, as some cases have traveled between cities and counties
The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported 24 locally transmitted COVID-19 infections, as it announced the launch of an online contact tracing assistance platform, as well as guidelines for reopening traditional healing practices, infant care centers and family childcare services. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said 12 of the 24 local infections tested positive during isolation or upon ending isolation. The infection sources of 17 cases have been identified, four remain unclear and three are being investigated, he said. New Taipei City reported the most cases with nine, followed by Taipei with seven, Taoyuan with
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