The government is considering whether to ban flights from the UK as other countries have done to stem the spread of a new strain of COVID-19 that is reportedly more infectious, Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday, adding that the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) would make the final decision on the matter.
Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy and the Netherlands, are among the countries and areas that have placed travel curbs on the UK.
“We are discussing the latest developments with the CECC,” Lin told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Taipei.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Separately, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), head of the CECC, said that Taiwan currently has no plans to ban flights from the UK.
People traveling from the UK need to present a certificate showing that they have tested negative for COVID-19 in a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test before they would be allowed to board a plane, he told reporters, adding that they must also undergo a 14-day quarantine upon arriving in Taiwan.
Lin was asked if the government would revise disease-
prevention regulations for pilots and flight attendants after three EVA Airways Corp (長榮航空) pilots tested positive for COVID-19 following a cargo flight duty to the US, becoming cases No. 760, 765 and 766.
A subsequent investigation by the CECC found that case No. 765, a New Zealander, did not wear a mask during the flight, despite having symptoms, and likely infected his coworkers on the flight.
Earlier this month, three EVA Air flight attendants and two China Airlines Ltd (中華航空) cabin crew members were found to have breached quarantine rules for airline workers.
“The government has set very clear disease-prevention guidelines to regulate workers in the civil aviation industry amid the pandemic. In view of the recent breaches by pilots and flight attendants, I have asked officials at the Civil Aeronautics Administration [CAA] and the ministry’s Department of Aviation and Navigation to propose revisions to the guidelines. We are communicating with CECC officials on how they should be executed,” Lin said, adding that the CAA has proposed several options.
Cargo pilots should also thoroughly adhere to the guidelines, and would be punished if they fail to follow regulations, he said.
Any breaches of disease-
prevention regulations could become a loophole causing the disease to spread, which would prompt the government to further tighten restrictions on airline workers, he added.
Currently, pilots and flight attendants are required to undergo quarantine for three days and five days respectively, he said.
EVA Air said in a statement that it has repeatedly reminded cabin crew members to strictly adhere to disease-prevention regulations in Taiwan and other countries, including wearing masks throughout a flight except when they are eating.
Those failing to follow regulations would be held accountable following an investigation, it said.
The Taoyuan Union of Pilots said that both airlines and flight crew members should cooperate with the CECC when it conducts contact tracing of COVID-19 patients.
“We want to remind all flight crew members that they need to abide by disease-prevention measures and heed personal health conditions before they report for duty. Pilots would only be considered to be acting professionally if they do not work when sick,” union said.
Cargo pilots need to follow quarantine rules to keep airlines operating, as carriers have suffered heavy losses due to reduced passenger traffic, the union said, adding that public support for cargo jet pilots would help sustain them during this difficult time.
Additional reporting by Lin Liang-sheng
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College