The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday thanked Japan for considering sending additional vaccines to Taiwan.
Japan on June 4 donated 1.24 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to Taiwan as the nation is grappling with a shortage of jabs.
Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi yesterday announced that Tokyo is sending 1 million doses to Vietnam today, and is considering sending another batch to Taiwan through the COVAX vaccine sharing initiative, as well as shipping vaccines to other Southeast Asian nations.
Photo: EPA-EFE
The government would maintain close communications with Tokyo and hopes that the vaccines would arrive soon, ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said.
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the Central Epidemic Command Center, also thanked Tokyo for its goodwill.
In other developments, the ministry reiterated its support for Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp (高端疫苗) to conduct phase 3 clinical trials for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate in Paraguay, after the developer announced its phase 2 trial results in Taiwan last week.
The company and the National University of Asuncion Faculty of Medical Sciences on April 22 met virtually to discuss clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccine development.
The ministry at the time said it welcomed the cooperation.
The two parties on May 12 signed a memorandum of understanding, with the faculty saying it “is interested in organizing and executing MVC’s [Medigen] COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials in Paraguay,” Chinese-language Mirror Media reported yesterday, publishing part of the document.
The ministry is glad to see medical cooperation between Medigen and the university, Ou said in a statement, adding that the ministry would continue to offer assistance.
Once the nation’s locally developed vaccines obtain emergency use authorization and after meeting the domestic demand for jabs, the government would be happy to share them with diplomatic allies to help them combat the pandemic, she added.
Paraguay is one of the nation’s 15 diplomatic allies and the only one in South America.
Following speculation that it might switch recognition to Beijing in exchange for COVID-19 vaccines, Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benitez on April 20 said the country would not accept any kind of blackmail or diplomatic conditions in exchange for vaccines from Chinese suppliers, after the country procured vaccines from India.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old
SEA SEARCH: Nine crew members of a cargo ship had taken to the water after the vessel sunk off the southern coast, with a rescue effort under way, officials said The strongest typhoon to hit Taiwan in eight years yesterday killed three people and flooded parts of the nation’s second-biggest city, while rescuers were searching for nine sailors after their cargo ship sank in the storm. Typhoon Gaemi transformed streets in Kaohsiung into rivers, with some households flooded. Offices and schools were closed for the second consecutive day, with thousands of people evacuated. Three people died and 380 were injured due to strong winds and torrential rainfall brought by Typhoon Gaemi, the Central Emergency Response Center said. The typhoon made landfall in Yilan County’s Nanao Township (南澳) at midnight yesterday and departed Taiwan