Masks are no longer to be required in medical institutions from Sunday next week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced yesterday, officially ending all COVID-19 mask restrictions.
Masks would be recommended rather than mandatory in all medical institutions and centers for the elderly, CDC Deputy Director-General Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) said following an expert meeting to assess the COVID-19 situation.
The decision was made after considering similar policies set by the WHO, as well as the US, UK and other nations, Tseng said.
Photo: CNA
Under the guidelines, those exhibiting respiratory symptoms should not enter medical institutions unless necessary, but if they do, they should wear a mask until at least five days after symptoms ease.
Those who have had close contact with someone exhibiting respiratory symptoms and those at high risk of developing complications are also advised to wear a mask in medical institutions, the guidelines say.
Those younger than two or who have trouble wearing a mask should cover their mouth with tissue paper when coughing or sneezing, and dispose of it after use.
Meanwhile, a statement about expiration dates on the 10 million free COVID-19 tests that the CDC plans to distribute to more than 4,500 National Health Insurance-contracted pharmacies nationwide has sparked concern among members of the public.
The 10 million kits have expiration dates ranging from the end of May to December, and 1.5 million of them would be effective until the end of December, but the majority of the kits would expire by the end of June, the CDC said on Tuesday.
Members of the public are concerned whether the efficacy of the test kits would be affected.
Food and Drug Administration Deputy Director-General Wang Te-yuan (王德原) yesterday said that “close to expiry” means the rapid test kits have not yet expired and can be used normally.
“If the test kits have expired, it is advised to dispose of them as general waste and refrain from using them,” he said.
Additional reporting by CNA
Taiwan aims to open 18 representative offices and seven Taiwan Tourism Information Centers worldwide by next year to attract international visitors, the Tourism Administration said on Saturday. The agency has so far opened three representative offices abroad this year and would open two more before the end of the year, it said. It has also already opened information centers in Jakarta, Mumbai and Paris, and is to open one in Vancouver next month and in Manila in December, it said. Next year, it would also open offices in Amsterdam, Dubai and Sydney, it added. While the Cabinet did not mention international tourists in its
EYES AT SEA: Many marine enthusiasts have expressed interest in volunteering for coastal patrols, which would help identify stowaways and illegal fishing, the CGA said Six thousand coastal patrol volunteers are to be recruited for 159 inspection offices to enhance the nation’s response to “gray zone” conflicts, Coast Guard Administration (CGA) sources said yesterday. Volunteer teams would be established to increase the resilience of coastal defense systems in the wake of two unlawful entries attempted by Chinese over the past three months, Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) said. A former Chinese navy captain drove a motorboat into the Tamsui River (淡水河) in Taipei on the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival in June, while another Chinese man sailed in a rubber boat into the Houkeng
NEXT LEVEL: The defense ministry confirmed that a video released last month featured personnel piloting new FPV drone systems being developed by the Armaments Bureau Taipei and Washington are pushing for their drone companies to work together to establish a China-free supply chain, the Financial Times reported on Friday. A delegation of high-level executives and US government officials were yesterday to arrive in Taipei to discuss with their Taiwanese counterparts collaboration on drone technology procurement and development, the report said. The executives represent 26 US manufacturers of drone and counter-drone systems, while the officials are from the US Department of Commerce and the US Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit, along with Dev Shenoy, principal director for microelectronics in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense
‘ANONYMOUS 64’: A national security official said that it is an attempt by China to increase domestic anti-Taiwanese sentiment and inflame cross-strait tensions The Ministry of National Defense’s (MND) Information, Communications and Electronic Force Command (ICEFCOM) yesterday denied accusations by China that it had undermined regional security by carrying out cyberattacks against targets in China, adding instead that Beijing was responsible for raising tensions and undermining regional peace. The Chinese Ministry of State Security on WeChat accused a hacker group called “Anonymous 64” of targeting China, Hong Kong and Macau starting earlier this year through frequent cyberattacks. The group carried out cyberattacks to seize control of Web sites, outdoor electronic billboards and video-on-demand platforms in China, Hong Kong and Macau, it said, adding the hackers’