The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) was disbanded yesterday and the status of COVID-19 was downgraded.
COVID-19 vaccination would remain free of charge, but healthcare providers can now ask for a registration fee, the government said.
People would no longer have the option to take vaccination leave, which people could take since May 2021, it said.
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
People with risk factors for severe COVID-19 would still be eligible for free prescriptions for antivirals and the traditional herbal formula Chingguan Yihau (清冠一號), also known as NRICM101.
Drug prescription rules for people with “long COVID” would remain, as would treatment facilities for them, the government said, adding that the treatment of people with serious COVID-19 complications would still be covered by the government.
The name-based rationing scheme that allowed people to buy COVID-19 rapid tests at discounted prices was also discontinued, the government said.
However, then-CECC officials earlier said that for the time being, they expect unsubsidized tests to continue to be sold at most pharmacies, supermarkets and convenience stores.
The mask requirement at medical facilities, including pharmacies, and in ambulances would remain in place through at least May 30, the CECC said before the Ministry of Health and Welfare took over its responsibilities.
The Centers for Disease Control would provide updates on the COVID-19 situation, as well as other diseases, at its weekly news briefings on Tuesdays.
An undersea cable to Penghu County has been severed, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said today, with a Chinese-funded ship suspected of being responsible. It comes just a month after a Chinese ship was suspected of severing an undersea cable north of Keelung Harbor. The National Communications and Cyber Security Center received a report at 3:03am today from Chunghwa Telecom that the No. 3 cable from Taiwan to Penghu was severed 14.7km off the coast of Tainan, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) upon receiving a report from Chunghwa Telecom began to monitor the Togolese-flagged Hong Tai (宏泰)
Actor Lee Wei (李威) was released on bail on Monday after being named as a suspect in the death of a woman whose body was found in the meeting place of a Buddhist group in Taipei’s Daan District (大安) last year, prosecutors said. Lee, 44, was released on NT$300,000 (US$9,148) bail, while his wife, surnamed Chien (簡), was released on NT$150,000 bail after both were summoned to give statements regarding the woman’s death. The home of Lee, who has retreated from the entertainment business in the past few years, was also searched by prosecutors and police earlier on Monday. Lee was questioned three
EVA Air is prohibiting the use of portable chargers on board all flights starting from Saturday, while China Airlines is advising passengers not to use them, following the lead of South Korean airlines. Current regulations prohibit portable chargers and lithium batteries from check-in luggage and require them to be properly packed in carry-on baggage, EVA Air said. To improve onboard safety, portable chargers and spare lithium batteries would be prohibited from use on all fights starting on Saturday, it said. Passengers are advised to fully charge electronic devices before boarding and use the AC and USB charging outlets at their seat, it said. South
WAR SIMULATION: The developers of the board game ‘2045’ consulted experts and analysts, and made maps based on real-life Chinese People’s Liberation Army exercises To stop invading Chinese forces seizing Taiwan, board gamer Ruth Zhong chooses the nuclear option: Dropping an atomic bomb on Taipei to secure the nation’s freedom and her victory. The Taiwanese board game 2045 is a zero-sum contest of military strategy and individual self-interest that puts players on the front lines of a simulated Chinese attack. Their battlefield game tactics would determine the theoretical future of Taiwan, which in the real world faces the constant threat of a Chinese invasion. “The most interesting part of this game is that you have to make continuous decisions based on the evolving situation,
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