Coronavirus (COVID-19) Impact on Taiwan

[pttwarrior]

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4204915

Photo of the Day: Taipei becomes ghost town as COVID cases spike

Xinyi, Ximending, Tamsui, night markets, MRT become desolate and empty

By Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2021/05/17 13:41

(Taiwan News) — Taipei, a city of over 2.6 million, became an abandoned "ghost city" by Sunday (May 16) after a massive surge in coronavirus cases was reported over the weekend.

Taiwanese were terrified to learn that after over a year of keeping the coronavirus in check, an unprecedented 180 COVID cases were reported on Saturday (May 15), followed by 206 infections on Sunday. In response, both Taipei and New Taipei imposed Level 3 epidemic control restrictions, effective immediately.

The new restrictions, along with anxiety over the spread of the virus, prompted most residents of Taipei to stay in their homes on Sunday. Areas that are normally bustling with throngs of people on Sundays were almost completely empty.

Popular areas such as Xinyi District, Ximending, Tamsui Old Street, and Da Daocheng Wharf, were abandoned. Night markets such as Raohe Night Market and Linjie Street Night Market were empty.

Ridership on Taipei's Metro also dropped off substantially. Only 590,000 passengers took the MRT on Sunday, 1 million fewer than a week ago, leaving many stations looking desolate and devoid of humanity.


Normally busy shopping district of Ximending devoid of people. (CNA photo)


Empty crosswalk in heart of Ximending. (CNA photo)



Empty scene in Xinyi District. (Facebook, Yaode Chen photo)


Empty street in Xinyi District at night. (CNA photo)


Empty pedestrian walkway in Taipei's Tamsui District. (Reddit user SamwellBarley photo)


Inside Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall MRT Station. (CNA photo)



Empty tables at Da Dao Cheng Wharf. (CNA photo)


Raohe Night Market. (CNA photo)


Linjiang Street Night Market. (CNA photo)

[pttwarrior]

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4207841

Taiwan's 1,853 local COVID cases in 1 week center on Greater Taipei

New Taipei reports 853 COVID cases, Taipei City 746 in one week, most clustered in 3 districts


By Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2021/05/21 17:45



(Taiwan News) — Taiwan has seen a staggering 1,853 local COVID-19 cases since last Friday (May 14), with New Taipei and Taipei reporting the most cases, mainly clustered around three districts.

On Friday (May 21), Taiwan reported 312 domestic coronavirus infections, not far off the single-day record of 333 local cases set on Monday (May 17). As has been the pattern since Tuesday, New Taipei had the most cases at 144, while Taipei had 127.

Taipei reported slightly more cases each day from May 14-17. However, on Tuesday, New Taipei started to report more cases and has continued to do so, with nearly double Taipei's cases on Thursday (May 20).

Over the past seven days, New Taipei has reported 853 cases, while Taipei has recorded 746. Over this period, a clear pattern for the concentration of cases has emerged.

In Taipei, the obvious hotspot is Wanhua District, which has consistently had the most cases. In the case of New Taipei, the hotspots are alternating between Banqiao and Zhonghe districts.


On Friday, Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) told media that Banqiao and Zhonghe districts are the closest to Taipei's Wanhua District. He claimed 80 percent of reported cases in those districts have a connection with Wanhua, reported SET News.

In a closeup view of Greater Taipei in the map below, one can see hotspots based on the movements of recently confirmed cases. In the map, it is Wanhua that is at the heart of the outbreak in Taipei.

All neighboring districts in New Taipei have been most seriously affected, including Banqiao, Zhonghe, Yonghe, and Sanchong districts. In addition, districts in New Taipei that border the districts touching Wanhua are also starting to report cases, such as Tucheng and Xindian.

[pttwarrior]

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4210169

300 confirmed cases still unaccounted for in Taipei, New Taipei

146 COVID-positive patients unaccounted for in Taipei, 164 in New Taipei

By Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2021/05/25 18:31



(Taiwan News) — The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) has lost contact with over 300 confirmed coronavirus patients after they tested positive for COVID-19

At a press conference on Tuesday (May 25), CECC head Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) revealed that although many positive cases have been contacted, there are still over 300 people who have tested positive for COVID-19 whom health officials have been unable to reach. He called on both Taipei and New Taipei officials to work with police on tracking down these individuals.

Given the limited number of hospital beds, people who have a mild case of the disease are to be housed in quarantine centers to ride out their illness. Chen said that according to the latest statistics, Taipei City quarantine centers have taken in 373 patients, while New Taipei facilities are housing 757.

Due to the rapid speed at which hotels in New Taipei are being converted to quarantine facilities, Chen said it should soon have adequate capacity to handle all new patients. He said that New Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) had briefed him that morning on the rapid progress of setting up quarantine hotels and placing patients.

Chen said that the proportion of patients who have been notified of their positive test results and placed in quarantine is rising. However, he conceded that there are still 146 patients in Taipei and 164 in New Taipei who officials have been unable to contact.

He said this number is unacceptably high and expressed hopes that officials in Taipei and New Taipei will coordinate with police in finding these patients and put them in quarantine as soon as possible.

The CECC head said that since the new outbreak began, Taiwan suffered from a severe shortage of quarantine facilities for all the newly confirmed patients. He emphasized that through the coordination of the central government and local governments, the capacity to quarantine new patients has risen significantly.

Given the massive influx of coronavirus patients, Chen said the most important tasks at this stage include managing the placement problem, getting in touch with unaccounted for patients, and reducing the amount of time it takes to contact patients.

[pttwarrior]

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4209352

Nursing home in Taipei sees COVID cluster

Incident sees more than 30 seniors, staff members infected

By Huang Tzu-ti, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2021/05/24 15:07



A nursing home in Taipei has reported a COVID-19 cluster, becoming the second such facility in the capital to record infections since the Level 3 alert was declared on May 15.

The outbreak at a facility in Xinyi District saw a resident fall ill on May 19 and on 21. The two seniors were confirmed with the coronavirus and are being treated at the Taipei City Hospital Zhongxiao Branch, according to the Taipei City Department of Social Welfare.

Another 25 residents and nine staff members at the long-term care facility also tested positive following a round of rapid testing. The rest of the workers have been placed under quarantine.

An infected employee found to have traveled to Wanhua District, Taipei's COVID hotspot, on May 10 is believed to be the source of the cluster. The city government has conducted triage at the nursing home, transferring the vulnerable seniors to other quarantine centers or medical institutions as disinfection is carried out.

A nursing home in Wanhua District reported that one resident had become infected last week. The case contracted the virus while being treated for another illness at Taipei City Hospital Heping Branch.

[pttwarrior]

https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202105270005

Taiwan's 34 COVID deaths since May 11 all in Taipei, New Taipei: CECC

05/27/2021 11:45 AM

May 27 (CNA) Taiwan has reported 34 of its total 46 COVID-19 deaths since May 11, all involving patients in Taipei and New Taipei cities, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Wednesday.

The 34 fatalities consisted of 20 deaths in New Taipei and 14 in Taipei, municipalities that have accounted for more than 85 percent of new cases during the recent outbreak, the CECC said.

Meanwhile, the CECC also released updated information on 11 fatalities it reported Wednesday, as well as the number of patients whose cases had been classified as severe.

One of the deaths was a man in his 50s who was found in his home without signs of life on Tuesday and later pronounced dead. His death led health authorities to give him a COVID-19 test, which came back positive on Wednesday, the CECC said.

Several of the other fatalities involved people whose conditions rapidly deteriorated while they were in quarantine.

In one of the cases, a man in his 70s who had recently visited Taipei's Wanhua District, went to a local testing station on May 20, although he was not experiencing symptoms at the time.

On May 22, he received a remote health check at a government-designated quarantine facility, where he was staying pending the release of his test results.

The man died on May 24, the same day his test results came back positive, the CECC said.

Another of the deaths was that of a woman in her 70s, who developed symptoms on May 16 after having had contact with another known case. On May 18, she moved into a quarantine hotel after testing positive for a COVID-19 rapid test.

On May 24, her COVID-19 diagnosis was confirmed, but her condition began to deteriorate the following day and she died in hospital on Wednesday, the CECC said.

Of the remaining fatalities, five passed away in area hospitals, one died after his condition worsened in a government quarantine facility, and two were still being investigated, the CECC said.

Nine of the 11 patients either had a known source of infection or had recently visited Wanhua, while seven suffered from underlying chronic health issues, it said.

Meanwhile, CECC advisor Chang Shan-chwen (張上淳) said that 530 patients recently diagnosed with COVID-19 have been classified as severe cases.

As of Wednesday, there were 101 COVID-19 patients on ventilators, up 11 from the previous day, as well as two on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, Chang said.

To date, Taiwan has reported a total of 6,091 COVID-19 cases since the outbreak began in early 2020, of which 4,749 are domestic cases reported since May 15.

(By Chang Ming-hsuan, Chen Chieh-ling, Chiang Hui-chun and Matthew Mazzetta)

[pttwarrior]

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4209843

Nearly 1,000 shops shutter in Greater Taipei as business falters

Fresh COVID outbreak hurting brick-and-mortar businesses

By Huang Tzu-ti, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2021/05/25 12:08



(Taiwan News) — The COVID-19 surge that began earlier this month is taking a toll on the country's economy, with shops closing in Greater Taipei and the dining industry taking a hit nationwide.

Real estate company Ubee indicated that the number of online postings for available shopfronts in New Taipei and Taipei has soared by 1,000 in just three weeks, a rise of 20 percent. The two cities introduced a Level 3 COVID alert on May 15, with the measure extended to the whole country on May 19.

Taipei’s Daan District and New Taipei’s Luzhou, Banqiao, and Yonghe districts are among the areas where the most shops are shuttering due to the recent pandemic woes. Shopfront lease rates in the two cities have been down 3 to 4 percent on average, and “COVID hot deals” have sprung up on property rental websites as a way to woo lessees, wrote UDN.

Meanwhile, restaurants and eateries are bearing the brunt of the impact, as people are advised to stay home. The industry is being dealt another blow in the wake of cities and counties imposing dine-in bans starting this week.

Smart food and beverage platform iCHEF pointed out that the average daily sales in the restaurant sector have dropped 74 percent compared to April in the week following the implementation of Level 3 restrictions. The statistics are based on an analysis of data from 7,000 eateries nationwide between May 17 and 23, reported CNA.

[Dale]

Zero Covid is a desperate strategy.

[pttwarrior]

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4208883

New Taipei man faces fine for mask antics at convenience store

Zhonghe man jumping in and out of doorway while he taunts clerk caught on video

By George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2021/05/23 17:37



(Taiwan News) — A New Taipei man is facing a fine of between NT$3,000 (US$103) and NT$15,000 after footage of him teasing a convenience store clerk by jumping in and out of a doorway without a mask was exposed on social media.

Police said that a man surnamed Chang (張), who lives in Zhonghe District, New Taipei City, took off his mask when he was using the photocopier in a convenience store on Thursday afternoon (May 20), CNA reported.

A store clerk spotted him and urged him to wear his mask properly. Chang claimed the clerk was finding fault with him, as he had only momentarily pulled his mask down, according to the report.

Police said video footage and an on-site investigation indicated that Chang had pulled down his mask after paying and began to imitate a scene from a movie by jumping in and out of the door, saying, “I went out, I came in again, come and hit me, idiot.”

In response, the clerk went after Chang, who then took off.


Social media users posted the video footage of the incident on Facebook, which caught the attention of law enforcement. Police said they were very familiar with Chang, as he has been involved in many cases they have handled.

Police said they cited Chang for violating the Communicable Disease Control Act for not wearing a mask and referred him to New Taipei City’s Department of Health for a fine. He faces a maximum penalty of NT$15,000.

[pttwarrior]

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4210456

Taipei City Hospital workers plead for help amid COVID onslaught

Frontline workers say healthcare system on verge of 'collapse'

By Huang Tzu-ti, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2021/05/26 10:42



(Taiwan News) — Workers at the Taipei City Hospital (TCH) are pleading for help as the hospital’s capacity is stretched to the limit by the soaring number of COVID-19 cases.

Taipei City Hospital with its 12 campuses has been the main force tackling the fresh outbreak centered on Taipei and New Taipei. Its labor union clamored for assistance Tuesday (May 25) in a Facebook post revealing that manpower and resources have been stretched so thin a “collapse” could be imminent.

Challenges facing the institution include emergency rooms and dedicated COVID wards being overwhelmed with patients but forced to take in more. Slow contact tracing puts the staff in danger, with one nurse not being informed that her patient had tested positive until seven days later.

A lack of transparency in how disease control information is being disclosed is to blame for multiple cluster infections at TCH campuses, the labor union suggested. In addition, the union said the ER departments need fixed manpower rather than undertrained backup personnel, who have failed to provide effective support on the COVID battleground.

The union is desperately calling for a coordinated approach from both municipal and central governments and for resource allocation to be fast-tracked to relieve the burden of those on the front line.


Taipei and New Taipei have recorded 1,608 and 2,024 local cases, respectively, of the nation’s 4,222 total since the beginning of the year. To optimize its limited medical facilities, Taipei has put in place a number of COVID hotels to accommodate patients with minor or no symptoms.

[pttwarrior]

https://taiwanenglishnews.com/covid-...city-hospital/

COVID patient stabs 3 nurses in New Taipei City hospital

May 31, 2021 Phillip Charlier


Cover picture: New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi visits injured nurses. Photo: New Taipei City Government.

A man confined to a negative pressure isolation unit in a hospital in Zhonghe District, New Taipei City, stabbed three nurses with a knife after becoming emotionally unstable this morning.

According to an SETN report, at around 7:20 am, a 62-year-old man named Hong became dissatisfied with being unattended in the isolation unit on the 11th floor of Taipei Medical University Shuangho Hospital, and attempted to leave. When nurses attempted to prevent him from leaving, he became angry and slashed at the nurses with a knife.

All three nurses were female. A 23-year-old nurse named Shi, and a 27-year-old nurse named Tsai each suffered a stab wound to the abdomen, while a 25-year-old nurse named Chen was stabbed in the chest and right hand.

The three nurses were sent to the emergency department for treatment. Fortunately no internal organs were damaged, and none of the wounds are considered life-threatening.

Police dressed in personal protective equipment restrained Mr Hong and kept him handcuffed in the isolation unit during interrogation.

New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi, and Deputy-Chief of the Ministry of Health and Welfare Shi Chong-liang visited the nurses a few hours after the incident. Hou gave each nurse NT$100,000 in consolation money and apologized to the nurses. The mayor thanked the nurses, on behalf of citizens for their hard work and dedication.

Mr Hong is expected to be charged with attempted murder, and violations of Article 24 of the Medical Care Act.

[pttwarrior]

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4213812

COVID patient in New Taipei attacks nurses with knife

FTV News reported Hung went berserk after request to leave hospital denied

By George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2021/05/31 20:56

(Taiwan News) — A COVID-19 patient receiving treatment at a New Taipei hospital on Monday (May 31) attacked three nurses with a knife, causing the victims to suffer stab wounds that appeared not to be life threatening, CNA reported.

The patient surnamed Hung (洪), 62, was being hospitalized at an isolation ward at Shuang Ho Hospital when he attacked the three nurses with a knife at 7 a.m. Monday morning, allegedly due to emotional instability. The attack caused the victims to suffer injuries in the hands and stomach.

FTV News reported that Hung launched the attack after his request to leave the hospital was denied. One of the victims suffered more severe injuries and needed surgery.

As Hung is still under quarantine and receiving treatment, his case will be referred to local prosecutors after he recovers or is released from isolation.

[pttwarrior]

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/tai.../03/2003758520

Thu, Jun 03, 2021

COVID-19 patient arrested after fleeing Taipei hospital


By Tsai Ssu-pei and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter and staff writer, with CNA



Taipei police yesterday apprehended a COVID-19 patient after he allegedly escaped from a hospital isolation ward following a scuffle with officers.

The man, surnamed Chen (陳), 71, was arrested at his residence in Wanhua District (萬華) hours after his flight from the hospital, a Taipei Police Department spokesman said.

Chen, a confirmed COVID-19 case who was supposed to be undergoing quarantine, at about half past midnight yesterday allegedly visited the emergency room of Taipei City Hospital’s Renai branch complaining of a headache and insomnia, the spokesman said.

As Chen was known to be infected with COVID-19, doctors placed him in a modular patient unit outside the hospital complex to await medical attention, he said.

At about 3:30am, Chen became agitated and asked for sleeping pills, then beat the unit’s glass divider with a wooden stick, the spokesman said.

The hospital called the police and the responding officers subdued Chen after a short struggle, he said.

Medical personnel then administered a tranquilizer to put Chen to sleep, the spokesman said.

The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office had issued an arrest warrant for Chen in connection to an unrelated assault that occurred last month, he said.

The responding officers found out about the arrest warrant, but could not take Chen into custody, as they lacked protective equipment and facilities to deal with an infected person, he added.

Later in the morning, Chen woke up in the unit and fled via the back door, avoiding the medical staff watching the area, the spokesman said.

Chen took the MRT to Longshan Temple before returning home on foot, he said, adding that police went to his apartment to arrest him a few hours later.

First responders then returned Chen to quarantine at a medical facility, he added.

[pttwarrior]

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4214819

Notorious 'Pizza Bandit' strikes again, nabbed in Taipei

Pizzeria robber returns to life of crime after 20 years amid COVID pandemic woes

By Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2021/06/02 13:02



(Taiwan News) — New Taipei's notorious "Pizza Bandit" was arrested on Tuesday (June 1) for robbing a pizza parlor, 20 years after he had gone on a robbery spree against pizza shops across the city.

At 9:30 a.m. on Monday (May 31), a man brandished a knife at the female manager of a Dominoes Pizza shop on Zhongzheng Road in New Taipei City's Xindian District and made her hand over NT$250,000 from the store's safe, reported TVBS. The 54-year-old suspect surnamed Chou (仇) carefully wiped off his fingerprints in the store and on its doorknob before fleeing to Taipei City by taxi.

While on the run, Chou changed his clothing three times in an attempt to confuse the police. However, the authorities were able to identify the taxi in surveillance camera footage and track his movements.

On Tuesday afternoon, police spotted Chou as he went shopping in the Q Square Mall in Taipei's Datong District. Police moved in and placed him under arrest, less than 30 hours after he allegedly committed the robbery.


When police searched Chou, they found that he only had NT$42,500 left from the stolen money.

Searching through his records, police discovered that he was the same criminal who had gained notoriety over 20 years ago for robbing at least 10 pizzerias in the Greater Taipei area from 1998 to 2000. While reviewing surveillance camera footage, police observed that he first carefully surveyed the area outside the eatery and pretended to purchase a pizza to scout out the interior.

He then deliberately left his wallet behind and used its retrieval as an excuse for the shop manager to let him in before opening hours. Once inside, he pulled out the knife and shouted "this is a robbery!" just as he had done 20 years ago.

Chou was released from prison over 10 years ago and had apparently not committed any crimes until now. He told police that with the pandemic raging in Taiwan, he had lost his job and had decided to go back to his old ways to make money, reported SET News.

After questioning Chou, police transferred him to the prosecutor's office to be investigated for robbery (強盜罪) and threatening and endangering public safety (恐嚇危害安全罪).

[pttwarrior]

https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202106050011

CORONAVIRUS/Taipei police catches COVID-19 patient on the run

06/05/2021 06:34 PM



(CNA) Taipei police on Saturday caught a COVID-19 patient who had fled from the hotel where he was supposed to be isolated hours earlier and took the MRT to Wenshan District.

The man, who was admitted to Caesar Park Taipei in the downtown area on May 31, was found to have left the hotel through an emergency exit without authorization Saturday morning. The hotel has not commented on the incident.

According to local media reports, the man, in his 40s, took the MRT to Wenshan District, where he lives and works.

The police eventually found him near his friend's place after his friend refused to meet with him, the reports said, and he was then sent back to the hotel through arrangements made by medical personnel.

At a press conference later Saturday, Taipei Deputy Mayor Huang Shan-shan (黃珊珊) said managing people under home or hotel isolation is difficult due to the lack of an electronic monitoring system.

The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) began to implement the system starting at 5 p.m. Saturday. The system can follow the location of people in isolation through their cellphones.

Taiwan has used the electronic monitoring system since February 2020 to monitor people who enter Taiwan from abroad and undergo mandatory quarantines in their homes or quarantine hotels.

But it had not yet been applied to domestic patients who have been allowed to stay at home or hotels amid the latest outbreak.

(By Wang Shu-fen, Liu Chien-pang and Lee Hsin-Yin)

[pttwarrior]

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/fro.../04/2003758564

Household cases hit 40% in Taipei, New Taipei City

By Chou Hsiang-yun, Chiu Shu-yu, Yang Hsin-hui and Kayleigh Madj / Staff reporters, with staff writer

Jun 04, 2021



Household infections accounted for about 40 percent of the new COVID-19 cases in Taipei and New Taipei City over the past three days, their governments said yesterday, urging people to visit virtually and refrain from going out over the next two weeks.

From April 26 to yesterday, there were 4,217 cases in New Taipei City, with 947 in Banciao (板橋) alone, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said, adding that 4,535 people are in home quarantine.

During the period, there were 677 cases in New Taipei City’s Jhonghe District (中和), 500 in Sanchong District (三重), 369 in Sinjhuang District (新莊), 334 in Yonghe District (永和), 320 in Tucheng District (土城), 220 in Sindian District (新店) and 170 in Lujhou District (蘆洲), the city government said.

[pttwarrior]

https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202106090015

CORONAVIRUS/Three found dead in Taipei apartment confirmed as having COVID-19

06/09/2021 05:24 PM


CNA file photo for illustrative purpose only


June 9 (CNA) Three members of a family found dead in their apartment in Taipei's Beitou district on June 4 have tested positive for COVID-19 after a family member who lived with them tested positive , Taipei City government confirmed Wednesday.

On the afternoon of June 4, after receiving an emergency call, police and paramedics rushed to the apartment where two people were found without vital signs and another suffering from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). The third person was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. A fourth person in the apartment was found to have a fever and was taken to a hospital, according to the city government.

After an investigation, Taipei police identified the three deceased as an elderly man in his 90s, his wife in her 80s, who had been in poor health, and their 71-year-old son, saying their bodies showed no signs of injury and no farewell letter was left at the scene.

Their daughter, who is in her 50s, tested positive after taking a rapid test for COVID-19 and a subsequent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test confirmed the result, according to the city government.

Meanwhile, an examination conducted June 5 by forensic medical experts found there were no signs of injury or suicide and ruled out the possibility of other causes.

Forensic experts also sent samples taken from the three deceased to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to determine whether they had contracted the coronavirus. PCR tests showed that all three had COVID-19, meaning that all four family members were infected with the virus, city government spokeswoman Chen Chih-han (陳智菡) said, adding that the local government will handle their funeral arrangements in accordance with relevant regulations.

The elderly couple's son had recently returned from Wanhua District, where a large number of domestic COVID-19 cases have been reported over the past month, to take care of them, said Chou Yu-hsiu (周榆修), director-general of the city's Department of Social Welfare.

According to local media, the parents were partially paralyzed and suffered from chronic diseases, the son had cardiovascular problems and the daughter has a mild mental disability.

The case came to light after another member of the family in Taichung reported early on June 4 that his sister had told him the three others were unresponsive in their beds.

(By Hsiao Po-wen, Chen Yi-hsuan, Ko Lin and Evelyn Kao)

[pttwarrior]

https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202106090019

CORONAVIRUS/Taipei hospital suspends most ER services as 8 staffers contract COVID

06/09/2021 07:27 PM


Taipei City Hospital's Yangming Branch. CNA photo June 9, 2021


June 9 (CNA) Taipei City Hospital's Yangming Branch has temporarily stopped almost all emergency room (ER) services, as eight of its employees have tested positive for COVID-19, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Wednesday.

The cluster infection likely began on June 2 when doctors and nurses in the hospital's emergency room were attending to a COVID-19 patient, who was vomiting, CECC official Lo Yi-chun said at a press briefing.

The ER staff was later tested for COVID-19, and eight of them were found Tuesday to be infected, Lo said.

The hospital, located in Taipei's Shilin District, immediately suspended its ER service for six days, except for emergency testing and treatment of COVID-19 patients, Lo said.

(By Chang Ming-hsuan, Chen Chieh-ling and Joseph Yeh)

[pttwarrior]

https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202106100024

CORONAVIRUS/Doctor in a New Taipei City clinic dies from COVID-19

06/10/2021 10:50 PM


CNA file photo


June 10 (CNA) A doctor practicing medicine in New Taipei City's Sanchong District has died from COVID-19, becoming possibly the first physician to die from the disease in Taiwan.

The doctor, who was in his 70s, recently developed shortness of breath and coughing after receiving his first AstraZeneca jab on May 31, Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) spokesman Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said at a press briefing on Thursday.

He was found unconscious at his home by family members on Wednesday evening and was immediately rushed to National Taiwan University Hospital that day, Chuang said, adding that the doctor died on the way there.

A post-mortem examination showed that he had been infected with COVID-19.

It was not immediately clear whether he became infected with the coronavirus before or after he took his first vaccine dose.

According to the CECC official, the doctor had a history of chronic disease, including hypertension and diabetes.

Chuang, however, would not confirm if he was the first doctor in Taiwan to die from the disease.

He indicated that the epidemic center was still looking into the case and that more concrete details will be disclosed during a press briefing on Friday.

Also Thursday, the New Taipei Department of Health said the doctor lived in Taipei but operated a clinic in Sanchong, and that it was still tracing the people who recently came into contacts with him, including the patients he saw at the clinic prior to his death.

(By Chen Chieh-ling, Shen Pei-yao and Ko Lin)

[pttwarrior]

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz.../11/2003758955

Retail slump


Pedestrians yesterday walk past a retail store in Taipei with a sign saying “going out of business” posted above the entrance. The nationwide level 3 COVID-19 alert imposed last month has seriously affected sectors reliant on domestic demand, such as retailers, food and beverage businesses, and leisure and entertainment firms.


Photo: CNA

[pttwarrior]

https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202106110005

CORONAVIRUS/Two more workers at Next TV test positive for COVID-19

06/11/2021 01:31 PM

June 11 (CNA) Another two employees at Next TV Broadcasting in Taipei have tested positive for COVID-19, during on-site screening, following the death of one of its photographers from the disease, the city government said Friday.

Over the past two days, 355 workers at the media organization have been tested, and the two who have been confirmed as infected are now in quarantine at a government-designated facility, the city government said.

On Wednesday, the city government set up a testing station on the Next TV compound in Neihu District after a photographer was found dead in the office building and a postmortem COVID-19 test confirmed that he had contracted the disease.

As of Friday, Next TV had not released any information about the two new cases among its employees, but other local media reported that they were a photojournalist and a satellite news gathering (SNG) technician.

The Next TV trade union said in a statement Friday that it had not been informed of the two latest infections and that many of its members have had to rely on other media reports for information about the COVID-19 situation in the company.

The statement followed a call by the union Wednesday for Next TV to guarantee the continued pay of infected employees and contacts who have to go into quarantine or self-isolation.

The company has denied trying to withhold information about the latest COVID-19 developments among its staff, saying they have been asked to observe preventive measures while awaiting instructions from the city government.

Meanwhile, 15 NGOs and trade unions representing journalists and other media workers in Taiwan issued a joint statement Wednesday, urging the government to include frontline media workers on the priority list for COVID-19 vaccination.

(By Chen Yu-ting and Teng Pei-ju)