19% of travelers arriving from China test positive for COVID upon arrival: CECC

19% of travelers arriving from China test positive for COVID upon arrival: CECC

2023-01-09

The CECC on Monday announced that about 19% of passengers arriving to Taiwan from China since Jan. 1 have tested positive for COVID upon arriving. Many of the travelers are Taiwanese nationals who live in China but are returning to Taiwan for the Lunar New Year holidays. The CECC says the rate is comparable to that of other countries also testing arrivals from China. Let’s hear from the CECC.

Victor Wang
CECC
For example, South Korea reported that about 20% of arrivals from China were positive. The number is somewhat higher than the rate of infections reported by China. There is quite a difference in the number, so we’ll look into that.

The CECC says that 66% of the infected passengers had contracted the BA.5 COVID subvariant, with the remaining 34% having the BF.7 subvariant. That’s similar to the proportion of local infections in Taiwan. Health officials say they expect the BA.5 subvariant to be the main cause of infections in the wave expected to peak over the Lunar New Year holidays.

中國入境旅客基因定序出爐 BA.5占大宗

2023-01-09

中國1月8日全面解禁，雖然台灣目前並未開放中國觀光客來台，但不少台商要回台過年，從1月1日開始就針對中國入境旅客篩檢，統計下來陽性率約19%。

[[疫情指揮中心指揮官王必勝]]
“像韓國，好像之前公布的(自中國入境)感染率陽性率大概也是20%左右，至於說中國(官方公布)內部的感染率，好像估起來都比較高一點，我想這個部分目前是有落差的，那我們再後續觀察一下。”

指揮中心也指出，中國入境旅客，基因定序有66%是BA.5；34%是BF.7，和台灣差不多，預估到農曆年時，國內主流病毒株都還是以BA.5為主。

Related News

Cash handouts from 2022 tax surplus likely after the Lunar New Year

The KMT has been calling for the government to share a portion of a tax surplus with the public before the Lunar New Year this month. However, one KMT lawmaker disagrees with his party, saying that the legislative procedures to distribute the money can’t be completed in time for the holiday, and that payments will come after the holiday is over. Meanwhile, Premier Su Tseng-chang denies that he let the cat out of the bag too soon on cash payments, saying the president had already made a decision on the matter before he announced it.

A draft bill by the KMT calls for cash handouts of NT$10,000 to be distributed to the public before the Lunar New Year. However, one KMT lawmaker says that issuing payments that soon is impossible.

Alex Fai
KMT lawmaker
If we finish the legislative procedures before Jan. 19, then the money will probably be issued after the Lunar New Year holiday.

So far, planned options for issuing handouts include distribution at post offices, through ATM machines, or direct transfers into bank accounts. If the latter option is used, the government will need to set up a system for members of the public to enter their bank account information. Distribution through the post office or ATMs would require coordinating with Chunghwa Post and banks and the administrative work to make that happen could take time.

You Si-kun
Legislative speaker
The legislature’s position is that it will absolutely do its best. As to whether payments before the holiday are possible, I’m not sure.

Local print media has alleged that the rush to distribute the funds was due to President Tsai Ing-wen’s initial hesitations about the cash handouts. However, the issue of handouts was first made public on Jan. 4 by Premier Su Tseng-chang while he was inspecting Tsengwen Reservoir.

Su Tseng-chang
Premier
At the national security meeting held on Dec. 31, Tsai made a clear decision that a portion of the surplus would be split between emergency-use funds and payments to the public. She also requested that the Executive Yuan draft a plan for the money and then announce the plan when appropriate. We’ve been doing all the work involved with this one step at a time.

Su says that Tsai had already discussed the cash handouts with him and other officials internally before he had made the comments.

2023-01-09

Defeated in the Taipei by-election, Enoch Wu thanks those who supported him

DPP Taipei by-election candidate Enoch Wu was defeated in Sunday’s election, but lost only by a narrow margin to Wang Hung-wei. On Monday, Wu was back out on the streets thanking those who supported him. Afterward, he posted to Facebook saying the fight wasn’t over, leading many to believe Wu may run again in the next legislative election.

After five weeks of hard work campaigning, Enoch Wu failed to secure the Zhongshan-Songshan constituency seat in the Taipei legislative by-election. However, his supporters encouraged him not to give up, and to continue the fight in 2024 at the next legislative election.

Enoch Wu
Defeated Taipei by-election candidate
I want to express my great thanks to everyone. I lost the election yesterday, but my first step for today is to thank everyone who came out and supported me. This time we lost by just a small amount. My hope is for everyone to notice our persistence, and to realize that we are on the right path.

Speaking to reporters Wu made no specific mention of whether he’d run again in 2024. However, in a post to Facebook he wrote: “Our work won’t stop due to a failed election. We still have lots of work to do and policies to promote. I ask that everyone continue to support us as we proudly move forward.” The post has been seen as confirmation that Wu will run again.

Wu lost to rival Wang Hung-wei from the KMT by only 5,780 ballots, and in Zhongshan District Wu came out ahead by 840 ballots. Overall the two differed by only 4.99% of the votes – a much narrower win over Wu than that had by Chiang Wan-an in the previous legislative election. In a radio program following the election results, Wang had remarked that Wu was a formidable adversary.

Enoch Wu
Defeated Taipei by-election candidate
My adversary defeated me yesterday, so I congratulate her. Our defeat this time around means we didn’t do a good enough job.

Despite his electoral defeat, Wu was out in a campaign truck Monday bowing and thanking supporters in his constituency.

2023-01-09

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2023-01-09

Nurses take 90-year old grandma to revisit seaside hometown

A team of nurses in Yilan recently went above and beyond to create a special New Year for one of their oldest patients. Ninety-year-old Lee A-tao is a resident at the Su-Ao Branch of Taipei Veterans General Hospital. She was unable to visit her hometown, Nanfang’ao, for more than two years. But with the help of volunteers, a special trip to the seaside was arranged. Everyone had buckets of fun, and even the sun came out!

Ninety-year-old Lee A-tao beams from ear to ear and gives us the thumbs up. Her son, daughter-in-law and a dedicated team of nurses have brought her for a visit to her beloved hometown.

Son of Lee A-tao
My mom came here when she was just about 12 or so. She lived here many years.

Daughter-in-law of Lee A-tao
Earlier, when Grandma was in her 70s, she always went to swim at Tofu Cape.

Lu Shu-hua
TVGH Su-Ao Branch Hospice head nurse
Grandma has been living in our nurses’ home long-term. It’s been too long since she came back to visit her hometown. After chatting with Grandma, we hoped to help her make her dream come true.

Lee lived in the town of Nanfang’ao for many decades, and loved to walk along the harborside admiring the sea. She was also a keen wild swimmer. But in recent years, she developed heart disease and moved to the hospice at Taipei Veterans General Hospital Su-Ao Branch. She hadn’t been home to Nanfang’ao for two years, until her nursing team decided to help fulfill her wish to go home once more. This special vehicle was arranged, and an entourage assembled, so that Grandma could make a daytrip.

Lee was happy and animated as she took in the familiar harbor view, as well as a newly built bridge, thanking the team again and again. Some of the nurses shed a tear or two.

Lu Shu-hua
TVGH Su-Ao Branch Hospice head nurse
I’m so happy that many of our colleagues have voluntarily taken part in this trip today.

Daughter-in-law of Lee A-tao
The care which the nurses have for older people is really touching.

The nurses here went beyond the call of duty to arrange this special treat for one of their oldest patients. For Lee, a reunion with her home brings back many years of memories, and creates precious fresh scenes to cherish.

2023-01-09

Food and drink industry looks to hire thousands, in post-pandemic staff shortage

A new survey from a jobseekers’ website suggests that 90% of businesses are hiring new staff this January. The sector in most need of fresh workers is the food and drink industry, where many restaurants are severely understaffed. Large food and drink conglomerates are looking to expand in the post-pandemic era, especially now that Taiwan’s borders are open to foreign visitors. Some businesses plan to hire hundreds of new employees in 2023.

This restaurant owner grills a piece of meat while explaining the ins and outs of the dish. The guests just sit back and relax. He brings the food and provides this personalized tableside service.

At mealtimes, orders come in thick and fast. The owner, and almost all the employees, each have several jobs to do at once. This service person is wiping the tables down and welcoming new guests inside.

As the pandemic calms down, there’s a massive upswing in eating out. Lots of businesses are planning to open new locations, inflating demand for staff. But there’s been a shortage ever since the pandemic receded. At the Kanpai Group, for example, they are looking for 400 people to join their ranks.

Liao Chia-yi
Kanpai Group spokesperson
This year, we will continue to expand. And in these circumstances, we hope to have more fresh blood come and join us.

Last year the Wowprime Group had a 10% staff shortage, and they plan to hire 500 new employees in 2023. The TTFB Group is banking on post-pandemic recovery, and they plan to hire a whopping 2,000 staff members this year. At the Mala Group, there are 600 jobs on offer.

Lin Ting-wei
Mala Group Marketing manager
We are optimistic about post-pandemic recovery. This year we have plans to expand in north, south and central Taiwan. In the first quarter, we expect to expand into 50 new locations.

Yang Tsung-pin
Jobseekers’ website spokesperson
The industry has been affected by the reopening of international borders, of course, as well as the 10-day Lunar New Year holidays coming up, and Peace Memorial Day national holiday. So looking at the first quarter, industries based on domestic demand will have more desire to hire staff, creating more growth in domestic industries than in export industries.

The survey suggests the sectors most in need of workers are food and drink, hospitality, leisure and tourism, as well as wholesale retail and trade, financial securities and accounting, transportation, logistics and the warehouse industry.

2023-01-09

Kaohsiung to offer up to NT$6,000 per tour group for visits during lantern festival

This year, the lantern festival in Kaohsiung is moving to a new location: the Lotus Pond in the city’s Zuoying District. The event will run from Jan. 26 to Feb. 5 with the collaboration of more than 20 local temples. To attract tourists to the city, the Kaohsiung government has prepared a set of subsidies of up to NT$6,000 for staying one night in the city.

Fireworks sparkle in the night sky. At street level, a religious parade unfolds. Kaohsiung’s Lotus pond is a must-visit for many tourists from out of town. This year, the southern city will be holding its lantern festival at this scenic location.

Local resident
We hope there will be special installations, and artworks with lanterns. We’d like some nice designs that make tourists feel this is a place worth visiting.

As with previous editions, the 2023 Kaohsiung Lantern Festival will start on the fifth day of the Year of the Rabbit and last 10 days. This time around, more than 20 temples will take part in the celebrations, giving the festivities a uniquely Taiwan flair.

Chang Mei-hua
Local business association
It’s the first time that the festival will be held at the Lotus Pond. It’s a great present for local businesses and residents. We’re all really looking forward to it. It will attract big crowds and generate lots of business opportunities.

Chen Chi-mai
Kaohsiung mayor
We have a variety of promotional plans. They include discounts to entice solo travelers and tour groups to come to Northern Kaohsiung, especially to Zuoying.

Kao Min-lin
Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau
If you stay overnight in Kaohsiung and come to visit the temples around Lotus Pond, you can get a NT$6,000 discount on weekdays or NT$5,000 on weekends and holidays. We hope this program will attract more visitors from other cities and counties who can immerse themselves in the beauty of Zuoying’s Lotus Pond.

Kaohsiung has launched several subsidies to attract tourists. Tour groups of at 15 travelers who visit the Lotus Pond and stay one night in the city during the lantern festival can get up to NT$6,000. The city government says it hopes the subsidies will encourage travel agents to create itineraries featuring the festival to make the city shine.

2023-01-09

Second grader wins title at one of biggest international urban dance competitions

2023-01-09

Table tennis star Lin Yun-ju leads team to victory at Lebherr Cup in Germany

2023-01-09

Tainan shipyard builds human foosball pitch for staff and tourists

2023-01-09

Sixth-grade storyteller uses Braille to share tales with kindergarteners

An elementary student in Yilan is making waves with her exceptional storytelling skills. Sixth-grader Peng Yi-hsin is a student with limited vision, and she visits kindergartens to share comic stories with younger kids. Peng is almost blind in both eyes and reads using Braille. That sometimes means studying takes more time and effort than for other children. But Peng is determined not to let it stop her from doing what she loves. She likes to tell stories and sing, and hopes to become a psychologist when she grows up.

The storyteller holds a bee in one hand and a bear in the other. She brings their voices to life vividly and the story roars along.

These little children are watching everything closely. They can see the performer isn’t reading from a script at all, she memorized the story, using lots of different voices and impressive storytelling techniques. Currently a sixth-grader at Sanxing Elementary in Yilan, Peng Yi-hsin has nystagmus, meaning her eyes move involuntarily. She is almost blind in both eyes, but she won’t let that get in the way of her dreams.

Peng Yi-hsin
Young storyteller
I might be slower than other people. At least I take longer than others. Other people know something as soon as they look at it, but I have to touch it. I use Braille.

For Peng’s classmates, a story is just a glance away. But for Peng, learning to read Braille through her fingertips is a slower and harder journey. Still, her school grades are outstanding, and in her free time, she likes to sing in a choir, and take part in public speaking competitions. She even makes visits like this to kindergartens, to meet smaller children and practice her storytelling skills.

Huang Hui-wen
Tutor
When she encounters difficulties, she sometimes says she feels discouraged. And she sometimes says she doesn’t want to study. But I always speak to her encouragingly.

Tao Tsung-cheng
Sanxing Elementary principal
Her attitude is very positive and constructive, and she doesn’t give up, in any area. She’s an excellent role model for the other children.

Peng says that when she grows up she’d like to be a psychologist. Then she can help other people with conditions like hers, or similar difficult circumstances in life. For now, she’s in storytelling mode. The classroom is full of laughter, and no difficulty is the final chapter.

2023-01-09