Four more contacts of patient with BA.5 subvariant test positive

Four more contacts of patient with BA.5 subvariant test positive

2022-07-26

Four more contacts of a patient confirmed with the BA.5 omicron subvariant have tested positive for COVID. Health officials say two of the new patients had previously had COVID, while the other two present a high CT value, representing a low viral load. Genetic sequencing results are still pending, but Kaohsiung says there doesn’t seem to be widespread transmission of the subvariant in the city. Let’s hear from the city mayor.

Chen Chi-mai
Kaohsiung mayor
On Saturday, a first round of PCR tests was carried out at the initial case’s workplace. On Monday, there was a second round of tests. On Wednesday, another round of tests will be administered to the shipbuilding workers.

Philip Lo
CECC
Since there is community transmission, we can’t easily tell whether a patient that tested positive with a high CT value was infected recently. The Kaohsiung government will send samples from patients with low CT values for genetic sequencing.

Two of the new cases in the cluster have been determined to be patients who recently recovered from a COVID infection in May. Genetic sequencing tests have yet to come out for the other two patients, both of whom also presented high CT values.

首起BA.5職場.家庭群聚造船廠再增4陽性

2022-07-26

高雄一家造船廠，昨天爆出首起BA.5職場、家庭群聚，第一波先驗出12人陽性，今天指揮中心最新宣布，再增4例個案，其中2例曾經確診，另外2例Ct值偏高，還有待進一步定序確認，但高市府研判，並未進一步擴散。

[[高雄市長陳其邁]]
“在禮拜六(7/23)第一次的PCR，是針對全廠。在禮拜一昨天(7/25)也進行第二次的序列檢測，在禮拜三還是會針對造船廠的這個部分，來進行第三次的序列檢測。”

[[指揮中心醫療應變組副組長羅一鈞]]
“因為現在社區感染事實上都還在進行，所以不太容易可以釐清說，究竟像這樣確診然後Ct值又偏高的個案，是不是真的是在近期有感染過，高雄這邊會再針對Ct值比較低的個案，再送來我們這邊做定序。”

根據調查，這4名患者當中，有2人初步研判為舊案、曾在5月確診；另外2人Ct值也偏高，難認定為近期感染，還有待進一步病毒定序，是否感染BA.5。

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Kanner Foundation struggles with plummet in sales and donations since COVID

The pandemic has hit charities around the world. In Taiwan, the Kanner Foundation saw donations and product sales plummet. The Kanner Foundation provides a home, fulfilling work and lifelong care for adults with Kanner’s Syndrome, a kind of autism. The foundation’s cakes are famous nationwide. But now the organization says it needs help to plug the gap created by COVID.

With guidance from the teacher, this student carefully removes stones from these dates. Other students are on packing. The weight of each package is checked. The sweets are all made by hand in the Kanner Foundation of Taiwan. But the pandemic cut deep into Mid-Autumn Festival sales this year. The students have less work to do.

Chang Su-mei
Kanner Foundation of Taiwan
Our sales volume is drastically reduced. Our donations from the general public have fallen by half as well. Our kids learn while working, and then their emotions are more stable. So now we notice that with less chance for them to work, they have more emotional turbulence. And that makes more work for our teachers.

Normally, Mid-Autumn Festival orders are piling up by July. But this year, they’re just 10% of pre-COVID levels. And with lots of weddings canceled due to the pandemic, wedding pastry sales are down 90% too.

Students show off their creations with pride. The foundation is hoping more people will step up to help. All their profits go to support the students and run their “village” in Taoyuan’s Longtan District.

Chang Su-mei
Kanner Foundation of Taiwan
We have a lot of diverse services. Although the buildings aren’t finished yet, we have many other facilities, such as the farm garden. There are kids living there already. They get to know the place very fast, and have great interactions with people in wider society.

The village has space to house 60 foundation members. Some people with autism age early, and when their parents are elderly, they may need specialist care. Members of the foundation also take care of each other. But with the pandemic causing trouble, everyone is working harder.

2022-07-26

Badminton player Tai Tzu-ying firmly at world No. 2, Hsu Wen-chi rises to No. 38

2022-07-26

Fugang Rail Art Festival offers smorgasbord of cultural experiences

2022-07-26

Exhibition allows visitors to travel through time thanks to 4K technology

With the Metaverse and 5G gaining popularity, a new immersive exhibition aiming to bring the audience to different time periods has kicked off in Taipei. Through 4K technology, Taiwanese designers have created eight different time periods. Visitors can take a trip to the early 2000s and get a glimpse of what the future in the year 3148 could be like. FTV reporter Stephany Yang has the details.

One second you are in 2010, when vaporwave was popular.

Then, a few minutes later, teleport to the year 3148 and get a glimpse of what the future could be like. Another scene allows visitors to experience life in space and walk on the moon.

Member of public
The images of Hong Kong stood out to me because it was very colorful. The other scene that stood out to me was outer space. I think it is great. The exhibition can achieve an educational effect, and is especially suitable for children. There are places we don’’t have easy access to, but through this exhibition we can see things that we don’’t see often.

Member of Public
This is an innovative experience. It is not just a performance space but also a multifunctional space. Immersive performances are very innovative.

Stephany Yang
FTV reporter
If you find four keys, you’’ll get a chance to win a prize.

This is an immersive exhibition held by Taiwan’’s first 5G immersive stadium. Taiwanese designers have jointly created eight different scenes through 4K imaging technology.

Chao Chuan-ling
AMBI SPACE ONE
This time, it is all made by the Taiwanese production team. Every picture and every piece of music is made by a Taiwanese team. It’s the summer vacation, everyone is probably sick of being locked up at home. And since we can’t can’’t go abroad, there are many peculiar places you can go virtually. Since the Metaverse is popular now, people want to know how they’d see themselves outside the Metaverse? Here, we take you to eight different fantasy scenes. Can you imagine what the year 3148 will look like? What about visiting a magical castle in the Middle Ages? You can experience it all here.

Organizers hope that through the exhibition, visitors can expand their imagination and travel through time.

2022-07-26

Air Force and Navy conduct joint drills off Yilan to simulate a Chinese attack

2022-07-26

Electric usage on Monday peaks to second-highest figure recorded

Electricity usage continues to hit new highs as the summer heat continues. Taiwan on Monday saw a peak usage of 40.67 million kilowatts, the second highest figure ever recorded. But with localized blackouts in the evening and the operating reserve dropping under 10% on Tuesday, concerns are floating about the stability of Taiwan’’s power supply.

It’s hot out. Pedestrians brave the scorching sun with umbrellas and sunglasses. At home, the air con is on at least 12 hour a day. On Monday, Taiwan’s electricity usage peaked at 40.67 million kilowatts, the second highest figure ever recorded. But in the evening, blackouts took over areas of Xinzhuang in New Taipei and Wanhua in Taipei, leaving about 4,000 households in each district without electricity. Economics minister Wang Mei-hua addressed the issue on Tuesday.

Wang Mei-hua
Minister of economic affairs
The causes for the recent blackouts fall under three types, more or less. One is device malfunction. Another one is animals that cause faults in the system. And the other is accidents in which equipment is hit by an external force. It’s very hot lately, and everyone has the air con on at home. So whenever there is a blackout at night, everyone feels it more.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs says the exceptionally hot weather has caused a surge in air con usage. Last Friday alone, low-voltage electricity users used 694,000 kilowatts of electricity more than the day with highest usage in 2021. On Tuesday, the operating reserve went down to 9.36%, causing the power supply alert to flash yellow.

Wang Mei-hua
Minister of economic affairs
International fuel prices are very high. And private cogeneration is down. On top of that, we have to purchase electricity from Taipower. That has caused electric usage to grow. Taipower is negotiating contracts with the relevant cogeneration companies

The minister says that during the day, solar power can help meet demand, and at night, hydropower can offer a boost to the grid, to ensure a stable supply.

2022-07-26

Deluge of post-pandemic passport renewals hits Bureau of Consular Affairs

A trickle of passport applications is growing into a deluge. As borders open, and it gets easier to travel abroad, more and more people want their passports renewed. There’’s a backlog of people who let their passport expire in the pandemic. In the first half of this year, the same number was renewed as in all of 2021.

The ultimate travel essential is a passport. In the last two years, almost 2.6 million Taiwanese passports expired. With borders closed, their owners didn’t bother to renew them. Now as the end of COVID looms on the horizon, the Bureau of Consular Affairs is getting a growing stream of renewal applications.

Member of public
I’m getting my mother-in-law’s passport renewed. I did my own in May or June. I think there are many more people here today.

Member of public
I wanted to get mine done in advance, to save trouble later. There’s still two years until it expires.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says 1.74 million people renewed their passport in 2019, before the pandemic began. In 2020, just 310,000 passports were renewed – in 2021, just 230,000. In the first seven months of this year, about the same number of people already got their passport renewed. This July, there were 180% more renewals than in July 2021.

Member of public
I couldn’t come back before, because of the pandemic. Then my passport expired. So now I’m back and getting my passport done again.

Member of public
I was preparing to buy plane tickets when I realized it had expired, so I came straight here to get an extension.

And getting a new passport requires supporting documents. Some photo studio owners say their business has mushroomed 20%, with many customers needing a rush service.

Chiang Yu-tsan
Photo studio
Some people are in a rush because they want to go on vacation this summer. Mostly it’s people going to Korea, or Thailand. Some have come back from Canada or the U.S. and need supporting documentation.

Many countries are opening their borders again and travel is booming. If you’re planning a getaway, make sure your passport won’t be a stumbling block.

2022-07-26

Premier Su and CECC head Wang say COVID measures will be lifted gradually

Premier Su Tseng-chang and CECC head Victor Wang on Tuesday attended a ceremony to celebrate 50 years of Taipei Hospital. The officials were asked questions about Taiwan’’s approach to easing COVID measures. Su said the lifting of COVID rules would be gradual and cautious, as COVID is still raging around the world. Meanwhile, Wang said he had been meeting with experts from many fields to find the best way forward.

Premier Su Tseng-chang attended a ceremony celebrating 50 years of Taipei Hospital. With him, was the new health minister Hsueh Jui-yuan and the new CECC head Victor Wang. Su thanked medical professionals for being at the front line of Taiwan’s defenses against COVID. He said that, moving forward, easing Taiwan’s COVID measures will require plenty of caution.

Su Tseng-chang
Premier
Taiwan’s COVID situation is indeed easing. Everyone has complied very well with the measures. But abroad, COVID is raging. We still must be cautious when assessing how to open our borders.

Victor Wang
CECC
About 60% percent of the infected children with severe COVID are young children. Their protection is extremely important for us. So we are making that an important indicator. We hope that vaccine coverage among young children can be a bit higher before we ease measures further.

Officials say there is no plan yet to completely do away with arrival quarantines. Especially since vaccines only recently rolled out for young children, who are at higher risk of severe symptoms. Since taking on the reins as CECC head, Wang has consulted health experts about Taiwan’s COVID measures.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Wang shared two pictures, one with National Taiwan University College of Public Health Professor Chen Hsiu-hsi and another with Academia Sinica Institute of Biomedical Sciences researcher Ho Mei-shang. In the caption, Wang said that, as CECC commander, learning and exchanging views with all sorts of experts was the way to devise good policies.

Victor Wang
CECC head
I asked them for advice in person, and talked about other relevant issues more deeply. For example, I discussed the higher-than expected death rate and relevant issues with Professor Chen Hsiu-hsi, as that’s his expertise. So I asked him questions in person. It was the same with Dr. Ho Mei-shang. She offered some great guidance on analyzing vulnerable groups, on Taiwan’s domestically developed vaccines and on the future development of COVID.

Su Tseng-chang
Premier
Let’s unite and work together against COVID and for economic recovery. We’ll continue working for the good of the people.

Premier Su said the government would work to ensure the economy recovers in the last stretch against COVID. That is, with caution at every step.

2022-07-26

Japan officials at Ketagalan Forum stress importance of peace in Taiwan Strait

The annual dialogue on Asia-Pacific security, the Ketagalan Forum kicked off on Tuesday. President Tsai Ing-wen took the opportunity to thank former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for his contributions to the region. She also emphasized Taiwan’’s commitment to its defense and self-reliance. The forum was attended by scholars and politicians from several countries who discussed regional security, and Taiwan’’s key role as a regional democratic partner.

Through a prerecorded video, President Tsai Ing-wen spoke at this year’s Ketagalan Forum on the topic of security in the Indo-Pacific. Tsai thanked former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for his contributions on the matter.

Tsai Ing-wen
President
The former prime minister laid the foundation for stronger regional partnership. Thanks to him, we are better able to uphold the democratic, rules-based order.

In her address to academics from the U.S., Europe, Japan and Australia, Tsai underscored the indispensible nature of Taiwan as a regional partner on democracy. She said Taiwan would continue to strive toward progress on defense self-reliance, and the strengthening of its national defense.

Tsai Ing-wen
President
We have set up new facilities to advance domestic development of naval vessels. We have also taken steps to bolster our reserve forces, and we have made substantial investments to enhance our asymmetric warfare capabilities. Together, these efforts are accelerating our progress toward self-sufficiency in national defense.

Kono Taro
Former Japanese minister of defense
How the United States, together with like-minded countries can defend Taiwan from Chinese aggression is the question we need to answer now. If China uses forces against Taiwan, whether we choose or not, Japan will be affected.

Unable to travel to Taiwan due to a COVID infection, former Japanese Defense Minister Kono Taro addressed the forum via video conference, saying that Chinese use of force against Taiwan would impact Japan. Meanwhile, Japanese MP Suzuki Keisuke made his ninth trip to Taiwan to attend the forum in person. In a tweet made the day before, Suzuki said he had experienced his first Wanan air defense drill. Unable to be outside for 30 minutes during the drill was a somber reminder of the threat Taiwan faces, he wrote.

Su Tzu-yun
Institute for National Defense and Security Research
Japan’s latest defense white paper contains 10 pages on Taiwan. This is unprecedented in Japanese history. That is, Japan putting this opposition to China’s use of force to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait into its defense policy. It’s a clear signal.

Japan’s participation at the Ketagalan Forum, and its emphasis on Taiwan in its defense policy reflect a clear development in Japanese policy, and reflect the solid state of Taiwan-Japan relations.

2022-07-26