This Week in Taiwan 1220-1226
December 20: Following the U.S. destroyer USS Martin's passage through the Taiwan Strait on December 19, China's aircraft carrier Shandong (CV-17) and four ships of its frigate forces sailed through the strait and continued to sail south. Taiwan's Armed Forces dispatched six warships and eight aircrafts to monitor the whole process. This is the second time that the Shandong aircraft carrier passed through the strait. According to the Ministry of National Defense, Shandong set sail south from Dalian Port in Liaoning Province and sailed through the strait on December 20.
December 20: SCI Pharmatech, Inc., a publicly traded pharmaceutical company in Taoyuan, exploded in flames, leading to one death and one injury. Its factory occupying 10,300 ping (about 366,506 square feet) was burned to ashes, and the fire spread to five neighboring factories, including a paper mill. Financial losses are estimated to be NT$1.75 billion (about US$62 million).
SCI Pharmatech is a member of the national pharmaceuticals production team. President Tsai Ing-wen previously visited the factory in Taoyuan, thanking the company for donating 1 metric ton of quinine ingredients to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) to assist with epidemic prevention efforts.
December 22: Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung, who heads the CECC, announced that Taiwan added a domestic case of coronavirus (COVID-19), and the source of contraction is not unknown. Accordingly, the government will not prohibit large-scale New Year celebration activities, but attendees must confirm to five basic rules, including wearing masks, bringing their mobile phones, reporting names and phone numbers, and not selling food and beverages at the venues. Those with symptoms and those asked to self-monitor their health must not attend the events. Violators may be fined up to NT$1 million (about US$35,547).
December 24: A male captain of New Zealand nationality affiliated with Taiwan's EVA Air (Case 765) did not wear a mask on board and after quarantining for three days recklessly traveled and shopped in northern Taiwan with his girlfriend. His girlfriend was confirmed positive with coronavirus (Case 771), breaking the 253-day streak of no domestic cases. The captain was fined NT$300,000 for (about US$10,664) for false compliance and causing a loophole in epidemic prevention.
EVA Air apologized to the public on December 23 and moved to dismiss the New Zealand captain from employment effective the same day.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications announced that EVA Air will be fined NT$1 million (about US$35,547) for failing to implement epidemic prevention measures among crew members and not fulfilling its duty of oversight.
December 25: The Ministry of the Interior originally planned to pilot a new digital version of national identification cards in New Taipei, Penghu, and Hsinchu City, but following the withdrawal of the first two local governments, the Hsinchu City Government stated that it would suspend the program before privacy and security concerns are addressed. The Executive Yuan stated that digital identification cards will only be fully implemented once security concerns are resolved and with the trust of the people.
December 27: Responding to the emergence of a more widely transmitted variant of the coronavirus in the United Kingdom, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung, who heads the CECC, announced that effective 12 AM on December 23, flights to and from London will be cut by half, and those entering from or who have traveled to Britain within the last 14 days, must quarantine in a central location. The 127 China Airlines passengers returning from London to Taiwan must quarantine from a central location and be tested before and after their isolation.