This Week in Taiwan 0815-0821
August 16: Minister Chen Shih-chung, who heads the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), announced that Taiwan's United Biomedical (UBI) vaccine did not pass the review for emergency use authorization (EUA) because its neutralizing antibody data did not meet the audit standards compared to the AstraZeneca vaccine.
UBI stated in the evening to express its regret and that it would lodge an administrative complaint.
August 17: Primary and secondary schools will begin classes on September 1, and the Ministry of Education issued guidelines for reopening. School staff must have received the first dose of vaccine, and after 14 days, test negative before they can enter the school. Students must wear masks throughout class and use partitions or maintain social distancing when eating indoors. Physical education classes with physical contact or music classes using wind instruments should be suspended or adjusted.
Legislator Kao Hung-an indicated in a press conference, however, that due to insufficient vaccines, more than 30,000 instructors and staff members employed below the high school level remain unvaccinated.
August 19: The opposition parties questioned that the administrative cost of the government's printing the five-time stimulus vouchers would exceed NT$2.25 billion (about US$80 million) for last year's three-time vouchers and argued that issuing vouchers is not as good as handing out cash. Spokesman Lo Ping-cheng of the Executive Yuan rebutted that printing cash also costs money, and the cost is not necessarily lower than that of issuing stimulus vouchers. Legislator Fei Hung-tai, who leads the Kuomintang (KMT) caucus of the Legislative Yuan, criticized that paper money may be reused, but five-time stimulus vouchers may only be used once. The Executive Yuan's response is resorting to sophistry.
August 20: In early August, Former Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-pin and former Minister of Health Yang Chih-liang requested that the court to suspend the Medigine vaccine’s EUA. The Taipei High Administrative Court held that the two were not eligible parties and denied their request on August 20. The decision may be appealed.
Taiwan's Medigen vaccine received EUA in July and is expected to provide 614,000 doses available for registration August 16 and inoculation August 23. President Tsai Ing-wen received her Medigen vaccine on 7:30 AM on August 23.
Due to lackluster interest, the government opened up appointments three times, making them available to everyone above the age of 20.
August 20: The Justices of the Constitutional Court, Judicial Yuan, issued Interpretation No. 807, holding that Article 49, Section 1 of the Labor Standards Act, which provides that employers may not ask female workers to work from 10 PM to 6 AM the next morning, is unconstitutional and shall become invalid with immediate effect. Although the law is meant to protect labor rights, it restricts women's freedom and right to choose to work at night, violating gender equality.
August 20: The Mingba Kelu Bridge on Nanheng Highway in Taoyuan District, Kaohsiung, was destroyed by earth and falling rocks on August 7. More than 400 tribal residents were trapped for nearly two weeks. The highway unit urgently opened the section from Nanheng to Taitung that had been closed for 12 years on August 20. Residents can finally leave the mountain to buy supplies, and supplies from downtown may be delivered to the local area to meet urgent needs.
August 21: The Coast Guard Administration, Ocean Affairs Council, on August 19 seized off the coast of Tainan a fishing boat which smuggled 154 rare breed cats. The Council of Agriculture euthanized all the cats in accordance with the regulations on the afternoon of August 21. President Tsai, widely known to be a cat lover, posted on Facebook late on August 21 to express her sadness and distress. She also promised to amend the law. Tens of thousands of Internet users left comments, triggering serious debate.
August 21 is the international day for stray animals. In the morning, Vice President William Lai even posted on Facebook, urging everyone to love and never give up stray animals. Bad news unexpectedly came out in the afternoon. Many cat owners were angry and left comments on President Tsai's Facebook page. Minister Chen Chih-chung of the Council of Agriculture, the competent authority, responded late in the evening that it was really a measure of last result.
The smuggled cats include puppet cats, Russian blue cats, American shorthair cats, British shorthair cats and are valued at more than NT$6 million (about US$214,000).
August 21: The CECC announced that the level 2 epidemic alert will be extended from August 24 to September 6, but the maximum capacity will be relaxed to 80 people indoors and 300 outdoors. In addition, no partitions will be necessary for family and friends living together, and hospitals will be open for visits.
Eight major industries, including karaoke, dance halls, and hospitals will remain closed. Similar venues like amusement parks, electronic game fields, and leisure mahjong halls are to remain closed as well.