Press Release of the Offshore Control Division of the Executive Yuan’s SARS Epidemic Prevention, Control and Relief Committee
As the WHO has already taken the Republic of the Philippines off its list of “areas with recent local transmission of SARS,” the Offshore Control Division has decided to lift all restrictions on travelers from that area. In another development, the period of enhanced “Type B Home Quarantine Measures” will come to an end on May 25. With regard to this matter, the Offshore Control Division has already conducted preliminary assessments and discussions to decide whether or not to further extend “Type B Home Quarantine Measures,” and whether to reasonably adjust quarantine requirements for businesspeople and other personnel traveling on business on the premise that the priority is to ensure domestic safety in epidemic prevention. The Offshore Control Division will consider the opinions and suggestions of all related governmental agencies, and then submit its evaluation report to the SARS Epidemic Prevention, Control and Relief Committee for the final decision.
The WHO has already taken the Republic of the Philippines (Metro Manila) off its list of “areas with recent local transmission of SARS.” In response to this, the Offshore Control Division announced that it has already taken the Republic of the Philippines (Metro Manila) off Taiwan’s quarantine list, meaning that for incoming passengers from that area standard regulations will be applicable for them again, as they are once more treated as travelers from non-SARS-affected areas. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already publicly announced the lifting of quarantine measures on that area. The Offshore Control Division stressed that the review or revision of restrictions on visa services and related quarantine measures will be handled in swift response to the epidemic situation in different areas, and in accordance with the latest SARS updates by the WHO. Currently, control and quarantine regulations are still in place for the Mainland (every province), Hong Kong, and Singapore.
At this peak period of the SARS epidemic in Taiwan, there was recently a report about a man named Hung who, having just returned to Taiwan from a SARS-infected area, boarded a bus to his designated centralized quarantine location, and spat inside the vehicle. After that, the other passengers extremely fell into a panic, and the driver refused to carry Hung any further. The on-duty staff at the Kaohsiung International Airport of the Offshore Control Division has already gathered evidence on this incident, and has sent a written request to the Kaohsiung City Bureau of Environmental Protection to impose a fine against Mr. Hung not exceeding NT$ 6,000 and not under NT$ 1,200, in accordance with the Waste Disposal Act and other related regulations. The Offshore Control Division added that airport staff and local police are in charge of investigating and cracking down on similar cases. People proven to be guilty of similar violations are to be heavily penalized by the local environmental protection authorities. The Offshore Control Division declared that spitting on the ground and similar behaviors not only hamper efforts to maintain a hygienic environment, but also specifically affect our efforts in the implementation and enforcement of the SARS prevention measures. The population should cooperate with the government and pay sufficient attention to hygiene to prevent spreading the SARS virus.
To prevent a further spreading of the epidemic, both Kinmen and Matsu have already temporarily suspended all passenger and cargo traffic with the Mainland. The Executive Yuan has issued a directive temporarily prohibiting all passenger/cargo traffic between the populations of Kinmen/Matsu islands and the Mainland. The directive aims to stop the populace from turning to have frequent trade of small amounts with the Mainland area, which might cause loopholes in Taiwan’s SARS prevention efforts, after the suspension of the “Mini-Three-Links” between Kinmen/Matsu and the Mainland. Violators of this directive who engage in smuggling in the form of trade of small amounts with the Mainland will be charged in accordance with Article 192 of the Criminal Law, and can thus be sent by the police organization to the Prosecutor’s Office for further investigation.
The Offshore Control Division declared that the Coastal Guard Administration (CGA) would especially continue its enhanced crackdown on smuggling and illegal immigration at sea. In addition, trading of goods from the Mainland on local markets on the Kinmen and Matsu islands will be monitored and investigated by local police units in cooperation with the local health authorities. Those who are found to be selling Mainland products without being able to provide evidence about the origin of these products, will be under suspicion of having obtained their goods via smuggling in trade of small amounts. Their goods may be confiscated in accordance with “the Customs Prevention of Smuggling Statute,” and a fine may be imposed against them of between one and three times the worth of the smuggled goods. Those loading/unloading, transporting, collecting/keeping, hiding, buying or selling smuggled goods shall be issued a fine not exceeding NT$ 30,000.