Press Release of the Offshore Control Division of the Executive Yuan's SARS Epidemic Prevention, Control and Relief Committee
As the WHO has once more put Toronto, Canada, on its list of "areas with recent local transmission of SARS," the Offshore Control Division announced that starting today (May 28), travelers from that area are once more subject to offshore control regulations and "Type B Home Quarantine Measures."
Since new SARS cases have been reported in Toronto, Canada, the WHO has put Toronto back on its list of "areas with recent local transmission of SARS." In response to this, the Offshore Control Division announced that starting 12:00 midnight, May 28, inbound passengers from Toronto will again be subject to the same visa/entry and quarantine restrictions as travelers from other SARS-affected areas such as the Mainland, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
Regarding providing service to veterans, the Veterans Affairs Commission under the Executive Yuan has since the SARS epidemic first surfaced made every effort to keep retired servicemen informed about the evolving situation. It has also called on veterans to cancel or postpone all unnecessary cross-Strait travel to avoid possible infection. The Offshore Control Division declared that retired servicemen returning to Taiwan from the Mainland or other areas with a concentration of SARS cases, may apply to the Veterans Affairs Commission for help if they find that for some reason they cannot return to their homes for quarantine. The Commission's service centers have already made arrangements with Veterans Hospitals to provide home quarantine services. To facilitate service for the veterans and to call their attention to the Veterans Affairs Commission's services, the Commission has posted conspicuous signs at the exits of airport immigration counters.
The MOF Directorate General of Customs and related departments reported that due to the SARS epidemic, the illegal trading of small amounts between the populations on both sides of the Taiwan Strait has experienced a significant decrease. The Offshore Control Division stressed that in order to prevent a further spreading of the epidemic, the related governmental agencies have already set up a special investigation and arrest task force in the Kinmen and Matsu areas. The task force is responsible for enhanced investigation into and cracking down on the smuggling of agricultural products while the "Mini-Three-Links" are suspended. All the measures will be continually and more powerfully implemented will the hope that the population will not defy the law.
Recently there have been media reports about a man named Hsu, who claimed that upon returning from the Mainland to Taiwan he had asked to be put under quarantine, but had been referred from one department to another without any of them actually dealing with him. The Offshore Control Division gave this matter top priority and immediately assigned staff to investigate the matter. It turned out that Mr. Hsu's claims were clearly inconsistent with the facts, and that neither the Offshore Control Division's nor the Center for Disease Control's (CDC) airport staff who were on duty that day had been contacted by any passenger seeking assistance, or asking to be taken to the Hungwu Military Camp for quarantine. When trying to track down the man, it was found that in his "Questionnaire for SARS Prevention" and his "Home Quarantine Notice" he had only given the address of his local district office and the borough warden's telephone number. It was therefore not possible to get in touch with him at once.
Since neither Mr. Hsu's medical history in the Mainland nor his recent entry/exit record is currently known, the Offshore Control Division has already instructed the competent authorities to closely investigate the matter. Should concrete evidence turn up to show that Mr. Hsu has violated the "Interim Regulations of SARS Control" or the "Communicable Disease Prevention Act," the competent authority will penalize him severely. Meanwhile, the Offshore Control Division calls on the media to present objective facts in their coverage of news with greater care, and make an effort to produce fair and balanced news reports, instead of being mislead by biased information from one single source.