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Taiwan records first imported COVID-19 cases from Palau
發佈於 2022-01-25 16:18:14
Epidemic control officals are reporting two imported COVID-19 cases from Palau (帛琉), the first from that country, where the number of cases has been rising in recent weeks.
Health Minister Chen Shih-chung says the two patients are a woman and her young child, both residents of the Pacific island nation, who arrived in Taiwan on January 22nd.
The woman, a Chinese national in her 30s, tested positive, along with her child, aged under 5, while they were in quarantine.
The number of COVID-19 cases in the Pacific island country has been rising sharply, having reached 208, and the CECC is considering suspending a travel bubble (旅遊泡泡) between Taiwan and Palau.
(TT)
First batch of Pfizer's COVID-19 pills to reach Taiwan soon
發佈於 2022-01-25 16:18:14
Taiwan is set to receive its first batch of Pfizer's COVID-19 pill, Paxlovid.
Health Minister Chen Shih-chung says Taiwan has purchased 20,000 courses (療程) of Pfizer's antiviral (對抗病毒) drug, and should receive them before the Lunar New Year holiday begins on January 29th.
Earlier yesterday, more than two thousannd courses of the antiviral pill Molnupiravir, made by American drugmaker Merck (默沙東), arrived in Taiwan, with the rest of the more than 5,040 courses ordered to arrive after the Lunar New Year holiday.
Taiwan had planned to purchase more of molnu-piravir, but decided to opt for (選擇) more doses of Pfizer's Paxlovid, due to different terms and conditions of use involving the two courses of treatment.
Both carry warnings by the U-S Food and Drug administration, that they cannot be used in place of (不能取代) vaccinations and boosters.
(TT)
US Troops on Hightened Alert
發佈於 2022-01-25 16:18:14
Turning to world news...
The Pentagon says some 8,500 combat-ready US troops are on high alert (高度戒備) to deploy at short notice amid rising tension over Ukraine.
Russia continues to deny planning military action against Ukraine, despite amassing 100,000 troops nearby.
US President Joe Biden held a video call with European allies on Monday as Western powers aim for a common strategy (共同策略) against Russian aggression (對抗俄國步步進逼).
The Pentagon says no decision has yet been made on whether to deploy (部署) troops.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby says it would only happen if the NATO military alliance decides to activate a rapid-reaction force (啟動快速反應部隊), or "if other situations develop" around the Russian troop build-up (增兵).
He addes that there are no plans to deploy to Ukraine itself.
Some NATO members, including Denmark, Spain, France and the Netherlands, are already planning or considering sending fighter jets and warships to eastern Europe to bolster defences (加強防衛) in the region.
Belarus hacktivists target railway in anti-Russia effort
發佈於 2022-01-25 16:18:15
In a related news...
A Belarusian hacktivist group (白俄羅斯駭客集團) says it has launched a limited cyberattack on the national railway company.
It's aimed at impeding (阻撓) the movement of Russian troops and freight (貨運) inside the Moscow-allied country.
The Belarusian Cyber Partisans say they disrupted online ticket sales in Monday's attack and were working to fix that as they did not intend to disturb passenger service.
The state railway says online ticket sales were halted for unspecified ``technical reasons.''
Russian troops are currently in Belarus for military exercises coinciding with a threatening Russian armed forces buildup on the shared Ukraine border.
Japan to subsidise oil distributors to curb fuel prices
發佈於 2022-01-25 16:18:15
The Japanese government has announced that it will subsidise oil distributors for the first time in order to curb rising fuel prices. The measures could be implemented as early as Thursday.
Phoebe Amoroso reports from Tokyo.