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The Tai-Ex opened down 30-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 15,775 on turnover of 5.2-billion N-T.
The market lost ground on Wednesday in a volatile trading session, after investors shifted to the sell side to lock in early gains amid concerns over the attitude of foreign institutional investors who have increased short position futures contracts in recent sessions.
And analysts say market sentiment was also impacted by an increase in domestic coronavirus cases related to a hospital in Taoyuan, with many investors fearing an escalation (惡化; 加劇) of the disease could hamper economic activity.
The Central Epidemic Command Center is reporting another domestically transmitted coronavirus case linked to the cluster infection at the Taoyuan General Hospital.
The latest case involves the grandmother of one of the nurses who had previously tested positive for the disease.
Health officials say the elderly woman lives with the nurse and tested negative on January 12, but returned a positive result after being tested again on January 18.
It is the tenth case to have been confirmed as (確認是) part of the cluster infection.
The epidemic command center is also reporting one new imported coronavirus case.
That case involves a Taiwanese national in her 20s who entered the country after spending time in Spain.
The latest cases bring the total number here in Taiwan to 870 since the pandemic began.
Foreign Minister Joseph Wu is in Palau to attend today's inauguration of the Pacific island nation's president-elect Surangel Whipps.
Wu was received on his arrival by Palau's Minister of State and has now held talks with Palau's outgoing President Tommy Remengesau.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wu will meet with Whipps later today.
Along with the meetings with government officials, the foreign minister will also inspect the implementation of (執行程序；實施程序) major bilateral cooperation programs between the two sides.
Wu is slated to return to Taiwan tomorrow.
New US President Joe Biden's press secretary has promised to bring "truth and transparency (透通性)" back to the White House.
As Nick Harper reports from Washington.
At least four doctors in Peru have begun a hunger strike as a protest against the substandard (不合格、低於標準) working conditions that Peruvian medical workers say they have faced in fighting the oronavirus pandemic.
The hunger strike in Peru's capital city of Lima is the latest action by health care workers asking the government to improve their working environment.
Medical personnel have been protesting for a week just as a second wave of coronavirus cases is hitting the country.
Local media quote one of the fasting physicians as saying that there are shortages of oxygen and medicines at hospitals and doctors feel abandoned.