content_text:
英國準備迎接一批武漢肺炎確診潮，除了倫敦東部的展覽中心要改建成臨時醫院之外，曼徹斯特、伯明罕也可能陸續跟進改建，增加床位。

截至25日上午9時，英國的2019冠狀病毒疾病確診人數逼近萬人，來到9529人，死亡人數為463人。

英國日前宣布東倫敦艾格色中心（ExCeL Centre）將變身為臨時的「南丁格爾醫院」（NightingaleHospital），最多將能容納4000名病患，一開始將先配置500個病床與呼吸器。

英國廣播公司（BBC）報導，倫敦醫院即將迎來武漢肺炎病患「海嘯」，重症病房即將不敷使用。

英國有1/3確診病患出現在倫敦，NHS Providers的哈普森（Chris Hopson）表示，雖然醫院的能量已經擴充，但倫敦的病床需求依舊如「爆炸般」增加。加上醫護人員欠缺，形成兩大難題。

他表示：「他們正在煩惱兩件事情，第一是重症病患的病房需求量暴增，病患一波又一波出現，要我來形容的話就像是不斷襲來的海嘯。」

此外也有越來越多醫護人員遭到感染，哈普森表示：「我們看到30％、40％，有些地方甚至50％的病假率，醫護人員可能感染病毒，或是屬於脆弱族群，又或是必須自我隔離。」

哈普森指出，雖然醫院能量陸續在擴充當中，包括艾格色中心的4000個床位，但醫院管理層憂心可能很快就會被消耗殆盡。

為了將所有人力都集中於照護武漢肺炎病患，英國當局早已宣布所有非緊急手術都將暫緩執行，從下個月起，3個月內的髖關節或膝關節置換手術等都將被取消。同時也將讓所以可以出院的病患盡快出院。透過這兩個方法，預料能讓英格蘭地區釋出3萬至10萬個床位。

除了倫敦以外，「每日郵報」報導，伯明罕的國家展覽中心（National Exhibition Centre）表示已經準備好協助政府，立即接受NHS徵用。曼徹斯特競技場（Manchester Arena）也是改建醫院的場地之一。

報導指出，艾格色中心的改建作業在軍方協助下加速進行，預料將在4月4日之前啟用。

events: 死亡 武漢肺炎 冠狀病毒

title: 英國準備迎接病患潮 各地改建臨時醫院


content_text:
土耳其決定大學和學校繼續停課，大學入學考試將順延到7月舉行。衛生部2019冠狀病毒科學諮詢委員會委員評估，若民眾遵守措施，則6月上旬武漢肺炎疫情將有所改善。

衛生部長克扎（Fahrettin Koca）於25日指出，境內俗稱武漢肺炎的2019冠狀病毒疾病（COVID-19）累計確診數來到2433例，共59人死亡。

總統艾爾段（Recep Tayyip Erdogan）於25日指出，正對居家隔離的5萬3000人以及在醫院隔離的8554人進行監控。教育部長塞爾祝克（Ziya Selcuk）同日宣布，學校繼續停課至4月30日，並且持續提供線上教學。

高等教育委員會（Council of Higher Education）主席薩拉奇（Yekta Sarac）於26日宣布，大學繼續停課，入學考試將延後到7月舉行。

「每日晨報」（Daily Sabah）報導，自3月初以來從海外撤回的公民總數約達1萬1000人，並且悉數予以隔離。包括從沙烏地阿拉伯完成副朝覲的穆斯林以及赴笈歐洲國家的學生，返國民眾都在指定的學生宿舍中進行14天隔離。

穆斯林的朝覲季始於伊斯蘭教曆的10月1日，為期70天，教曆12月為正式朝覲月，日期定在8日至12日，稱為「大朝」或「正朝」，其他時間的朝覲就是「小朝」或「副朝」。

土耳其已安排數十架次飛機從歐洲國家撤僑並且在安排相關人員進入已先行清空的大學宿舍進行隔離。另外，有大約1500名因為當地關閉空域而暫時無法回家的阿爾及利亞、約旦、突尼西亞人暫時棲身北部城巿卡拉比克（Karabuk），等待這些國家開放伊斯坦堡飛當地航班獲准降落。

內政部已下令關閉婚宴場所。伊斯坦堡若干區政府協助新人進行網路轉播，讓無法親臨現場的數以千計親友可以線上收視儀式。報導指出，在各區政府婚宴廳舉行儀式的新人必須戴上口罩，官員監禮時，少數賓客只能夠在婚宴廳外等待，賓客彼此須保時1.5公尺距離。

另外，武漢肺炎防疫措施也帶來正面效應。例如：儘管防疫專線滿線，但黑海濱的北部城市特拉布松（Trabzon）犯罪率降低了60%。

疫情將燒到何時已成為大家最想了解的問題。衛生部2019冠狀病毒科學諮詢委員會委員于南（SerhatUnal）認為，如果民眾遵守嚴厲措施，則情況將有所改善。他說:「若民眾嚴守防疫建議待在家中，並且更常洗手，我認為情況將有所改善。若真主應允，6月上旬（疫情將會有所改善）。」

events: 新冠肺炎 武漢肺炎 冠狀病毒 死亡 COVID-19

countries: 土耳其 阿爾及利亞 約旦 沙烏地阿拉伯 突尼西亞

title: 土耳其續停課 盼6月上旬新冠肺炎疫情可改善


title: 10 年就業成長畫下休止符，美國單週 328 萬人申請失業金創新高

content_text:
武漢肺炎肆虐，全美多地政府為防疫下令商家停業，失業人數暴增。最新數據顯示，美國上週有 328 萬人初次申請失業給付，寫下近代最糟紀錄，長達 10 年的就業成長就此告終。

美國勞工部今天公布，截至 21 日當週，初次申請失業救濟金人數暴增 300 萬人，達到 328 萬人。這項數字打破 1982 年 10 月保持的 69.5 萬人紀錄，也超越 2009 年 3 月美國經濟因全球金融海嘯陷入衰退期間最慘的 66.5 萬人，凸顯這波失業潮的猛烈程度。

（圖片來源：U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR）

從 3 月開始，全美 2019 冠狀病毒疾病（COVID-19，俗稱武漢肺炎）疫情急遽升溫，紐約、加州等地政府為遏阻病毒散播，紛紛要求民眾盡可能待在家、非民生必需商家暫時停業。紐約時報統計，全美近 2 億人口受居家防疫措施影響。

勞工部新聞稿強調，初申失業救濟人數暴增肇因於疫情衝擊，幾乎每個回報數據的州都提到2019冠狀病毒疾病，服務業受創最深，特別是全美就業人口逾 1,500 萬的餐旅業。

美國經濟因防疫幾近停擺，走出金融海嘯陰影後，長達 10 年的就業擴張也劃下句點。

截至今年 2 月，美國就業人口連續成長 113 個月，創史上最長紀錄；失業率降至 3.5%，來到半世紀低點。隨著就業擴增、所得提升，強韌的就業市場為美國經濟帶來充沛動能，10 年來挺住歐債危機、中國經濟降溫、油市震盪與美中貿易戰等考驗。

疫情無情肆虐下，這一切都成了過往雲煙。美國經濟大規模停擺何時能恢復正常，讓失業者回到工作崗位，至今仍充滿變數。

華爾街日報報導，如果美國能迅速恢復常態，航空、餐旅業可能很快找回疫情期間解雇或放無薪假的員工。在 2 兆美元經濟振興方案等政府援助計畫支持下，美國失業率理論上可能短暫衝高後再下滑。這是 1980 年代的情況，有別於 1930 年代經濟大蕭條和 2008 年金融海嘯爆發後的經濟大衰退。

然而，武漢肺炎感染和死亡率若不斷攀升，全美多地保持社交距離的防疫措施恐怕會拉長經濟受創時間。即使美國總統川普有意放鬆防疫方針，期盼儘快復工，但各州、城市、商家與民眾可能不會配合。

聯邦準備理事會（Fed）主席鮑爾（Jerome Powell）今天接受國家廣播公司（NBC）晨間節目訪問時說，美國經濟「很可能已陷入衰退」，聯準會採取史無前例的手段協助經濟在疫情受到控制後儘快復甦，但「時間表將由病毒決定」。

實現充分就業與物價穩定是聯準會兩大使命。自3月以來，聯準會已兩度緊急降息，基準利率降至趨近於零，本週更示意資產收購計畫無上限，並將向合格的中小企業提供貸款。

鮑爾說，聯準會現在的工作是確保企業無論規模大小，都能藉由聯準會近期推出的各種緊急貸款計畫度過難關，以利經濟日後更快復甦。他強調：「就貸款而言，我們的銀彈不會用盡，絕對不會。」（記者：尹俊傑；首圖圖片來源：shutterstock）

countries: 美國 中國

events: 武漢肺炎 冠狀病毒 COVID-19 死亡

things: 防疫 經濟


title: 日職／阪神大物投手藤浪感染新冠肺炎　日職引發大恐慌

events: 新冠肺炎 COVID-19 2019新型冠狀病毒

content_text:
日職聯盟深夜發生大事，阪神虎隊投手藤浪晉太郎確診2019新型冠狀病毒（COVID-19），這也代表日本球界將有首位確診案例，日職二軍也將全面消毒。

新冠肺炎導致日本職棒開幕延期，藤浪24日自訴狀況「聞不到味道」，雖然並未有發燒、倦怠感等明顯症狀，但他檢驗結果是陽性反應，就連跟他有過接觸的2名選手都可能被感染。

日職將召開緊急會議應對，不過藤浪18日曾在二軍對戰歐力士隊比賽中登板，11日至25日這兩周的行動也要追蹤，由於14日他跟很多選手有共食，其中有2位選手都有味覺障礙，因此兩名選手都要檢測，日職可能出現群聚感染。


events: 死亡 冠狀病毒 武漢肺炎

content_text:
（中央社記者戴雅真倫敦26日專電）英國準備迎接一批武漢肺炎確診潮，除了倫敦東部的展覽中心要改建成臨時醫院之外，曼徹斯特、伯明罕也可能陸續跟進改建，增加床位。

截至25日上午9時，英國的2019冠狀病毒疾病確診人數逼近萬人，來到9529人，死亡人數為463人。

英國日前宣布東倫敦艾格色中心（ExCeL Centre）將變身為臨時的「南丁格爾醫院」（NightingaleHospital），最多將能容納4000名病患，一開始將先配置500個病床與呼吸器。

英國廣播公司（BBC）報導，倫敦醫院即將迎來武漢肺炎病患「海嘯」，重症病房即將不敷使用。

英國有1/3確診病患出現在倫敦，NHS Providers的哈普森（Chris Hopson）表示，雖然醫院的能量已經擴充，但倫敦的病床需求依舊如「爆炸般」增加。加上醫護人員欠缺，形成兩大難題。

他表示：「他們正在煩惱兩件事情，第一是重症病患的病房需求量暴增，病患一波又一波出現，要我來形容的話就像是不斷襲來的海嘯。」

此外也有越來越多醫護人員遭到感染，哈普森表示：「我們看到30％、40％，有些地方甚至50％的病假率，醫護人員可能感染病毒，或是屬於脆弱族群，又或是必須自我隔離。」

哈普森指出，雖然醫院能量陸續在擴充當中，包括艾格色中心的4000個床位，但醫院管理層憂心可能很快就會被消耗殆盡。

為了將所有人力都集中於照護武漢肺炎病患，英國當局早已宣布所有非緊急手術都將暫緩執行，從下個月起，3個月內的髖關節或膝關節置換手術等都將被取消。同時也將讓所以可以出院的病患盡快出院。透過這兩個方法，預料能讓英格蘭地區釋出3萬至10萬個床位。

除了倫敦以外，「每日郵報」報導，伯明罕的國家展覽中心（National Exhibition Centre）表示已經準備好協助政府，立即接受NHS徵用。曼徹斯特競技場（Manchester Arena）也是改建醫院的場地之一。

報導指出，艾格色中心的改建作業在軍方協助下加速進行，預料將在4月4日之前啟用。（編輯：張佑之）1090326

title: 英國準備迎接病患潮 各地改建臨時醫院


countries: 台灣 中國

content_text:
中國大陸湖北省因新冠肺炎封城2個多月，終於在25日解除封城。滯留湖北的台灣人將於29、30日搭乘華航包機從上海返台，一度傳出這兩架航班票價竟要6800元人民幣，比其他上海飛往台灣的班機，票價貴了將近3倍。

海基會在26日晚間表示，關於這次返台包機機票價格，華航提供的價格是，12歲以上為2100人民幣，2到12歲為1700人民幣，2歲以下200人民幣。海基會強調，國人返台需要多方協調折衝，相關錯誤訊息衍生誤導，深感遺憾。

※【NOWnews 今日新聞】提醒您：
因應新冠肺炎疫情，疾管署持續加強疫情監測與邊境管制措施，國外入境後如有發燒、咳嗽等不適症狀，請撥打「1922」專線，或「0800-001922」，並依指示配戴口罩儘速就醫，同時主動告知醫師旅遊史及接觸史，以利及時診斷及通報。

title: 第3批台人返台包機票價貴3倍？3種價格曝光


title: Intel supplier to invest US$23.1m

content_text:
The Ministry of Economic Affairs yesterday gave the green light to Good Way Technology Co’s (東碩資訊) application to invest up to NT$700 million (US$23.1 million) in Taiwan under a three-year program that provides incentives for overseas Taiwanese companies to invest back home.

Good Way, which specializes in docking stations and counts Intel Corp among its major clients, plans to set up a manufacturing facility in New Taipei City’s Sijhih District (汐止), the ministry said in a statement.

Good Way, which has a research and development facility in Taiwan and only one manufacturing plant — in Kunshan, China — decided to expand its operations in Taiwan to meet customers’ requests that it diversifies its production to lower risks amid trade tensions between the US and China, the ministry said.

The ministry also approved three other companies’ investment applications: mechanical parts maker Chenming Electronic Tech Corp (晟銘電子), golf club manufacturer Juming Co (鉅明) and storage furniture maker Huei Tyng Enterprise Co (輝庭企業).

Chenming Electronic, which specializes in server cloning, plans to set up a new automated plant in northern Taiwan to sharpen its competitive edge, the ministry said, without disclosing the planned investment amount.

Juming and Huei Tyng are to invest more than NT$800 million and NT$900 million respectively to expand their production capacities as more orders are transferred to Taiwan, the ministry said.

STATE UTILITIES

In other news, the ministry said Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電) posted a pretax profit of NT$18 billion for last year after an injection of NT$32.7 billion from the government’s energy price stabilization fund.

Without allocation from the fund, Taipower posted pretax losses of NT$14.7 billion due to a combination of frozen electricity rates and mounting fuel costs, the ministry said.

Oil refiner CPC Corp, Taiwan (台灣中油) posted a profit of NT$35.2 billion, as global crude oil prices rose last year.

However, the company is forecasting losses as international oil markets have slumped due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Taiwan Sugar Corp (台糖) and Taiwan Water Corp (台灣自來水) posted pretax profits of NT$3.28 billion and NT$191 million respectively for last year, the ministry said.

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people: 蔡英文 賴清德

content_text:
ODD TIMING:
 Taiwan has called Chinese drills around the Taiwan Strait provocative and urged Beijing to focus on combating COVID-19 rather than harass its neighbor

China yesterday accused the US of playing a dangerous game with its support for Taiwan, after a US warship passed through Taiwan Strait.

China has been angered by the administration of US President Donald Trump stepping up support for the nation, such as through more arms sales, US patrols near Taiwan and last month’s visit to Washington by former premier and vice president-elect William Lai (賴清德).

US Seventh Fleet spokesman Lieutenant Anthony Junco said the guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell conducted “a routine Taiwan Strait transit” on Wednesday, in line with international law.

“The ship’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the US’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” he said. “The US Navy will continue to fly, sail and operate anywhere international law allows.”

The Ministry of National Defense said the ship sailed north through the waterway and was monitored by Taiwan’s armed forces, on what it called a “regular transit,” adding that there was no cause for alarm.

“The Republic of China armed forces fully monitors the movement of ships and aircraft around our airspace and waters. No irregularities have been noticed,” a statement from the ministry said.

Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesman Ren Guoqiang (任國強) yesterday denounced “continued negative actions” by the US on Taiwan, including sailings through and flights over the Strait.

“US moves have seriously interfered in China’s internal affairs, severely harmed peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and poisoned Sino-US military ties,” Ren told a monthly news conference.

The actions were “extremely dangerous,” he added.

On Feb. 9 and Feb. 10, Chinese H-6 bombers and escort aircraft flew south of Taiwan into the Western Pacific, briefly crossing the Taiwan Strait median line, prompting Taiwan’s military to scramble fighters to intercept and warn away the Chinese aircraft.

On Monday last week, China conducted a night flight training mission southwest of Taiwan, and briefly approached the nation’s air defense identification zone.

Taiwan has called the drills provocative, and urged China to pay more attention to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, rather than menace it.

A chart posted on Twitter by Aircraft Spots, a military air movement tracker, showed a US Navy EP-3E aircraft operating in the South China Sea near Taiwan on Wednesday.

In January, another US warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait less than a week after President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) won re-election by a landslide on a platform of standing up to China.

Tsai on Tuesday visited a military base and again warned of the threat from China during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Everyone knows that although at present there is an intense epidemic situation, the Chinese communists’ military aircraft continue to harass Taiwan,” she said. “Their threat to Taiwan and regional security has not gone down.”

Additional reporting by staff writer and CNA

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title: US warships in Taiwan Strait anger China


content_text:
Global TV shipments are forecast to decline 5.8 percent annually this year, as consumers delay spending on TVs due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics and the European Championships, Taipei-based market researcher TrendForce Corp (集邦科技) said yesterday.

Shipments are expected to fall to 205.2 million units this year, compared with 217.8 million units last year, the researcher said, adding that it might further revise down its projection, if the pandemic continues wreaking havoc on the global economy.

The researcher trimmed its TV shipment forecast by 8.6 percent for the current quarter to 44.6 million from an earlier estimate of 48.8 million units, with Xiaomi Corp (小米) and Skyworth Group Co (創維) suffering the brunt.

Xiaomi, the world’s fifth-largest TV supplier, with more than 70 percent of its sales derived from the Chinese market, is forecast to see TV shipments plunge 50.9 percent sequentially to 2.1 million units this quarter, TrendForce said.

“Large-scale lockdowns in China have depressed demand in China at the beginning of 2020, as it strove to curb the pandemic spread,” it said in the report.

Samsung Electronics Co and LG Electronics Co could see less drastic declines of 27.9 percent and 20.4 percent to 10.1 million and 6.38 million units respectively this quarter, it forecast.

However, as Europe has become the new epicenter of the pandemic, Samsung, LG, Sony Corp and Royal Philips NV could become the latest victims of the pandemic in the second quarter, as Europe accounts for more than 30 percent of their shipments, TrendForce said.

“The pandemic in March dealt a blow to consumer confidence in Europe and the US amid a financial meltdown,” it said.

The weakening demand for TVs spells trouble for flat-panel makers, as TV vendors are forecast to cut orders by 8 to 10 percent in the second quarter, TrendForce said.

As a result, panel prices are expected to fall again, after mainstream 32-inch and 55-inch TV panels saw 10 percent increases this quarter, the researcher said.

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title: Global TV shipments forecast to drop 5.8% this year


content_text:
Virus Outbreak: TRA moves up plan to take riders’ temperatures

The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) has moved up plans to start taking the temperatures of passengers at some of its bigger stations to Wednesday next week after Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers criticized it for not planning to start such a program until mid-May.

DPP legislators Lai Hui-yuan (賴惠員), Huang Kuo-shu (黃國書), Wang Mei-hui (王美惠) and Huang Shih-chieh (黃世杰) yesterday questioned why the TRA was waiting until the middle of May to take the temperature of all passengers, when the Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) began doing so as of the middle of this month.

They urged the agency to move faster so that it would not become a loophole in the nation’s disease-prevention network.

The agency later announced that people wanting to enter all 34 of its special-class and first-class stations must have their temperatures taken first as of Wednesday.

It has 241 stations nationwide, and it is not easy to acquire thermometers these days, although it placed orders for them last month, the agency said.

It is also recruiting people with nursing or healthcare backgrounds to take people’s temperatures at 20 large stations, it added.

With the help of the Central Epidemic Command Center, it plans to implement the temperature-taking in phases, it said.

Of the 34 stations that would begin taking temperatures next week, 22 would use infrared imaging and 12 would use forehead thermometers, with the goal of measuring about 70 percent of the passengers accessing the stations, it said.

“We would quickly implement the same requirement at the rest of our stations, but the progress depends on whether we have enough forehead thermometers and if we have enough personnel to do so,” it said, adding that it aims for the policy to be implemented at all stations by April 30.

People who have a temperature of at least 37.5°C would be measured a second time, and if the reading is the same, they would be asked to return home or seek medical attention, it said.

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people: 黃世杰 賴惠員 王美惠 黃國書


content_text:
Virus Outbreak: Food delivery soars 50% amid fear of eating out

Food delivery orders last month rose 50 percent from January and four times from a year earlier, as people avoided eating out amid the COVID-19 pandemic, food delivery operator Deliveroo said in a press release on Tuesday.

While the outbreak has hurt the restaurant industry, changes in spending habits as people stayed at home more has benefited food delivery platforms — an important service that has helped sustain the business of restaurants.

Deliveroo said it has enhanced disease-prevention measures, including dispensing sanitizers and imported masks to its more than 1,000 food deliverers, to safeguard the health of its couriers, staff at contracted restaurants and consumers.

Foodpanda, another food delivery company, also reported significant growth in sales, aided by its promotional activities this month, such as subsidized delivery fees and discounts at select shops and restaurants.

Foodpanda said it aims to become the platform that assists the most restaurants and shops to go online and boost their revenue, to lend support to the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ efforts to help the restaurant industry during the outbreak.

The ministry’s Department of Commerce is drafting plans to help restaurants and shops partner with food delivery platforms, such as providing them with a maximum subsidy of NT$15,000 each. About 11,000, mainly small businesses are expected to benefit, the department said.

Starting yesterday, Uber Eats waived application fees for up to 5,000 small and medium-sized restaurants and shops to join its platform to help them activate their delivery services.

Uber Eats added that it has cooperated with medical institutions in which it would deliver 25,000 free orders to thank medical staff for protecting public health.

To lower the risks of contagion, the three companies have launched a service called “no exposure delivery,” which allows customers to choose if they would prefer deliverers to drop their orders at their door or leave them with building supervisors instead of handing them directly to customers.

Additional reporting by Cheng Wei-chi

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content_text:
A DUAL SYSTEM:
 Under the proposed plan, farmers would also benefit from a subsidy for aging farmers, which would increase their monthly pension payments

The Executive Yuan yesterday unveiled a bill for a proposed farmers’ pension fund, which, if passed by the Legislative Yuan, could raise farmers’ monthly pension payments to NT$26,000.

The system would be based on the labor pension model, meaning that farmers and the government would allocate an equal amount of money into a dedicated fund every month, Department of Farmers’ Service Director-General Chen Chun-yen (陳俊言) told a news conference in Taipei.

The proposal was born from President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) policy to better protect farmers and out of discussions at the National Agricultural Conference to improve the financial security of retired farmers, he said.

Under the proposed system, farmers would deposit between NT$238 and NT$1,428, or 1 to 6 percent of the minimum monthly wage, in a dedicated account every month, and the Council of Agriculture would make a matching deposit, he said.

The savings would be eligible for an interest rate no lower than that offered to people with fixed bank deposits of up to two years, guaranteeing their profitability, Chen said.

If passed, farmers’ pensions would consist of a dual-track system, comprised of the subsidy for aged farmers and the proposed farmers’ retirement fund, he said.

Farmers would start receiving the monthly pension when they reach 65 years old, and farmers who join the pension fund when they are 60 years old and deposit NT$1,428 per month would be able to receive a combined monthly pension of NT$8,939, including the subsidy, he said, pointing to trial balances provided by the department.

A farmer who joins the pension fund at age 30 and deposits NT$1,428 per month would be able to receive NT$16,017 in return, and NT$26,349 per month, with the subsidy.

With fewer people receiving the subsidy each year, the council hopes to encourage more young people to pursue a career in farming, to ensure that the nation would maintain a sufficient farming population, Council of Agriculture Deputy Minister Chen Tien-shou (陳添壽) said.

The council expects to solicit at least 60,000 of the nation’s estimated 450,000 farmers to join the fund in its first year, he said.

If passed, the system would be implemented on Jan. 1 next year, he said, adding that the council would communicate with lawmakers in the hope that it would be passed during the current legislative session.

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title: Executive Yuan proposes new farmer pension fund


content_text:
Virus Outbreak: G20 leaders set to meet as virus toll tops 21,000

DANGEROUS TREND:
 The rocketing infection rate has sparked a rush to buy guns, US store owners said, as customers start to panic about societal breakdown

World leaders were yesterday set to hold online crisis talks on the COVID-19 pandemic that has forced 3 billion people into lockdown and claimed more than 21,000 lives.

With the disease tearing around the globe at a terrifying pace, warnings are multiplying over its economic consequences, with experts saying it could cause more damage than the Great Depression.

Amid squabbling between the leaders of China and the US over who is to blame, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for the world to act together to halt the menace.

People confined to their home watch from their window as Moroccan officials instruct those in the street below to return to their homes during a COVID-19 lockdown in Rabat’s Takadoum District on Wednesday.
 Photo: AFP

“COVID-19 is threatening the whole of humanity,” Guterres said. “Global action and solidarity are crucial. Individual country responses are not going to be enough.”

The global lockdown — which also took in India’s huge population this week — tightened further yesterday when Russia announced it was grounding all international flights, while Moscow’s mayor ordered the closure of cafes, shops and parks.

Tokyo’s millions of citizens have been told to stay at home and tourism-dependent Thailand has shuttered its borders.

Economists say the restrictions imposed around the world could cause the biggest recession in modern history.

“The G20 economies will experience an unprecedented shock in the first half of this year and will contract in 2020 as a whole,” ratings agency Moody’s said.

The leaders of the G20 major economies were due to hold a virtual meeting later yesterday in the shadow of such dire predictions.

“As the world confronts the COVID-19 pandemic, and the challenges to healthcare systems and the global economy, we convene this extraordinary G20 summit to unite efforts towards a global response,” Saudi Arabian King Salman wrote on Twitter.

Saudi Arabia holds the rotating G20 presidency.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said richer nations needed to offer support to low and middle-income countries.

The devastating effect on poorer nations was laid bare when the Philippines announced that nine front-line doctors had died after contracting COVID-19.

Three large Manila hospitals this week said that they had reached capacity and would no longer accept new coronavirus cases.

Hundreds of medical staff are undergoing 14-day self-quarantines after suspected exposure, the hospitals said.

The death toll from the coronavirus, which emerged in Wuhan, China, last year, continued to grow, with the US becoming the sixth nation to hit four figures.

Almost 1,050 people are now known to have died in the US, with nearly 70,000 infections, Johns Hopkins University data showed.

Globally, the number of infections is closing in on half a million.

The rocketing infection rate in the US has sparked a rush to buy weapons, gun store owners said, with customers panicking about societal breakdown.

“A lot of people are buying shotguns, handguns, AR-15 [semi-automatic rifles], everything,” said Tiffany Teasdale, who sells guns in Washington state. “A lot of people are scared that someone is going to break into their home ... to steal cash, their toilet paper, their bottled water, their food.”

About half of the US population is under lockdown, but US President Donald Trump said that he would decide soon whether unaffected parts of the nation could get back to work.

The White House has repeatedly lashed out at Beijing over the disease.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday said that the G7 were united against China’s “disinformation” campaign.

A Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman had infuriated Washington by suggesting on Twitter that US troops had taken the coronavirus to Wuhan.

“Every one of the nations that were at that meeting this morning was deeply aware of the disinformation campaign that the Chinese Communist Party is engaged in to try and deflect from what has really taken place,” Pompeo told reporters.

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title: NZ mosque shooter unexpectedly alters his plea to guilty

content_text:
An Australian far-right extremist charged with murdering 51 Muslim worshipers in last year’s mass shooting at two New Zealand mosques yesterday unexpectedly flipped his plea to guilty.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the Muslim community expressed relief at the surprise decision, which removes the need for a lengthy trial that authorities feared would be used to spout neo-Nazi propaganda.

Self-avowed white supremacist Brenton Tarrant, 29, had previously denied 51 charges of murder, 40 of attempted murder and one of terrorism, but reversed his plea at a hurriedly arranged court hearing.

Brenton Tarrant, center, is pictured in the dock during an appearance at the Christchurch District Court in New Zealand on Monday last week.
 Photo: Reuters

“Yes, guilty,” Tarrant told the Christchurch High Court via videolink from Auckland Prison as the charges were read out to him.

Tarrant, wearing a gray top, stared intently at the camera while making his confession.

Neither the former gym instructor from Grafton, Australia, nor his lawyers offered any explanation for the change, which makes him New Zealand’s first-ever convicted terrorist.

The nation does not have the death penalty, but Tarrant faces the prospect of spending the rest of his life behind bars.

The terror and murder charges all carry life sentences, setting a minimum non-parole period of 17 years, but giving the judge power to imprison him without the possibility of release.

Ardern said that the admission of guilt would provide some relief to the many people whose lives were shattered in the attacks.

“These guilty pleas and conviction bring accountability for what happened, and also save the families who lost loved ones, those who were injured and other witnesses, the ordeal of a trial,” she said.

Asked how she reacted upon hearing the news, Ardern said: “I let out a huge sigh of relief.”

Judge Cameron Mander recorded convictions on all charges and said Tarrant would be sentenced at a date yet to be determined.

“The guilty pleas represent a very significant step towards bringing finality to this criminal proceeding,” Mander said.

The plea came with New Zealand in its first day of a four-week COVID-19 lockdown.

Mander said sentencing would take place “at a time when victims and their families can attend the court in person.”

The judge said that advance reporting that yesterday’s hearing was taking place was suppressed in case Tarrant changed his mind at the last minute and maintained his innocence.

Tarrant’s trial had been due to start on June 2 and last about six weeks, with New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush saying yesterday’s hearing was arranged after the gunman contacted his lawyers on Tuesday.

“Police appreciate this news will come as a surprise to the victims and the public, some of whom may have wished to be present in the courtroom,” Bush said in a statement.

Bush said imams from the mosques targeted by Tarrant were among only 17 people allowed in court to hear the revised plea.

New Zealand’s small Muslim community was relieved that there would not be a drawn-out trial.

“I have been praying for him and he has taken the right direction,” said Farid Ahmed, whose wife, Husna, was killed in the attacks. “I am pleased he is feeling guilty. It is a good start.”

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content_text:
OVERSEAS EXPANSION:
 The electronics maker said that it is on track to start shipments from its plant in Vietnam in the first half of next year

Electronics manufacturer Pegatron Corp (和碩), a major supplier of Apple Inc’s iPhone 11 series, yesterday reported a 73.8 percent year-on-year surge in net profit to NT$19.32 billion (US$637.5 million) for last year.

While attributing the growth to an increase in factory utilization rate, as well as operational efficiency, the company said non-operating income, which nearly tripled to NT$8.56 billion, also contributed to its bottom line.

Earnings per share rose to NT$7.4 last year from NT$4.25 in 2018, it said.

Pegatron’s board of directors yesterday proposed to distribute a cash dividend of NT$4.5 per share, implying a payout ratio of 60.81 percent.

Addressing potential risks from the COVID-19 pandemic, Pegatron chief executive officer Liao Syh-jang (廖賜政) told investors: “At the moment, we are a little bit worried about end market demand ... but we are cooperating with clients and abiding by government regulations.”

Liao said that he expected to see a quick recovery for the US market and forecast that the company would see a sequential increase in sales next quarter.

“[Overall] production next quarter should meet our clients’ expectations without problem... Our Shanghai, Kunshan and Suzhou plants are even benefiting from order transfers,” he added.

Market demand for products from Pegatron’s three main business segments — computing, consumer electronics and communication devices — remains healthy, Liao said.

The company is also witnessing growing demand for its smart wearable devices as consumers increasingly stay home amid the unfurling pandemic, he said.

Asked about a potential delay in the launch of Apple’s 5G iPhone, which is expected to come out in the second half of the year, Liao said Pegatron would ensure that it is operating smoothly, but the timing of shipments would depend on how the pandemic plays out.

He said he remained confident that upcoming 5G product launches would benefit the company, as they would have higher average selling prices than 4G products.

Pegatron is on track to expand its overseas capacity and is looking to begin shipments from its Vietnam plant in the first half of next year, Liao said, hinting that the company would relocate the production of iPhones to the Southeast Asian country.

“We are moving to Vietnam on a client’s demand... The electronics industry is quite developed there and it is close to China for us to secure production materials [from Chinese suppliers],” Liao said.

Other popular manufacturing locations such as India, where industry peers Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海) and Wistron Corp (緯創) also make iPhones, are also on Pegatron’s short list, Liao said, adding that any eventual relocation plans would depend on its client’s wishes, as well as incentives from the local government.

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title: Pegatron reports 74% surge in net profit for last year


title: Insurers’ revenue growth to fall due to virus: report

content_text:
Local life insurance companies might see revenue growth decelerate this year as salespeople would not be able to make face-to-face contact with their clients due to the COVID-19 pandemic, although more consumers are likely to buy insurance online, the Financial Supervisory Commission said in a report submitted to the Legislative Yuan’s Finance Committee yesterday.

Insurers have paid a total of NT$28.96 million (US$955,586) in compensation to people who were hospitalized or whose flights were canceled due to the outbreak, the report said.

The figure is not expected to soar, given the slow growth in the number of infections, it said.

However, the pandemic would have a stronger effect on insurers’ capital structure due to recent equity sell-offs worldwide, as life insurance companies usually have considerable holdings of domestic and foreign stocks in their investment portfolios, the report said.

As a result, global financial market volatility is likely to pose challenges for insurers, affecting their net worth due to the falling value of their investment portfolios, it said.

Under a new measure that is to take effect on Wednesday next week, life insurers would be required by the commission to maintain an equity-to-assets ratio of more than 3 percent, or they would need to inject new funds to increase their capital buffers.

Last year, all life insurers met this requirement, commission data showed.

The economic disruption associated with the pandemic combined with a collapse in oil prices and subsequent extreme volatility in capital markets are to have severe implications for financial markets worldwide.

The report said that market volatility has also negatively affected the net worth of funds operated by fund management companies.

In comparison, stock brokerages are to face fewer challenges, as about 70 percent of investors place electronic orders and the growing turnover would help brokers earn more handling fees, although they still need to hedge further against potential risks due to the volatility, it said.

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content_text:
By Laurie Goering / Thomson Reuters Foundation, LONDON

Two weeks into a growing COVID-19 outbreak in the city of Eugene, Oregon, Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis had plenty to worry about — from how to protect the community’s homeless population to how to keep services functioning in the face of uncertainty.

The novel coronavirus feels like a slow, invisible tsunami — the kind of risk that earthquake-threatened cities on the US’ west coast are more used to preparing for, she said.

As infection takes hold across the US, “we know the wave is coming — we just don’t know how soon, how high,” she said by telephone.

However, Vinis has been thinking ahead. As the US Senate on Wednesday passed a US$2.2 trillion economic rescue package, she wondered if some of the money now or in the coming months might also help her city prepare for another big threat: climate change.

Eugene, a city of about 170,000 people, has created a plan to revamp its six major transport corridors, and to put in place better bus services and new, denser housing along the routes.

In a city where half of polluting emissions come from transport, the projects could get people out of cars, help clean up the air, slash emissions and increase the supply of affordable, energy-smart homes, Vinis said.

However, Eugene so far only has enough cash to construct one of the corridors.

Federal stimulus funds could create construction jobs and boost the city’s virus-hit economy, while also setting it up for a lower-carbon future, the mayor said.

“There’s a huge opportunity for us as a nation” if stimulus cash can also advance green aims, and build next-generation skills and employment in areas such as installing renewable energy or retrofitting buildings, she said.

“This is a moment where we could not just rebuild the society that we have today, but build a better one going forward,” said Vinis, part of the Urban Sustainability Directors Network of officials pushing for more equitable, low-carbon communities.

As countries around the world plan stimulus packages to try to prevent their economies from plunging due to coronavirus shutdowns, spending on green infrastructure could help tackle two crises at once, analysts and environmental groups have said.

The US alone would need to spend about US$4.5 trillion over the next 20 years to build a 100 percent renewable power grid capable of running electric transport, said Jeffrey Schub, executive director of the Washington-based Coalition for Green Capital.

So far, spending is happening at only about one-quarter of the rate needed, he said.

Nicholas Stern, chairman of the London-based Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, said that the next 10 to 15 years would be “absolutely decisive” in determining whether new roads, buildings and other infrastructure are built to be climate-smart.

Some progress is evident. For example, the British government this month announced ￡1 billion (US$1.19 billion) in spending on green transport in this year’s budget, in part to install rapid charging hubs for electric cars.

In the US, Schub is lobbying to see some of the tidal wave of imminent stimulus cash routed through a set of green banks set up in a dozen states and cities from New York to Florida — or through a proposed national green bank.

Such financial institutions — many of which were established using stimulus funds provided during the 2008 financial crash — use public funds to leverage additional private spending on clean transportation and energy projects.

They have so far provided about US$1 billion in loans to construct about US$4 billion in climate-smart infrastructure, Schub said.

US lawmakers worry that a push for green spending in response to the coronavirus pandemic could look opportunistic, but “you have to put people to work and clean infrastructure is just a really obvious and natural place to do it,” he added.

If governments around the world go heavily into debt to keep their economies moving through the pandemic without spending in a way that also reduces climate risks, they could find themselves out of cash to deal with the next crisis, Schub said.

The first wave of coronavirus stimulus in many places must make sure people have an income as shutdowns spread, said David Miller, director of international diplomacy for the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, a network of cities pushing for climate action.

However, a second wave could be about infrastructure and longer-term economic recovery, he added.

“There’s a massive opportunity that we must take to rebuild the economy in a way that’s truly sustainable,” Miller said, adding that there are some good models to follow.

Over the past decade, the city of Austin, Texas, has invested in a huge effort to better insulate homes to help people save on electricity, while installing rooftop solar panel systems to avoid the need for additional grid power.

The city was mainly focused on lowering energy costs and air pollution, and taking advantage of its plentiful sun, rather than tackling climate change, Miller said.

Accra, Ghana’s capital, has put money into a solid-waste collection system and eliminated more than 40 informal waste dumps, improving health and lowering emissions of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, as well as creating jobs, Miller said.

In the US, industries hard-hit by the coronavirus slowdown are clamoring for a share of the government stimulus spending, with airlines alone seeking US$50 billion.

“It’s almost inevitable that these companies will get some government stimulus — let’s call it a bailout,” Miller said, although some members of the US Congress have pushed for industries to commit to lowering emissions in exchange for the help.

Bailouts around the world would be especially worrisome if they prop up fossil fuel firms, hit by both the economic slowdown and low oil prices, said Mohamed Adow, director of Power Shift Africa, a Nairobi-based climate and energy think tank.

“It’s possible that a lot of that money could easily be poured into high-carbon industries, which will mean that we could actually end up compounding the climate crisis through how we address the COVID-19 outbreak,” he said. “It is vital that the stimulus they are putting together now, to kick start the economy, is green and is directed at a sustainable path.”

Additional reporting by Megan Rowling

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title: Coronavirus bailouts could make economies greener


content_text:
Virus Outbreak: Pandemic could cut GDP growth by 1.4%: minister

The COVID-19 pandemic might weigh on the nation’s economy through the second quarter and erase up to 1.4 percentage points from GDP growth this year in the worst-case scenario, National Development Council Minister Chen Mei-ling (陳美伶) said yesterday.

The government would seek to retain GDP growth of more than 2 percent by introducing relief funds and stimulus measures that could be stepped up if necessary, she said.

“The virus outbreak might affect the economy for six months,” twice as long as previously expected, as it has spread to Europe and the US, Chen told a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Economics Committee in Taipei.

National Development Council Minister Chen Mei-ling speaks at a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Economics Committee in Taipei yesterday.
 Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times

Disruptions caused by the coronavirus on global economic activity would dent Taiwan’s GDP growth by 0.66 percentage points this year, if the world can contain the disease by June, she said.

A protracted outbreak could reduce GDP growth by 1.4 percentage points in the worst-case scenario, in which tourist arrivals would continue to dwindle and export orders dry up, she added.

The bleak projection does not take into account benefits to be generated from a stimulus package and potential increases in domestic tourism as global restrictions limit outbound travel, Chen said.

There is still a chance for the economy to grow 2 percent if all government agencies work hard to ensure that relief funds reach their intended recipients and public works budgets are effectively implemented, she said.

“That is the government’s goal. We cannot afford to be optimistic, but there is no time for pessimism,” Chen said.

Major economic gauges look healthy so far, Chen said, adding that the government’s business climate monitor for last month would not disappoint given the mild outbreak in Taiwan.

The council is scheduled to release the data this afternoon.

However, lockdowns in Europe and several US states pose a bigger threat to economic activity than concerns over supply-chain disruptions in China, which have subsided along with the number of new infections in that nation, Chen said.

The government would evaluate the global fight against COVID-19 and would strengthen its aid program if needed, she said.

Despite heightened downside risks, the coronavirus has lent support to e-commerce and the digital economy, she added.

Taiwan can take advantage of the opportunity to transform its economy, facilitating the development of 5G and artificial-intelligence applications, Chen said.

Taiwanese firms command global leadership in chip manufacturing and design, as well as other technologies, she said.

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title: Virus Outbreak: Flights set to evacuate 440 from China

people:
陳宗彥
陳其邁
Kolas Yotaka

content_text:
‘TAIWAN MODEL’:
 The government aims to determine whether using normal scheduled flights better meets its objectives than the charter flights used previously

The Straits Exchange Foundation yesterday announced a third set of flights to evacuate 440 Taiwanese from China’s Hubei Province due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The flights, operated by China Airlines Ltd (中華航空) according to its normal schedule, are on Sunday and Monday next week.

They are to depart Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 7:50pm and arrive at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 9:50pm, the foundation said.

From left, Council of Agriculture Deputy Minister Chen Tien-shou, Deputy Minister of the Interior Chen Tsung-yen, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka and Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kuo-tsai take part in a news conference at the Executive Yuan in Taipei yesterday.
 Photo: CNA

China Airlines is to dispatch two Boeing 777.

The aircraft has a capacity of 358 passengers, but each would only carry 220 to ensure a proper distance is maintained between those onboard, it said.

Within hours of the foundation starting to accept requests to book seats on the two flights, they had been overbooked, Deputy Minister of the Interior Chen Tsung-yen (陳宗彥) said.

As in the two previous rounds of evacuations — which used charter flights — all passengers would be required to wear a mask and protective clothing, he said.

Prior to boarding, passengers would have their temperature checked by medical personnel, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) told a news conference at the Executive Yuan in Taipei.

After arriving in Taiwan, they would be sent to a designated quarantine facility for 14 days and tested for COVID-19 within 48 hours, he said.

As there are at least 1,000 Taiwanese stranded in Hubei, the Ministry of the Interior would decide whether to employ more regular flights to repatriate them after reviewing the efficacy of the model, Chen said.

Taiwanese who have been in Hubei since the pandemic started would not be allowed to book flights home on their own, he said.

Asked whether the Chinese spouses and children of Taiwanese would be excluded from the flights as they were in the previous evacuations, Chen said that had not yet been decided.

Chen said that with the exception of Wuhan, the lockdown of Hubei Province has been lifted, but he did not give any recommendations on how people in the province should travel to Shanghai to take the flights.

The upcoming flights are the result of intensive discussions, presided over by Vice Premier Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁), on Tuesday and Wednesday between officials from the foundation, the CDC, the Mainland Affairs Council, the National Security Council and the Civil Aeronautics Administration, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka said.

Asked whether Taiwan would send direct flights to Wuhan, the original epicenter of the outbreak, to evacuate Taiwanese, Kolas said that the government would determine which model would best accomplish its overarching goal of meeting the high disease-prevention standards of the “Taiwan model,” as well as which method is most efficient.

The foundation and the Mainland Affairs Council would continue negotiating with Chinese authorities over any future flights, she added.

Additional reporting by Chung Li-hua

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content_text:
Virus Outbreak: Airport MRT express train to offer fewer runs to public

Given the huge drop in the number of people using the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Access MRT this month amid travel restrictions triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, Taoyuan Metro Corp yesterday said it would adjust the schedules of its express trains next month.

The number of passengers headed to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport has dropped by about 50 percent since the beginning of this month, although the number of commuters using the system has not varied as much, it said.

Given that the average passenger volume for the express service has decreased by 60 to 80 percent, it would extend the interval between trains during off-peak hours from 15 minutes to 30 minutes, it said.

“After a careful assessment, we feel the need to adjust express train services for practical purposes, so from April 6 to June 14, express trains would be dispatched every 30 minutes during off-peak hours,” the company said.

Peak hours are weekdays from 6am to 9am and from 5pm to 7pm, and express trains would continue to run every 15 minutes during these times, it said.

Off-peak hours are from 9am to 5pm and 7pm to 10pm during the week, it said, adding that the express service would end at 10pm.

On weekends and holidays, express service would be available every 30 minutes from 6am to 10pm.

Regular trains, which stop at every station along the Airport MRT system, would still run at 15-minute intervals, it added.

The change to the express service would help it save on electricity and personnel costs and increase the efficiency of its maintenance work, and would not disrupt commuter travel or the transport of luggage for passengers who used the in-town check-in service, it said.

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title: Virus Outbreak: Mayors Ko, Hou promise medical aid

people: 侯友宜 黃珊珊 陳時中 蘇貞昌 柯文哲

content_text:
MUTUAL SERVICES:
 Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je said that the cities might conduct a trial of mask dispenser machines and would not allow their borders hamper medical treatment

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) yesterday pledged at an annual meeting of the cities’ leaders to provide mutual medical services and further collaboration on COVID-19 prevention, denying that their prevention strategies are inconsistent, despite media reports.

Disease prevention should be predicated on the “best preparations for worst-case scenarios,” and the New Taipei City Government has followed the All-out Defense Mobilization Readiness Act (全民防衛動員準備法) in taking precautions allowing it to act decisively if a city lockdown is ordered by the central government, Hou, a former police officer, said on Wednesday.

Ko, a physician and the chairman of the Taiwan People’s Party, said that the Taipei City Government has also taken precautionary measures, but that such measures should not get “too far” ahead of the present coronavirus situation.

New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi, left, and Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je gesture at each other at a news conference following a joint city mayoral level meeting in Taipei yesterday.
 Photo: CNA

Their remarks triggered speculation that the two cities might be diverging on disease-prevention policy.

At yesterday’s meeting, the two mayors constantly applauded each other, vowing to work together to stop the virus’ spread.

The cities are considering a trial of mask dispenser machines and would not let each other’s borders stop them from providing medical treatment, Ko said, adding that the two plan to set up shared locations for isolating COVID-19 patients.

A visitor to a pomelo orchard in the Maling Mountain area of Keelung City’s Qidu District has arranged pomelo flower leaves to spell out words of encouragement to Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung, who is spearheading the nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 Photo: Yu Chao-fu, Taipei Times

“The two cities are a body of life and there is no problem with inconsistency,” Hou said, adding that he is working closely with Ko on prevention strategies.

A hotline has been set up so that the mayors can handle any emergency, Hou said.

Taipei City Deputy Mayor Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) said that each city notifies the other about any coronavirus-related information so that officials stay informed.

Asked about his party’s suggestion that Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) take over from Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) as head of the Central Epidemic Command Center, Ko said the move was not necessary.

Su and Chen should communicate and arrive at a consensus regarding policies, Ko added.

Local media and commentators often compare Chen and Ko, both medical professionals.

While Chen is gaining popularity for his professionalism and pragmatism as the center’s head, Ko has drawn criticism for frequent slips of the tongue. The two have butted heads over the best way to evacuate Taiwanese citizens after the lockdown in Wuhan, China, is lifted.

Ko said that the government should focus on the work at hand and not waste time on a meaningless war of words.

Hou said that New Taipei City would follow the central government’s guidance on disease prevention, adding that the two city leaders are shoulder-to-shoulder on that issue.

Separately, Huang said that the Taipei City Government is considering a special scheme that would hire volunteers to help with home quarantines.

“Local borough wardens and district offices are swamped,” Huang said, adding that she would discuss the project with the Taipei Civil Affairs Bureau while waiting for guidance from the central government.


content_text:
More than 100 barrels of chemical solutions and used ink found illegally dumped last year near the Feitsui Reservoir (翡翠水庫) in New Taipei City did not pollute the drinking water of 6 million people, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said on Wednesday.

The Taipei Water Management Office in September last year reported the dumping to the EPA, which found 99 barrels of chemical solution (20 liters each), five barrels of used printing ink (125 liters each) and more than 20 bags of waste cloth in the reservoir’s catchment area in Sindian District (新店).

If the toxic chemicals had leaked out of the barrels, the drinking water for New Taipei City and Taipei would have been contaminated, the EPA said.

Barrels of chemical solution and used ink dumped illegally near the Feitsui Reservoir in New Taipei City are pictured last year.
 Photo courtesy of the Environmental Protection Administration

The barrels, found 3m from a creek, remained intact, but copper concentration in some barrels was nearly three times higher than legally allowed in hazardous waste, it said.

Excessive intake of copper could cause cirrhosis, kidney failure and other symptoms of poisoning in digestive or central nervous systems, and high levels of copper can also accumulate in oysters and plants, jeopardizing the entire food chain, the EPA said.

The Bureau of Environmental Inspection Northern Branch was able to restore the smeared labels on the barrels, which led them to more than 10 printing operators across New Taipei City, it said.

The printing operators had commissioned an unlicensed waste disposal company based in Tainan, whose manager, surnamed Lin (林), and an accomplice, surnamed Lo (羅), allegedly dumped them near the reservoir without proper treatment, the bureau said.

Thanks to regular patrols by the water management office, the barrels were reported shortly after they were dumped, branch commander Chang Nai-jen (張乃仁) said.

The short grass surrounding the barrels was a sign that they had only been there for a short time, he said, adding that it was fortunate that the barrels were undamaged.

The EPA worked with police and prosecutors for nearly six months to gather evidence, and the two suspects face prosecution. If convicted, they could be sentenced to one to five years in jail or fined up to NT$15 million (US$494,951) under Article 46 of the Waste Disposal Act (廢棄物清理法), he said.

Prosecutors have yet to determine whether to also charge the printing operators, he added.

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title: More than 100 barrels of waste found near Feitsui


title: Orsted weighing nearly US$13bn in local projects

content_text:
‘LONG-TERM PLAYER’:
 Matthias Bausenwein said that Taiwan is a ‘lively market with diversity of players’ and that the firm is ‘well-positioned for any future auction’

The world’s biggest developer of offshore wind farms is weighing nearly US$13 billion of projects in Taiwan, saying that the COVID-19 pandemic has not shifted its optimism about the region.

The potential investments by Orsted A/S would include the Greater Changhua 3 wind farm, which it plans to bid for in the next round of auctions if the conditions are “manageable,” Orsted president for Asia-Pacific Matthias Bausenwein said in a telephone interview.

The auction is scheduled for the end of this year, and the company would wait to see the framework and rules for the contest before deciding whether to participate.

Orsted has already built and commissioned Formosa 1 (海洋風電), the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in Taiwan, with joint venture partners. It is also building the Greater Changhua 1 and 2a wind farms, which are estimated to be completed next year or in 2022. Another plan is to build the Greater Changhua 2b and 4 wind farms in 2025.

Total capital expenditure for all four projects, with a capacity of 2.4 gigawatts, is estimated at up to NT$380 billion (US$12.5 billion).

“At the moment, we don’t see the coronavirus changing any of our plan,” Bausenwein said. “Business is as usual. We aim to be a long-term player in Taiwan.”

Orsted on Wednesday said that it is sticking to its guidance for this year, despite the coronavirus, and that its liquidity position is strong.

Funding for the investment would be from Orsted’s own capital and financing from Taiwan’s local financial institutions, as well as bond market, backed by an Orsted parent company guarantee.

The company has issued its first batch of NT$12 billion green bonds in Taiwan, and it might go ahead with another.

In addition to Taiwan, Japan is the next big step for Orsted in the Asia-Pacific region. The company has formed a joint venture with Tokyo Electric Power Co to prepare a bid for an auction at the end of this year.

Taiwan and Japan are both mountainous and rely heavily on fossil fuel imports, with highly populated coastal areas that make offshore wind an ideal renewable energy source.

Taiwan aims to be a leading developer of green energy. It has targeted 5.7 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2025 and another 10 gigawatts by 2035.

BloombergNEF expects Japan’s offshore wind capacity to exceed 9 gigawatts by 2030.

“Taiwan is a lively market with diversity of players, both local and global ones,” Bausenwein said. “We are well-positioned for any future auction with our commitment and what we have delivered.”

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title: FSC may ease rules on insurer’s real-estate holdings

content_text:
The Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) yesterday said it would consider easing regulations on life insurers’ real-estate investments to allow them to cut rents for tenants affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The commission might lower the minimum rate of return on insurers’ real-estate investments, which stands at 2.095 percent, FSC Chairman Wellington Koo (顧立雄) told a meeting of the legislature’s Finance Committee.

Koo’s comment came after the Life Insurance Association suggested the FSC trim the minimum rate of return so insurers could cut rents to help affected tenants, such as restaurants, hotels, travel agencies and department stores.

Financial Supervisory Commission Chairman Wellington Koo speaks at a meeting at the Legislative Yuan’s Finance Committee in Taipei yesterday.
 Photo: CNA

While the association suggested a cut of 50 basis points, Koo did not reveal how much the reduction would be, only saying that the commission would make the decision within two weeks.

The commission would also conduct inspections to see if life insurers did lower rents for their tenants, Koo said.

The minimum rate of return on insurers’ real-estate investments was set in a bid to ensure that insurers have enough liquidity to pay out compensation, he added.

Domestic real-estate investments help insurance companies maintain their cash flow with stable income from rent and ease the pressure from potential losses from foreign-exchange transactions, the commission said.

Leading landlords Cathay Life Insurance Co (國泰人壽), Shin Kong Life Insurance Co (新光人壽), Fubon Life Insurance Co (富邦人壽) and Nan Shan Life Insurance Co’s (南山人壽) reported rental incomes of NT$7.95 billion (US$262.3 million), NT$3.15 billion, NT$3.04 billion and NT$2.91 billion respectively for the first three quarters of last year, data from the companies showed.

Addressing the issue of mortgage rates, Koo said the government had asked state-run banks to lower interest rates on loans of less than NT$10 million by 50 basis points to ease debtors’ burden.

The commission has also requested that all banks lower their mortgage rates by at least 25 basis points, after the central bank cut its benchmark rate by the same ratio last week, he said.

However, privately run banks are not likely to follow suit, as they have said it would not be fair to reduce the interest rate for all debtors, but they would consider trimming rates for those affected by the pandemic, he said.

As the Central Epidemic Command Center has suggested people avoid indoor gatherings of more than 100 people, Koo said the commission would encourage listed firms to hold outdoor meetings and use electronic voting to reduce the number of attendees at shareholders’ meetings.

Last year, 23 listed companies saw more than 100 people attend their shareholders’ meetings, the commission said.

Separately, the central bank yesterday said it has slashed the interest it pays financial institutions on reserves that originate from passbook and time deposits to reflect market interest rates.

The central bank is to pay an interest rate of 0.068 percent on reserves from passbook deposits and 0.560 percent on reserves from time deposits, effective today, it said in a statement.

The new rates represent reductions of 0.078 percentage points and 0.260 percentage points for their passport and time deposits respectively.

Interest is paid to financial institutions’ B accounts, which constitute 55 percent of their reserves, while the central bank does not pay interest on A accounts, which make up the remainder.

Additional reporting by staff writer

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content_text:
Virus Outbreak: Transportation industry calls for loan deferments
By Sherry Hsiao, Chen Feng-li and Jake Chung / Staff reporters and staff writer

Transportation industry representatives yesterday urged the government to help negotiate a six-month auto loan deferment for owners of rental cars and tour buses.

The government’s Special Act on COVID-19 Prevention, Relief and Restoration (嚴重特殊傳染性肺炎防治及紓困振興特別條例) does not cover all businesses, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Alicia Wang (王育敏), who chairs the KMT Culture and Communications Committee, told a news conference at the party’s headquarters in Taipei.

The rental car business has since October last year been affected by a decline in the number of Chinese tourists, said Tu Chin-hung (杜金鈜), who heads a national mutual aid group of rental car owners.

Transportation industry representatives and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) members attend a news conference at the KMT’s headquarters in Taipei yesterday calling.
 Photo: CNA

The COVID-19 pandemic is another hit to the income of rental car owners, he said, adding that they now have “zero income.”

The virus has also affected the tour bus business, Taichung Bus for Tourists Association head Chang Chih-pen (張治本) said.

Tour buses are expensive, with each bus costing between NT$6 million and NT$8 million (US$197,981 and US$263,974), he said.

A tour bus’ value depreciates by NT$80,000 to NT$100,000 per month, Chang said, adding that the depreciation would cause a company with 10 tour buses to lose about NT$5 million over six months.

Local motor vehicle offices told bus owners at a meeting last week that they needed to provide proof that their loan payments have been deferred to receive interest subsidies from the government.

Chang suggested that the government consider allowing owners to apply for interest subsidies by providing proof that they have a loan.

“Behind every driver is a family,” Wang said.

Separately on Wednesday, the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) panned government inadequacies revealed in the special act.

As of the middle of this month, 3,835 people across 109 companies are on unpaid leave, yet the Ministry of Labor’s “recharge and restart project” has only received applications from 16 companies, or 14 percent, TPP caucus whip Lai Hsiang-ling (賴香伶) said.

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people: 賴香伶 王育敏


title: US Fed to provide nearly unlimited lending: Powell

content_text:
The US Federal Reserve would provide essentially unlimited lending to support the US economy as long as it is damaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, Chairman Jerome Powell said yesterday.

In an interview on NBC’s Today show, Powell said that the central bank’s efforts are focused on helping the economy recover quickly once the threat from the coronavirus has passed.

Powell also acknowledged that the economy “may well be” in a recession, but said that this is a unique downturn in that it was caused by efforts to control the disease.

The economy itself was strong before the outbreak began, he added.

“If we get the virus spread under control fairly quickly, then economic activity can resume, and we want to make that rebound as vigorous as possible,” Powell said.

The Fed has this month taken numerous steps to bolster lending and the economy. It has cut its benchmark interest rate to nearly zero, embarked on an unlimited bond-buying program to pump cash into the financial system, and set up several emergency programs intended to ensure that banks can keep lending to companies and city and state governments.

The Fed’s ability to lend is somewhat constrained by the amount of capital provided by the US Department of the Treasury to offset any credit losses, Powell said, adding that the central bank can lend US$10 for every US$1 of cash that the department provides.

An economic rescue bill approved by the US Senate early yesterday includes US$425 billion that the department could use to backstop the Fed. That would allow the Fed to boost its lending programs to an astronomical US$4.25 trillion.

“Wherever ... credit is not flowing, we have the ability in these unique circumstances to temporarily step in and provide those loans, and we will keep doing that, aggressively and forthrightly,” Powell said.

Asked if the Fed would run out of ammunition to support the economy, Powell said “no.”

“When it comes to this lending, we’re not going to run out of ammunition. That doesn’t happen,” he said.

Still, Powell said that the economy’s path would be largely dependent on the length and severity of the viral outbreak.

The Fed’s policies would likely have their greatest effect when the economy does start to rebound, which he said could happen in the second half of this year.

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title: Taiwan Business Quick Take

content_text:
PAPER

YFY to pay NT$0.7 dividend

Papermaking conglomerate YFY Inc (永豐餘控股) yesterday announced a cash dividend of NT$0.7 per common share, up from NT$0.6 per share last year and the highest payout since 2012, after its net income last year rose 58.7 percent to NT$2.29 billion (US$75.56 million), or earnings per share of NT$1.38, the highest since 2004. However, revenue last year dropped 2.2 percent annually to NT$74.76 billion due to fluctuations related to global economic conditions and raw material prices, YFY said, adding that it remained cautious about its business outlook in the short term due to the COVID-19 pandemic, after revenue in the first two months of this year fell 9.74 percent annually to NT$9.89 billion.

RESTAURANTS

Yummy Town income soars

Yummy Town Holdings Corp (雅茗天地集團), which operates restaurant and tea brands worldwide, yesterday reported that net income last year increased 25.5 percent year-on-year to NT$129 million, or earnings per share of NT$3.8, while revenue grew 2 percent annually to a record-high NT$2.22 billion. The company has proposed distributing a dividend of NT$3 per share and is planning a share buyback program to stop a decline in its stock price. Yummy said that it would purchase up to 1 million common shares on the open market at between NT$42 and NT$82, but did not specify the time frame. The company’s shares yesterday rose 9.62 percent to NT$58.1 in Taipei trading. They have dropped 9.22 percent this year.

MATERIALS

Aleees’ net losses narrow

Advanced Lithium Electrochemistry Co (Aleees, 立凱電能), a Taiwanese supplier of lithium iron phosphate cathode material used in electric vehicle batteries, yesterday reported net losses of NT$53 million for the first two months of the year, or losses per share of NT$0.22. The company said in a statement that the losses were less than net losses of NT$62 million a year earlier, suggesting that its operation is healthy. Combined revenue in the first two months decreased 8 percent annually to NT$24 million, which the company attributed to disruptions caused by the pandemic on industrial supply chains. Orders have not been cut by clients, but deferred to following months, the company said.

ELECTRONICS

Chaun-Choung income rises

Chaun-Choung Technology Corp (超眾), which supplies heat-dissipation modules for PCs and networking devices, on Wednesday reported that net income last year rose 17.79 percent to NT$702 million, or earnings per share of NT$8.12, while revenue increased 12.06 percent year-on-year to NT$8.59 billion. The company’s board has approved distributing a cash dividend of NT$4.87 per share and decided to start the construction of manufacturing facilities in Vietnam through a new subsidiary, Nidec Chaun Choung Vietnam Corp.

SMARTPHONES

Apple mulling delay: paper

Apple Inc is weighing a delay on the release of its 5G iPhone, as the pandemic threatens to sap demand and disrupt its product development schedule, the Nikkei reported yesterday, citing three unnamed people familiar with the matter. The company has held internal discussions on a possible delay of “months,” the newspaper said, citing the three people. Issues with the supply chain could also push back the handset’s release, it said, citing unnamed supply-chain sources. Apple is likely to make a final decision in about May, it added. Apple declined to comment.

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title: Airlines turn to cargo to boost revenue

content_text:
AID COMING:
 A US Senate-approved industry aid package would cover about 750,000 employees’ paychecks. The bill now goes to the House of Representatives for approval

Delta Air Lines Inc and Air New Zealand Ltd said they would offer cargo charter services on passenger planes to boost revenue, as the US Senate unanimously passed a bill to give its carriers US$58 billion in aid, including payroll support.

The passenger travel industry has been ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, with Australia’s Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd announcing plans to cut 6,000 travel agent roles globally, either temporarily or permanently.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents airlines, said it has written to the heads of governments of 18 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including India, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines, for emergency support for carriers.

A set of American Airlines passenger jets sit parked for storage at Brookley Airfield in Mobile, Alabama, on Wednesday.
 Photo: EPA-EFE

“Travel restrictions and evaporating demand mean that, aside from cargo, there is almost no passenger business,” IATA director-general Alexandre de Juniac said in a statement. “For airlines, it’s apocalypse now.”

Singapore Airlines Ltd yesterday went into a rare trading halt pending an announcement, days after it said it would ground almost its entire fleet and seek more financing as it grapples with the coronavirus pandemic.

IATA estimates the crisis would reduce passenger demand in the Asia-Pacific by 37 percent this year compared with a year earlier, with a revenue loss of US$88 billion.

Singapore, Australia and New Zealand are among the few countries in the region that have announced some financial relief for airlines, but it has not stopped carriers from putting staff on leave and grounding planes.

Virgin Australia Airlines Pty plans to permanently cut more than 1,000 jobs among the 8,000 staff who have been stood down due to cuts to its flying schedule, chief executive Paul Scurrah said.

In a move unthinkable under normal conditions, Australia’s competition regulator said it would allow Virgin, Qantas Airways Ltd and Regional Express Ltd to coordinate flight schedules and share revenue on 10 regional routes. The approval is conditional on the carriers charging fares no higher than those in place on Feb. 1.

“We hope that this temporary measure will also support airlines’ ability to again compete with each other on these routes once the pandemic crisis has passed,” Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Chairman Rod Sims said.

In the US, United Airlines Holdings Inc unveiled more domestic capacity cuts, meaning its total, including international, would drop by about 68 percent next month.

Alaska Air Group Inc said it would cut its schedule by 70 percent next month and in May, and had suspended its dividend, drawn down a US$400 million credit line and secured an additional US$425 million loan to help weather the crisis.

The US Senate on Wednesday evening passed an industry aid package, half in the form of grants to cover about 750,000 employees’ paychecks.

Companies receiving funds cannot lay off employees before Sept. 30 or change collective bargaining agreements. The bill has restrictions on stock buybacks, dividends and executive pay, and allows the government to take equity, warrants or other compensation as part of the rescue package.

The US House of Representatives is expected to vote to approve the measure today and US President Donald Trump has promised to sign it into law.

In an effort to raise much-needed revenue and keep some planes in the air, Delta and Air New Zealand said they had joined the growing number of carriers offering cargo charters on passenger planes.

Hawaiian Airlines said it had added more cargo-only turboprop flights between the state’s islands.

“We’ve shared these options with our global cargo customer base and are getting some strong interest from customers wanting to ship to and from Shanghai, Hong Kong, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sydney and Melbourne,” Air New Zealand general manager for cargo Rick Nelson said.

About half of the world’s air cargo normally travels in the bellies of passenger planes rather than dedicated freighters, so the cancelation of passenger flights has led to a sharp reduction in cargo capacity.

About 1,800 planes had been grounded globally on Monday and Tuesday, aviation research firm Cirium said.

IATA said red tape is holding up medical and other emergency supplies needed to help tackle the virus crisis. Examples include two shipments, each containing about 5 to 10 tonnes of medical supplies, bound for Latin America, and currently held up in Dubai and India.

Figures to be published next week would show global air freight traffic fell about 10 percent last month, putting it on course for a 15 to 20 percent drop for the year as a whole, IATA said.

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title: Amazon suspends loan repayments by sellers

content_text:
AMAZON LENDING:
 The online retail giant notified the thousands of merchants who have taken out loans they will not have to pay back the loans until April 30

Amazon.com Inc on Wednesday said it temporarily would not require sellers in its marketplace to repay loans it had made to them, as merchants confront the prospect of declining sales during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The world’s largest online retailer notified sellers that its program, known as Amazon Lending, would pause repayments beginning yesterday until April 30.

Interest would not accrue during that period, it said.

The program has offered sums between US$1,000 and US$750,000 to merchants looking for capital to acquire inventory, expand their product lines and advertise on Amazon.

“Loan repayments will restart on May 1, 2020... You will have the same number of remaining payments once repayment resumes,” Amazon said in a seller message obtained by reporters.

More than 20,000 merchants have received loans from Amazon, the company said in 2017.

By the end of last year, Amazon stood to receive US$863 million from sellers to whom it provided financing through the lending program, according to a company filing.

The loan terms range from three to 12 months, carrying interest rates from 6 percent to 19.9 percent.

As Americans turn to online shopping while quarantined, many online sellers, who are small and medium-sized businesses, are facing cash flow constraints amid supply chain and logistics issues caused by the outbreak.

EBay Inc, another major online marketplace, on Wednesday said it would defer most selling fees for merchants for 30 days.

Amazon’s offer might provide relief to sellers, some of whom could be hard hit by Amazon’s recent decision to restrict its US and European fulfillment services to household, medical and other essential goods during the outbreak.

Merchants of popular items from toys to apparel have worried that the temporary ban on stocking goods in Amazon warehouses, on which they depend for delivery, would mean low sales and difficulty paying back loans.

Jamison Philippi, an Amazon seller of toys and video games in Hackensack, New Jersey, told reporters that his income could drop by 75 percent just as he had a loan repayment of about US$3,500 due to Amazon on Wednesday next week.

“That’s super awesome. I cheered when I got that e-mail. That relieves a lot of stress right now,” Philippi said.

Amazon’s move came after at least one rival offered sellers relief.

Ricardo Pero, chief executive of lending company SellersFunding, last week said he was easing terms to help sellers on Amazon and other marketplaces navigate the rapidly changing retail market.

SellersFunding offers lines of credit and term loans to new and existing borrowers. Both products offer a 90-day interest-only period.

Amazon, which had won customers by continually making shipping faster over the years, has now slowed delivery to weeks in some cases in order to manage a flood of orders.

That could also dampen merchants’ sales as shoppers look elsewhere for goods.

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content_text:
Fitch Ratings Inc reduced its outlook on eight Taiwanese securities companies from “stable” to “negative” to reflect heightened uncertainty in the operating environment amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The companies are Oriental Securities Corp (亞東證券), Concord Securities Co (康和證券), Grand Fortune Securities Co Ltd (福邦證券), Shin Kong International Securities Co (新光證券), Ta Ching Securities Co (大慶證券), Tachan Securities Co (大展證券), Horizon Securities Corp (宏遠證券) and CL Securities Taiwan Co Ltd (台灣匯立證券).

The revision mirrored heightened uncertainty and increasing pressure on their earnings and profitability amid potential proprietary trading losses, Fitch said.

Downside risks have built up from increased capital market volatility, as well as lower revenue from brokerage activities, it said.

However, Fitch maintained its credit ratings for the securities houses, saying that they all have adequate capital buffers to withstand the immediate shock caused by the pandemic.

Rating downgrades could arise when firms incur unexpected trading losses from heavy exposure to market risk, credit losses linked to margin financing activity or a prolonged drop in brokerage revenue that weakens capital and funding positions, Fitch said.

Great Fortune, Shin Kong, Oriental and Concord are rated higher than the other four, because they have demonstrated an ability to sustain a competitive underwriting business backed by expertise and a strong pipeline, it said.

CL Securities and Horizon are rated at the lowest level in the group, because CL Securities is constrained by a high reliance on its business partner and largest client, CLSA Ltd, Fitch said.

Horizon’s ratings are based on the prospect of soft and volatile profitability, as well as its modest franchise and high risk appetite for trading, it said.

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title: Fitch cuts outlook on eight brokers


content_text:
Virus Outbreak: CECC reports 17 new virus cases, mostly imported

The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported 17 new cases of COVID-19, bring the nation’s total number of confirmed cases to 252.

Of the new cases, 15 were imported and two were locally transmitted, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said at the center’s daily news conference in Taipei.

The 15 imported cases were seven women and eight men aged 20 to 60 who entered Taiwan between Monday last week and Monday this week, said Chen, who also heads the center.

A truck-mounted sanitizing spray canon designed by the Tainan Environmental Protection Bureau disinfects a road in Tainan yesterday.
 Photo: CNA

Prior to the onset of their illness, they had traveled to the US, the UK, New Zealand, Spain, Malaysia, Monaco and Mexico, the center said.

The two cases involving local transmission — the 246th and 247th cases — were people who had been in contact with imported cases, Chen said.

Also at yesterday’s news conference, Chang Shan-chwen (張上淳), convener of the center’s expert advisory panel, offered a preliminary analysis of the 235 cases reported as of Wednesday.

Of the 235 cases, 38 (16 percent) were locally transmitted and 197 (84 percent) were imported, Chang said.

Forty-three percent of the cases were male and 57 percent female, he said, with their ages ranging from four to 88. The median age was 32.

The most common age group was 20 to 29, which accounted for 84 cases, Chang said, adding that the reason they made up a greater percentage of cases was because more people in that age group had been traveling or studying abroad and they had “more opportunities to be exposed” to the coronavirus.

Of the 235 cases, 173 experienced mild symptoms with no complications, 48 experienced “mild pneumonia” and 14 experienced “severe pneumonia” or acute respiratory distress, he said.

As of yesterday, seven were still on a ventilator in intensive care units, he added.

There are more than 1,000 ventilators available for use in Taiwan, Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said.

Separately, National Chengchi University president Kuo Ming-cheng (郭明政) yesterday said in a letter that as of Wednesday, 54 students and teachers had been placed under home quarantine, while two students were in home isolation.

National Tsing Hua University on Tuesday said that 26 students and teachers, who had been in contact with an infected person, were in home isolation.

Additional reporting by Lin Chia-nan


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Women’s and LGBT rights groups yesterday rallied in Taipei to urge the Judicial Yuan to decriminalize adultery.

“Adultery is still a crime under Taiwanese law that does not guarantee a happy marriage nor does it stop extramarital affairs,” Awakening Foundation chairwoman Chuang Chiao-ju (莊喬汝) said.

“In prosecuting adultery cases, women have been treated unfairly by the courts, and have received disproportionate punishment,” she said, referring to Article 239 of the Criminal Code on offenses against marriage and family, which allows for up to one year imprisonment for adultery.

Members of the Awakening Foundation and other civic organizations protest in front of the Judicial Yuan in Taipei yesterday, calling for the decriminalization of adultery.
 Photo: CNA

“Taiwan should follow Japan and South Korea, as they have decriminalized adultery. It is still a crime in the world’s few very conservative nations, and Taiwan, unfortunately, is among them,” she added.

Protesters held a banner that read: “No prosecution for adultery, family happiness cannot depend on catching the adulterer in the act,” and gave a list of recommendations, including annulling Article 239, to Judicial Yuan officials.

On Tuesday next week, the Council of Grand Justices is to start hearing arguments on the question of decriminalizing adultery.

“Modern marriage should not be about possession, but must be based on the free will of two people to enter into wedlock. If their relationship ends, it is not the place of the state to intervene,” Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights, which promotes LGBTQ community and same-sex marriage issues, said in a statement.

The Awakening Foundation began pushing to decriminalize adultery 26 years ago, Chuang said.

“Through these long years, Taiwanese society and people’s attitudes have undergone great changes and made significant progress, but Article 239 has remained without any change since 1930,” she said.

As the courts favor a concept of “family harmony,” adultery cases can lead to charges against spouses and people outside the marriage, the foundation said, adding that a higher proportion of charges were filed against men, but more women have received guilty verdicts.

“For every 100 women found guilty and sentenced in adultery cases, only 81 men were. This shows that the law is very unfair against women,” Chuang said.

Members of the Taiwan Gender Equity Education Association, Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association and Humanistic Education Foundation also participated in the event.

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title: Decriminalize adultery, groups say


title: Virus Outbreak: Salary freeze should include bosses: THSRC

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The Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) labor union yesterday criticized the company’s decision to freeze pay raises for workers this year, saying that salaries for management should be frozen as well.

The company had explained its reasons for the freeze in an internal memo issued on Wednesday evening.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to the global economy, and the transport business and tourism industry are expected to be hit the hardest by the outbreak,” the company said. “Many transport and travel service operators have been forced to suspend business, reduce employees’ salaries, lay off employees and decrease workers’ hours to stay afloat in this difficult time.”

Revenue has been lower than expected, the company said, adding that it is requesting bailout funds from the government, in addition to reducing train services and finding ways to lower operating costs and bring in additional income.

Its plan to give employees a 3.42 percent raise this year needed to be postponed given the current economic situation, the company said, adding that raises would be given once the coronavirus is contained and stable revenue resumes.

The measure is needed to sustain operations and ensure long-term benefits for all stakeholders, it added.

The union said that it understands that the company froze salary increases to control operational costs, but the decision demoralizes employees and makes them question management.

The decision ignored that employees have willingly worked extra hours and sacrificed holidays to comply with the government’s disease-prevention measures, even though workers risk contracting COVID-19 when serving passengers, the union added.

“We want to tell management that they should not keep telling rank-and-file employees to endure this difficult time, and use public opinion and moral arguments as an excuse for not giving workers a raise,” the union said. “They should eliminate unnecessary costs from maintenance, operations and marketing, and also evaluate the salaries for management.”

The company should offer a detailed explanation of its decision and fulfill its promise to its employees, the union added.

The company said that it has raised employee salaries four times since 2015, adding that it made the pledge to increase salaries when revenue and passenger volume set records last year.

However, when it made the pledge — on Oct. 25 last year — it could not possibly foresee that operations would be severely disrupted by the coronavirus, it said.

The company’s pretax surplus last month was NT$65.16 million (US$2.15 million), down 93.62 percent from January, while operating profit was NT$557 million, down 71.27 percent from a year earlier, a company financial statement showed.

It was the lowest monthly profit since it began making a profit in October 2015, the company added.

Industry analysts have said that people are less willing to travel due to the pandemic and have become more cautious about being in public transport’s closed spaces.

The virus’ effects are already apparent in the company’s January and last month financial statements, they said, adding that the situation is likely to worsen this month.

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FALSE INFORMATION:
 The report quoted the mother of a British woman quarantined in Taiwan as saying that her daughter and the daughter’s partner are ‘in prison-like conditions’

A BBC report that quotes Britons’ complaints about quarantine conditions they experienced in Taiwan is not true, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, expressing regret over damage done to the nation’s reputation for competent disease-prevention measures.

The BBC report published on Wednesday quoted the mother of a British woman quarantined in Taiwan as saying that her daughter and the daughter’s partner were quarantined on Wednesday last week and are being kept “in prison-like conditions.”

“The room is filthy. She has no hot water and nowhere to wash her clothes,” the mother was quoted as saying, without naming the location of her quarantine.

A room at the Hualien County’s quarantine center is pictured in an undated photograph.
 Photo provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Refuting the report at a news conference in Taipei yesterday, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the Central Epidemic Command Center, said that the center “did not mistreat” the couple.

The quarantine center in Hualien County is a renovated school dormitory, which, athough not as comfortable as a hotel, is not “prison-like” or “locked,” as described in the report, ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said in a statement.

The center charges quarantined people NT$267 per day for the accommodation, food and necessary care, she said.

While center personnel did not initially understand the woman’s request for a “gluten-free diet,” they were able to satisfy her request starting with her third meal, Ou said.

The shower in the woman’s single room turned out to be broken, so the center arranged for her to stay in another room and have access to a personal shower, which is different from her claim that there is no hot water, she said.

The woman requested that she and her partner stay in the same room, but that was not approved because of the quarantine rules, Ou said.

Taiwanese are known for their hospitality and the ministry regrets that an internationally renowned media organization did not check the facts with the government before publishing the false information, she added.

Separately yesterday, the British Office Taipei said in a statement that it is assisting the quarantined woman and working with Taiwanese authorities to effectively address her concerns, including the accommodation of her specific dietary requirements.

Taiwanese authorities provided her with a telephone so that she can maintain contact with her family and friends, the office said, adding that its staff members are helping the woman with travel plans for after the quarantine is finished.

title: Virus Outbreak: Britons’ pan of quarantine to BBC ‘not true’