Virus Outbreak: Community spread may be avoidableCRITICAL PERIOD: The 14 days after the holiday would determine whether cluster infections have occurred due to crowds gathering during the break, academics saidBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterCommunity spread of COVID-19 is less likely if domestic cases remain under 12 percent of all confirmed cases, National Taiwan University’s College of Public Health said yesterday. Observing whether cluster infections have occurred during the four-day holiday last week is crucial in the next 14 days, it said. If the situation remains the same, with the number of weekly reported domestic cases kept at less than 20, community spread would be unlikely, it said. “If domestic cases remain under 12 percent of all cases, we do not think a second wave of large-scale local outbreak will occur,” Chen said. In Taiwan, real-time information and resources on COVID-19 are sourced from the nation’s Centers for Disease Control, Facebook said.

Falls, poisoning common risks to cats, advocates sayMISCONCEPTION: Cats can injure themselves if they fall from a high place, despite being able to right themselves, an advocate said, urging owners to secure their windowsBy Wang Shu-hsiu and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerInjuries from falls and poisoning are common among domesticated cats, two animal welfare advocates said, urging cat owners to pay attention to the safety of their pets. “It is a common misconception that cats cannot injure themselves by falling, as they generally have a good sense of balance,” he said. Owners who keep cats in apartments accessed through a balcony should install robust netting to prevent falls, he added. They should also use retractable metal rods in the bases of window frames to prevent their cats sliding the windows open, Cuddy said. Tainan veterinarian Hsu Chia-chan (許嘉展) said that owners should also prevent their cats from eating plants or food found outside, which could cause poisoning.

The large crowds at popular scenic areas and tourist spots over the four-day holiday that ended on Sunday triggered concerns about the risk of COVID-19 transmissions. A worker sanitizes a cartoon figure inspired by the drawings of artist Jimmy Liao at Jimmy Park next to Yilan Railway Station yesterday. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung talks to reporters during the Central Epidemic Command Center’s daily news conference in Taipei yesterday. The government cannot provide a comprehensive definition of “crowded places” and it is up to every person to protect themselves, their coworkers and their family when making such decisions, he said. The CECC would not ban all business activities, but it would adjust policies according to the current situation, with “disease prevention the priority,” he said.

Virus Outbreak: Ten new cases reported by CECCBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterTen new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed yesterday, bringing the nation’s total to 373, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said, including a four-year-old boy who caught the virus from his grandparents. There were nine imported cases and one domestic, said Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center. A passenger is screened for COVID-19 symptoms by an official after arriving at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday. 356, although he had not experienced any symptoms after returning from the US on March 17, CECC data showed. 364 is a woman who works in the US, who reported experiencing symptoms to airport quarantine officers upon arrival on Monday last week, but tested negative, he said.

Premier Su Tseng-chang, center, speaks to reporters during a visit to the Central Epidemic Command Center in Taipei yesterday, as Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung, left, looks on. 356, who was confirmed yesterday, is the husband of a domestic case (No. She tested positive on Friday, and 12 of the other 14 group members have tested negative, while two more are awaiting their test results, Chen said. However, as six of the 17 people in the group had tested positive, the rest were tested after their 14-day home isolation ended, and the three tested positive, with chest radiography showing mild pulmonary infiltration in two of them. 352, a man in his 40s who had not traveled abroad recently — is likely to have been case No.

Didone yesterday expressed his gratitude and said that he was touched by the love shown by Taiwanese. Photo: Chang Yi-chen, Taipei TimesWhile state-funded hospitals in Italy are mostly adequately supplied, many local clinics are suffering from massive shortages of masks, ventilators, protective gowns and medication, Didone said on Thursday. She yesterday went to the hospital to donate eight masks and her week’s earnings of NT$800 from selling vegetables. PRAGUE MESSAGEIn separate news, two Czech politicians have thanked Taiwan for donating medical equipment to fight the COVID-19 outbreak in the Czech Republic. Hrib added that Taiwan’s success in its fight against the outbreak has been inspiring for the residents of Prague.

Virus Outbreak: Disinfection teams sweep across the nationBy Yang Mien-chieh, Chen Hsin-yu and Dennis Xie / Staff reporters, with staff writerPopular tourist spots and transportation hubs nationwide were disinfected yesterday to prevent a spike of COVID-19 cases following the Tomb Sweeping Day long weekend, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said. Taitung County Public Health Bureau employees spray disinfectant in a night market early yesterday morning as part of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the CECC, yesterday reminded the public to practice good personal hygiene and self-health monitoring following the long weekend. Crowded areas were also on the mind of New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) yesterday. Effective today, anyone not wearing mask would be barred from entering New Taipei City government buildings, including officials, Hou said.

Virus Outbreak: Crowd control urged at night marketsCONTAGION RISK: The government should install sensors at tourist hotspots and at the entrances of night markets to monitor the number of visitors, an academic saidBy Hsiao Yu-Hsin and Dennis Xie / Staff reporter, with staff writerCrowd control measures should be implemented at night markets and other crowded areas to prevent cluster infections of COVID-19, an academic said yesterday. People crowd the Luodong Night Market in Yilan County on Saturday. The government should strive to protect the public’s well-being regardless of whether some people would try to circumvent its control measures, Liu said. Tatung Institute of Technology’s Department of Travel and Leisure Management professor Kao Ming-tu (高洺塗) said that announcing crowd control measures and traffic regulations before the holidays, rather than in the middle of a long break, would reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread ing. Should the pandemic continue, the government would hopefully learn from this experience and implement more thorough crowd control measures for the next holiday, Kao added.

Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said that from Thursday, people can buy nine masks per 14 days, which should be sufficient. “However, I have to urge everyone to use masks economically,” Chen said, adding that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released information on how masks can be reused. Two people wear masks in Taipei on Friday. People can dry masks in this manner three to five times and their effectiveness would remain at about 99 percent, she said. “However, we do not suggest using this method if the mask is stained or broken,” she said.

Virus Outbreak: Taiwanese snub transport hubs amid outbreakStaff writer, with CNATaiwanese have significantly reduced their use of public transport hubs and visited parks more frequently amid the COVID-19 pandemic, data released by Google showed on Friday. The number of visits to indoor venues, such as restaurants, cafes, shopping centers and movie theaters, fell 9 percent over the period, the data showed. Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei timesHowever, the number of visits to outdoor locations, such as parks and beaches, increased 17 percent. The reports show that activity at workplaces and shopping centers have dropped worldwide, especially in areas hardest hit by the coronavirus. Activity at Italy’s transit stations fell 87 percent and activity at workplaces fell 63 percent, while residential location activity rose 24 percent as many Italians stay at home amid a nationwide lockdown.

Virus Outbreak: CECC messages warn against crowdingTARGETED TEXTS: The center’s head said that visitor numbers at scenic spots were greater than expected and people did not do a very good job of social distancingBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterThe Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday sent two warning text messages to urge people to practice social distancing, especially by avoiding crowded scenic areas. The two messages were sent at 11:55am on the third day of the four-day Tomb Sweeping Day weekend, reminding people about social distancing and hand hygiene to help prevent COVID-19 infection. Practice social distancing of at least 1.5m indoors and 1m outdoors, or wear a mask. Please wear a mask and seek immediate medical attention if you are feeling ill and tell the doctor your travel history. The CECC added that people should wear a mask on public transportation and cooperate with body temperature policies.

Virus Outbreak: Centralized data management key to virus controlStaff Writer, with CNAAn article posted on a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site has highlighted Taiwan’s early steps to contain the spread of COVID-19, especially its coordination and use of data. “Of note, the centralized, real-time database of the country’s National Health Insurance (NHI) helped support disease surveillance and case detection,” the article said. Despite its proximity to China, where the COVID-19 outbreak originated, Taiwan has reported relatively fewer confirmed cases with five deaths. Globally, the virus has infected more than 1 million people in 188 nations, and more than 50,000 have died of the disease. “Unlike some other nations, in which cities and states fought against the outbreak alone, Taiwan strengthened cross-departmental collaboration on quarantines,” Chuang said.

Larger fines necessary for sex harassment: legislatorPEOPLE IN POWER: KMT Legislator Wan Mei-ling said many cases that occur in the workplace involve people abusing their authority to sexually harass colleaguesBy Chen Yun and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerChinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Wan Mei-ling (萬美玲) is calling for larger fines for sexual harassment, saying that current fines have failed to act as a deterrent amid a growing number of cases. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Wan Mei-ling stands behind a sign that reads: "Education must not become chaotic" while speaking at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei on March 6. Wan and other advocates of increasing fines have submitted draft amendments to Chapter 5 of the Sexual Harassment Prevention Act (性騷擾防治法), which stipulates the penalties for offenses. One particular example is in the military, where most sexual harassment cases go unreported, Wang said, adding that the Control Yuan has issued corrections to the Ministry of National Defense over the issue. Media companies that publish the names, work titles or other personal information of victims in sexual harassment cases should be fined NT$60,000 to NT$300,000, she added.

The donation includes 2 million to the US, 7 million to Europe and 1 million to diplomatic allies, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Appreciative remarks from some of those nations have been posted on social media, including from the European Commission and the US Security Council. Through donations, the public would learn to cherish the nation’s medical resources, while the world can see the caring side of Taiwan, she said. Given the nation’s medical strength, the government should develop a corresponding strategy to consolidate the nation’s footing in the global community, international law specialist Sung Cheng-en (宋承恩) said. Taiwan is able to export its medical services, and any medical exports should be allowed after domestic needs are met, he said.

Penghu residents argue over school plaque’s homeBy Liu Yu-ching and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerA plaque from a now-defunct elementary school has sparked a dispute in Penhghu County between residents of Yuanbei Township (員貝) and a junior-high school in Magong City (馬公). The plaque, originally from Yuanbei Elementary School, is on display at Wenguang Junior High School, but Yuanbei residents want it returned to the township. A school plaque from the now-closed Yuanbei Elementary School in Penghu County is pictured on Monday in Wenguang Junior High School in the county’s Magong City. Its inscription reads: “To know etiquette, to be just, to remain principled and incorruptible, and to know right from wrong.”However, Yuanbei residents dispute that narrative. Although Yuanbei Elementary School was decommissioned in 1995, it remains a fond memory for many Yuanbei residents and the village hoped to retain the plaque — something hundreds of Yuanbei school students remembered — as a memento of the school, Chen said.