Coronavirus: Taiwan hits out at WHO as new cases mount

Covid-19 tally on the island reaches 4,917 cases and 29 deaths with 334 new local cases, five new imported cases and 256 cases delayed by a reporting backlog

Health minister says not giving Taiwan a seat at the assembly creates a gap in the global health system

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Military officers wearing personal protective equipment disinfect areas in Taipei, as Taiwan has seen a dramatic increase in the number of locally acquired cases. Photo: Zuma Wire/DPA

Published: 2:35pm, 24 May 2021Updated: 10:47pm, 24 May 2021

Taiwan has hit out at the World Health Organization for excluding it from the World Health Assembly, saying it would create a gap in the global health system as the island races to contain a Covid-19 outbreak

The self-ruled island had been seeking an invitation from the WHO to attend the week-long annual assembly that began on Monday, but was unable to do so despite strong support from allies.

“This year, the WHA still focuses on the Covid-19 pandemic … and Taiwan is in the middle of a widening outbreak, meaning the virus does not have a border and Taiwan should never be left out to create a gap in the world’s anti-pandemic system,” Taiwanese Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said.

Chen said the world should share all information to fight the pandemic, and Taiwan’s absence from the health assembly not only damaged the island, but also the world.

Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu also expressed regret over the WHO’s refusal to consider the health of the island’s 23.5 million people.