https://www.scmp.com/rss/509858/feed Latest news and updates on the coronavirus outbreak in Taiwan. The self-ruled island was praised as a Covid-19 containment success story, before a breakout of cases in May 2021. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Talk to the UN world tourism organisation – since January rebranded as UN Tourism – and the message is that international tourism is well on the road to recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. But talk to tourism officials in Hong Kong, South Korea, mainland China or Thailand and the story is: not so fast. Here in Hong Kong, officials are in a sweat over the millions flitting across the border for dinner and cheap shopping in Shenzhen, and the sluggish revival in tourists coming to experience a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3257877/global-tourism-recovering-asia-its-mixed-bag-best?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3257877/global-tourism-recovering-asia-its-mixed-bag-best?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Apr 2024 21:30:26 +0000 Taiwan resumed accepting entry permit applications from mainland Chinese businesspeople on Monday, but say “reciprocity” is needed from Beijing to expand tourism measures, which are seen by some as too weak to bolster the sector on the island. Travel for short-term business trips, including for exhibitions and training sessions, will be considered, according to Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council. Taiwan will also resume issuing travel permits to mainland Chinese tourists who live in Hong Kong,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3232552/taiwan-resumes-mainland-china-business-travel-first-step-toward-reopening-reciprocity-still-needed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3232552/taiwan-resumes-mainland-china-business-travel-first-step-toward-reopening-reciprocity-still-needed?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Aug 2023 09:30:15 +0000 Brendon Au has a thing for travel in and around mainland China. The Singapore denizen’s parents are from Hong Kong, hence his keenness. Au initially applied for a mainland China visa this year, but that took so long that he decided instead to visit Taiwan – twice in the span of three months. During his six-day trip in May and another foray last month, the owner of restaurants and financial services took advantage of the lack of mainland Chinese tourists – a sharp contrast with when he visited... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3230831/taiwan-counting-korean-singaporean-and-hong-kong-tourists-mainland-chinese-still-denied-entry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3230831/taiwan-counting-korean-singaporean-and-hong-kong-tourists-mainland-chinese-still-denied-entry?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Aug 2023 00:00:24 +0000 A post-coronavirus work from home culture and rising unit prices will stop the long slump in PC sales caused by weak consumer confidence, the head of the world’s sixth-largest vendor said this week during the Computex Taipei tech show. Sales of laptops and desktops have declined over the past 12 months because inflation and interest rates combined to hurt consumer sentiment, Jason Chen, the chairman and CEO of Taiwanese hardware and electronics firm Acer, told the Post said on Wednesday. But the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3222770/ai-post-covid-work-home-culture-will-reverse-slump-world-pc-sales-acer-ceo-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3222770/ai-post-covid-work-home-culture-will-reverse-slump-world-pc-sales-acer-ceo-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jun 2023 00:00:11 +0000 With infections soaring again in some parts of the Asia-Pacific, a new report suggests that if the Covid-19 situation were to worsen, it could cause a far more severe economic burden on key markets in the region. The report, published by US drug maker MSD, also known as Merck in North America, found that in this projected “Pandemic 2.0” scenario, the economic burden could reach 2.5 per cent to 5.5 per cent of gross domestic product of five markets – Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3219884/coronavirus-asia-pacific-economies-could-pay-greater-price-pandemic-20-scenario-msd-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3219884/coronavirus-asia-pacific-economies-could-pay-greater-price-pandemic-20-scenario-msd-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 May 2023 03:50:39 +0000 Well, Hong Kong seems to be popular doesn’t it! Reports suggest the free tickets given out by Cathay Pacific and Hong Kong Airlines in the first tranche under the “Hello Hong Kong” scheme were snapped up within minutes in Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines. Such was the demand that thousands of would-be travellers got lost in online limbo while trying to get into the airline websites, many eventually logging off in disappointment. This isn’t the first time Cathay has dangled this type of... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3212770/hong-kong-dangles-free-flights-taiwan-us160-discount-cards-draw-international-travellers-after-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3212770/hong-kong-dangles-free-flights-taiwan-us160-discount-cards-draw-international-travellers-after-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Mar 2023 08:45:11 +0000 Taiwan will lift all travel restrictions on Hong Kong and Macau residents from the beginning of next week. Residents of the two cities will be able to travel to Taiwan for individual sightseeing visits from Monday, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said on Tuesday. They will be able to apply for entry permits through the internet, as they did before the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the MAC, the island’s top mainland policy planner. “The latest decision is made in consideration of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3210120/taiwan-prepares-reopen-hong-kong-macau-visitors-after-covid-19?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3210120/taiwan-prepares-reopen-hong-kong-macau-visitors-after-covid-19?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Feb 2023 03:50:18 +0000 Taiwanese officials expect 1 million tourists from mainland China to visit the island this year as “stabilising” coronavirus infections should allow group travel to resume after a three-year hiatus, the Tourism Bureau in Taipei told the Post. A resumption of travel stands to lift the tourism sector in Taiwan, which saw strong business from 2008 during a thaw in cross-Strait relations, and could rekindle a deeper level of contact between common people. Taiwan barred group travel from much of the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3209007/taiwan-expects-million-mainland-chinese-tourists-2023-after-3-year-freeze-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3209007/taiwan-expects-million-mainland-chinese-tourists-2023-after-3-year-freeze-out?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Feb 2023 11:00:10 +0000 Hongkongers were not alone in struggling with “pandemic fatigue”, but their tendency to mute their smartphone group chats, quit social media and avoid news about Covid-19 was stronger than among people in Singapore, Beijing and Taipei, a study has found. Communications scholars at Chinese University who conducted the research linked the Hong Kong residents’ avoidance of news to information overload, mistrust in government and ambiguous policy delivery. “Officials did not make clear whether Hong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3206006/coronavirus-news-no-thanks-hongkongers-more-put-pandemic-updates-people-beijing-singapore-and-taipei?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3206006/coronavirus-news-no-thanks-hongkongers-more-put-pandemic-updates-people-beijing-singapore-and-taipei?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Jan 2023 08:39:44 +0000 Taiwan will test all arrivals from mainland China for Covid-19 starting January 1, becoming the second destination after Japan to do so after Beijing lifted its strict zero-Covid policy earlier this month. The tightening of entry rules comes as surging coronavirus cases in the mainland spark concerns over a new spike being triggered in Taiwan. As Singapore, Malaysia cheer return of China tourists, Japan and India recoil As of New Year’s Day on Sunday, all passengers from mainland China will be... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3204850/coronavirus-taiwan-pcr-test-all-mainland-china-arrivals-airports-outlying-ferry-piers-new-years-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3204850/coronavirus-taiwan-pcr-test-all-mainland-china-arrivals-airports-outlying-ferry-piers-new-years-day?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Dec 2022 13:21:04 +0000 Lower-tier elections, whether municipal or regional, tend to be seen as referendums on higher government and a pointer to the outcome of the next presidential vote. Taiwan’s local polls are no exception. The Kuomintang (KMT), the island’s main opposition party, made big gains across the board at the expense of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). But in this case it is far from certain they will translate into success at the higher level. The presidential election – due in little more... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3201332/kmt-sweep-local-polls-no-guarantee-presidential-victory-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3201332/kmt-sweep-local-polls-no-guarantee-presidential-victory-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Nov 2022 20:02:45 +0000 The Covid-19 pandemic has taken its toll on Taiwan’s local elections, with voters barred from casting their ballots in the weekend’s polls if they are infected or risk fines of up to NT$2 million (US$32,000). An estimated 75,000 voters will be affected by the restrictions, according to the Central Epidemic Command Centre, based on current rates of infection and excluding those aged under 20 who are not eligible to vote. Taiwan’s local election contenders line up with one eye on 2024 The island... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3200412/covid-19-rules-threaten-thousands-votes-taiwan-local-elections?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3200412/covid-19-rules-threaten-thousands-votes-taiwan-local-elections?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Nov 2022 11:00:12 +0000 The first batch of Hongkongers heading to Taiwan under tour groups gathered at the city’s airport with some fanfare on Friday morning, with the self-ruled island finally reopening to travellers after more than two years of Covid-19 restrictions. Around 20 passengers were seen at check-in counters at the airport at 10.30am, three hours before their flight. Representatives from two tour agencies and Taiwanese carrier EVA Air handed out freebies for passengers to commemorate the trip. “We’re very... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3200074/first-hong-kong-tour-groups-leave-taiwan-after-self-ruled-island-reopens-city-under-eased-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3200074/first-hong-kong-tour-groups-leave-taiwan-after-self-ruled-island-reopens-city-under-eased-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Nov 2022 05:27:37 +0000 Taiwan’s fertility rate is forecast to fall to the world’s lowest by 2035, although an anticipated turnaround by 2045 offers hope for the industrialised island that depends on a stable labour force for its signature hi-tech exports. Births per woman of a childbearing age in Taiwan are expected to average 1.12 by the middle of the next decade, which would put Taiwan below the 1.18 rate predicted for South Korea by its Journal for Korean Medical Science. South Korea’s fertility rate currently... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3197997/taiwans-fertility-rate-set-become-worlds-lowest-2035-ticking-demographic-time-bomb-grows-louder?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3197997/taiwans-fertility-rate-set-become-worlds-lowest-2035-ticking-demographic-time-bomb-grows-louder?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Nov 2022 09:30:13 +0000 Taiwan’s industrial output fell for the first time in more than two and a half years in September, signalling trouble in major world markets that traditionally rely on the technology hardware hub as well as for other export-reliant Asian economies. The self-ruled island’s industrial output index lost 4.8 per cent last month compared to a year earlier following 31 months of year-on-year growth, according to Ministry of Economic Affairs data released on Monday. The index also fell by 6.31 per cent... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3197200/taiwans-first-industrial-output-fall-25-years-sign-asia-slowing-down-darker-picture-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3197200/taiwans-first-industrial-output-fall-25-years-sign-asia-slowing-down-darker-picture-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Oct 2022 10:31:40 +0000 “The head of [the China] National Tourism Admin­istration yesterday arrived in Taiwan for a 10-day visit to pave the way for mainland tourists to travel to the island,” reads a South China Morning Post report. No, the visit was not in response to this month’s relaxing of Covid-19 restrictions, unfortunately; tourism chief Shao Qiwei visited Taiwan in October 2005, when the relationship between Beijing and Taipei was thawing rather than freezing. Although tourists are beginning to return to... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3196396/mainland-china-taiwan-tourism-turned-corner-17-years-ago-was-then?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3196396/mainland-china-taiwan-tourism-turned-corner-17-years-ago-was-then?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Oct 2022 00:45:11 +0000 On October 18, Hong Kong marked the 1,000th day of its fight against Covid-19. How has it fared? What has become increasingly clear across the world since the outset of pandemic is that national policy is seldom the prime factor in determining Covid-19 levels. Income per head and consequent age distributions are of particular statistical significance. Generally, rich nations have had far more cases of Covid-19 than other countries. Europe and the United States represent about 15 per cent of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3196355/why-fall-public-trust-not-obesity-or-pollution-drove-hong-kongs-surge-covid-19-deaths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3196355/why-fall-public-trust-not-obesity-or-pollution-drove-hong-kongs-surge-covid-19-deaths?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Oct 2022 00:15:08 +0000 Taiwan welcomed its first batch of international tour groups after reopening its borders and lifting Covid-19 entry restrictions that had been in place for more than 930 days, since the pandemic began in early 2020. The reopening went ahead on schedule at midnight on Thursday, despite a recent spike in local coronavirus cases and concerns about the arrival of new Omicron subvariants. The relaxed rules, however, are not applicable to tourists from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau due to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3195865/thai-tour-groups-first-land-taiwan-lifts-all-covid-19-entry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3195865/thai-tour-groups-first-land-taiwan-lifts-all-covid-19-entry?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Oct 2022 11:30:27 +0000 EVA Airways has long been preparing for the big day, October 13, when the government of its home market Taiwan will drop arrival quarantine rules and let in tens of thousands of additional people from overseas every week. During the dreary days of 2020, after Taiwan closed its borders to most foreign arrivals, EVA replaced aircraft and kept in contact with aviation authorities to sustain its flight network. But now the airline that operated nearly 620 flights per week before the pandemic,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3194437/taiwan-eases-some-worlds-oldest-quarantine-rules-remaining?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3194437/taiwan-eases-some-worlds-oldest-quarantine-rules-remaining?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Oct 2022 12:00:07 +0000 Taiwan plans to lift border controls in two weeks, but its full reopening to Hong Kong must wait because of security concerns, according to the island’s council for cross-strait policy. Citing Beijing’s “repeated threats” against the self-ruled island, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council said on Thursday that reopening to people from Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China would happen gradually. “In the past two years, mainland China has repeatedly ramped up pressure and intimidation against Taiwan,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3194237/taiwan-opts-step-step-reopening-mainland-china-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3194237/taiwan-opts-step-step-reopening-mainland-china-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Sep 2022 08:20:26 +0000 Export-reliant Taiwan lowered a key indicator to its lowest level in more than two years this week due to slowing consumer demand around the world, as the head of the World Trade Organization (WTO) warned of a global economic downturn. Taiwan’s National Development Council said its “overall monitoring indicator” for the US$760 billion economy fell by one point in August to 23. Taiwan could take a “hit” from global inflation and interest rate increases, plus economic fallout from the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3194107/export-led-taiwan-signals-weakening-global-demand-new-omen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3194107/export-led-taiwan-signals-weakening-global-demand-new-omen?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Sep 2022 09:15:19 +0000 Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, Macau, even plucky little Bhutan … it’s all happening. The rest of the world may have largely forgotten what it was like to have Covid-19 travel restrictions, but some of the last major Asian holdouts – with one obvious exception – are at last fully unwinding theirs. The relief among Hongkongers has been palpable – never have the numbers zero and three sounded so sweet. Hong Kong’s “3+4” (three days in hotel isolation and four at home under medical supervision)... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3194105/pandemic-travel-restrictions-hong-kong-japan-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3194105/pandemic-travel-restrictions-hong-kong-japan-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Sep 2022 09:11:16 +0000 Travellers from Singapore to Hong Kong, Taiwan and Malaysia can finally start putting together travel plans, as a number of destinations from across Asia look to welcome tourists after a lengthy period of border restrictions. For “zero-Covid” holdouts Taiwan and Hong Kong, the latest removal of tough hotel quarantine measures has meant that outbound travel will be much easier during the holiday season. After Hong Kong’s long-awaited announcement that overseas travellers will no longer need to be... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3193852/what-tourists-need-know-about-covid-restrictions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3193852/what-tourists-need-know-about-covid-restrictions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Sep 2022 11:45:10 +0000 As most countries in the world choose to live with the lingering Covid-19 pandemic by reopening their borders to boost the economy, Taiwan plans to lift entry restrictions by October 13 at the earliest. As part of the reopening plan, the island will scrap quarantine requirements for arrivals, cabinet spokesman Lo Ping-cheng told a news conference on Thursday. During a cabinet meeting on Thursday Taiwanese Premier Su Tseng-chang approved the island lifting its border controls in two stages, with... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3193421/coronavirus-taiwan-approves-plan-cautious-reopening-stages?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3193421/coronavirus-taiwan-approves-plan-cautious-reopening-stages?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Sep 2022 11:00:08 +0000 Taiwan is eyeing an earlier end to its mandatory quarantine for all arrivals and has been making relevant preparations, Premier Su Tseng-chang said on Friday, as the government continued to ease controls put in place to contain the spread of Covid-19. Taiwan has kept its entry and quarantine rules in place as large parts of the rest of Asia have relaxed or lifted them completely, though in June it cut the number of isolation days for arrivals to three from seven. Taiwan has reported more than... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3192737/taiwan-prepares-earlier-end-covid-quarantine-rules-arrivals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3192737/taiwan-prepares-earlier-end-covid-quarantine-rules-arrivals?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Sep 2022 07:47:20 +0000 Taiwan plans to learn from its Asian neighbours such as Japan, Singapore and Thailand in gradually reopening its border after more than two years of being shut down because of the lingering Covid-19 pandemic that has wreaked havoc all over the world. Reopening came one step closer on Wednesday after Taiwanese health authorities approved guidelines proposed by the island’s Tourism Bureau to allow local travel agencies to organise inbound and outbound tours. Wang Pi-sheng, head of Taiwan’s Central... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3192490/taiwan-approves-tourism-guideline-health-authority-says-border?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3192490/taiwan-approves-tourism-guideline-health-authority-says-border?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Sep 2022 11:23:22 +0000 The British seem to have a word for it: “omnishambles” – a string of blunders and miscalculations that lead to comprehensive mismanagement. When new British Prime Minister Liz Truss opens the box on her Downing Street desk marked “The State of the Nation” this week, omnishambles is likely to be embossed on it. One might have passing sympathy for Truss, not least because she bears little responsibility for the “omnishambles” that greets her. But the sobering reality is that Britain is not alone... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3191886/brexit-hit-energy-starved-britain-leads-way-world-enters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3191886/brexit-hit-energy-starved-britain-leads-way-world-enters?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Sep 2022 19:30:18 +0000 Taiwan will resume visa-free entry for visitors from countries including the United States and Canada from next week, as it continues to ease controls put in place to contain the spread of Covid-19. The island had kept its entry and quarantine rules in place as large parts of the rest of Asia relaxed or lifted them completely, though in June it cut the number of days spent in isolation for arrivals to three, from seven previously. Taiwan has reported more than 5.3 million domestic coronavirus... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3191380/coronavirus-taiwan-resume-visa-free-entry-some-countries-latest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3191380/coronavirus-taiwan-resume-visa-free-entry-some-countries-latest?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Sep 2022 08:15:24 +0000 Taiwan will try to attract 400,000 mostly white-collar foreign workers over the next decade to support the island’s pillar industries, including hi-tech, as the domestic population gets smaller. National Development Council head Kung Ming-hsin said at a forum in Taiwan on Tuesday that the island needed that many foreign workers to fill all of the jobs created by changing industry demands in the midst of a shrinking talent pool due to low birth rates and an ageing population. “This sounds like... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3190982/why-taiwan-suddenly-needs-400000-foreign-workers-critical?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3190982/why-taiwan-suddenly-needs-400000-foreign-workers-critical?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Sep 2022 21:30:22 +0000 Palau’s vice-president and her eight-member delegation have been quarantined in Taiwan after two of them tested positive for the coronavirus. Palau is one of the 14 countries still maintaining formal relations with Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own and has sought to isolate internationally by depriving it of diplomatic partners. Vice-President J. Uduch Sengebau Senior arrived for an official five-day visit on Saturday and was due to meet Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. The delegation... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3190565/coronavirus-palau-vice-presidents-delegation-quarantined-taiwan-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3190565/coronavirus-palau-vice-presidents-delegation-quarantined-taiwan-after?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Aug 2022 09:12:53 +0000 A rare decline in all export orders placed to Taiwan – a world hub for hi-tech equipment – could signal cracks in the global economy, from China to Europe, according to some economists and analysts. Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs said on Monday that export orders declined by 1.9 per cent to US$54.26 billion in July, year on year, and by 7.8 per cent compared with June. “It was largely driven by weakening demand in the tech sector, as rising inflation and interest rates hurt global... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3189909/china-placed-much-fewer-export-orders-tech-powerhouse-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3189909/china-placed-much-fewer-export-orders-tech-powerhouse-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Aug 2022 12:00:17 +0000 A new wave of coronavirus infections is rapidly spreading through Asia, prompting warnings for residents from New Zealand to Japan to take precautions to slow the outbreak and help prevent healthcare systems from being overwhelmed. The renewed surge in cases, mostly of the BA.4/5 Omicron variants, provides a further challenge for authorities grappling with the economic fallout of earlier waves of the pandemic while trying to avoid extending or reintroducing unpopular restrictions. The New... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3185308/coronavirus-fresh-covid-19-wave-sweeps-asia-nz-warns-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3185308/coronavirus-fresh-covid-19-wave-sweeps-asia-nz-warns-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Jul 2022 10:59:16 +0000 Before the first weekend in July, Huang Meng-feng of Taipei drove the entire north-to-south length of Taiwan so his children could romp through the sand at Little Bay, a warm-water swimming beach in the resort township of Kenting. His group of seven travellers picked Kenting because they cannot take overseas holidays without a four-night quarantine period upon their return. The beachside township feels far from Taipei and lacks its urban crowds. Huang also said he believes Kenting offers a... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3185049/how-taiwans-tourism-industry-surviving-its-biggest-ever-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3185049/how-taiwans-tourism-industry-surviving-its-biggest-ever-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Jul 2022 00:00:18 +0000 Taiwan reopened its borders on Wednesday, allowing transit passengers back to the island with a shortened three-day quarantine period followed by four days of Covid-19 health monitoring for all approved travellers. The easing of entry rules was announced as Taiwan’s daily case numbers and deaths have started to fall, and goes further than expected – the government had said it was considering relaxing the rules for business travellers first. But Covid-19 continues to spread in the community –... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3181817/taiwan-reopens-its-borders-it-ready-live-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3181817/taiwan-reopens-its-borders-it-ready-live-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Jun 2022 11:30:32 +0000 Taiwan’s economy, while ironclad during the first 18 months of the coronavirus pandemic, is facing friction due to the island’s worst ever spike in infections and lacklustre overseas demand for some tech hardware. The Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics in late May lowered its full-year gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast to 3.91 per cent, down from the expected 4.42 per cent announced in February. The economy grew 6.28 per cent in 2021, the fastest pace in more... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3181650/coronavirus-taiwans-economic-outlook-dims-omicron-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3181650/coronavirus-taiwans-economic-outlook-dims-omicron-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Jun 2022 12:30:15 +0000 Taiwan reported 211 deaths from Covid-19 on Saturday as cases rebounded from a days-long decline. Health authorities said the island had 79,598 new cases, 446 of which were severe, after a steady easing from more than 80,000 on Tuesday, ending at roughly 68,000 on Friday. Central Epidemic Command Centre spokesman Chuang Jen-hsiang said the rebound was partially due to a system error because some of the new cases on Saturday should be included in Sunday’s report. The Covid-19 patients who died... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3181343/covid-cases-bounce-back-taiwan-after-week-declines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3181343/covid-cases-bounce-back-taiwan-after-week-declines?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Jun 2022 10:38:41 +0000 Taiwan reported a record 213 deaths from Covid-19 on Friday, though the number of new cases dropped to around 68,000, suggesting recovery from the current wave that hit in May. Cases have been on a steady decline since Tuesday, when more than 80,000 were reported. New infections logged on Friday totalled 68,311, of which 553 were severe cases. Infections had also moved from the north to southern and central cities such as Tainan, Kaohsiung and Taichung, the island’s Health Minister Chen... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3181266/taiwan-covid-19-deaths-hit-record-high-new-cases-continue-drop?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3181266/taiwan-covid-19-deaths-hit-record-high-new-cases-continue-drop?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Jun 2022 11:56:16 +0000 Taiwan has reported 159 deaths from Covid-19 – a record for a single day – and another spike in local cases, as it remains uncertain whether border controls will be eased this month. Another 80,195 local infections were reported on Wednesday, according to the Central Epidemic Command Centre. It marks the second time the island’s daily case numbers have crossed the 80,000 mark after five straight days hovering near 60,000. Taiwan has been grappling with a surge in cases since the end of April,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3180929/taiwan-reports-record-covid-19-deaths-spike-local-cases?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3180929/taiwan-reports-record-covid-19-deaths-spike-local-cases?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jun 2022 14:46:55 +0000 In a sign Taiwan’s wave of coronavirus outbreaks may be closer to peaking, its health authority reported on Sunday that the number of infections and deaths on the island were down. The island’s Central Epidemic Command Centre reported 124 deaths, down from a record 152 on Saturday. The self-ruled island also reported 62,080 new locally transmitted cases on Sunday, lower than the 68,118 cases reported a day earlier. There were a total of 30 imported cases, the health authority said on Sunday. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3180496/taiwan-reports-124-covid-19-deaths-including-9-year-old-boy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3180496/taiwan-reports-124-covid-19-deaths-including-9-year-old-boy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Jun 2022 12:00:27 +0000 Taiwan has reported a new daily high in Covid-19 deaths, with a one-year-old child among the 152 new cases. The island also reported more than 68,000 new coronavirus cases on Saturday as authorities assess whether to further ease some pandemic border restrictions this month. The death toll surpassed the previous high of 145 fatalities reported on May 29, according to the island’s Central Epidemic Command Centre. The centre reported 68,118 new locally transmitted cases, of which 496 were moderate... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3180435/infant-among-taiwans-covid-fatalities-daily-death-toll-reaches?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3180435/infant-among-taiwans-covid-fatalities-daily-death-toll-reaches?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Jun 2022 12:15:21 +0000 Taiwan reported another 142 deaths from Covid-19 and more than 76,000 new cases of the disease on Friday as authorities weigh up whether to further ease entry restrictions. The death toll was close to the record 145 daily fatalities reported on May 29. The island reported 76,517 new locally transmitted cases, of which 409 were severe. Among the fatalities reported on friday, the youngest was a 20-year-old unvaccinated male who was immunocompromised, and the eldest was 90. Taiwan has been... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3180377/taiwan-reports-142-more-deaths-it-considers-easing-quarantine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3180377/taiwan-reports-142-more-deaths-it-considers-easing-quarantine?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Jun 2022 12:54:03 +0000 Taiwan’s worst Covid-19 outbreak has left the island’s insurers bracing for more than US$1 billion in claims that the financial regulator is urging them to honour. The head of the Financial Supervisory Commission, Huang Tien-mu, has ordered insurers to pay out on valid Covid-related insurance policies after they faced criticism from lawmakers for dismissing claims, cancelling policies and delaying payouts. Insurers are looking to limit their losses on policies after underestimating the extent of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3179692/taiwans-insurers-brace-over-us1-billion-covid-related-claims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3179692/taiwans-insurers-brace-over-us1-billion-covid-related-claims?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 May 2022 07:08:59 +0000 The differences between the two official responses could not be greater. In Taipei, cashier Silver Chang, 28, waited a week to get medical and isolation instructions from health authorities after testing positive for Covid-19. But in Shanghai, office worker Maggie Zhao had to quarantine at home for more than two months just because another student at her son’s school tested positive for the coronavirus. While mainland China continues to hold fast to its zero-Covid strategy, Taiwan has begun... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3178651/taiwan-and-shanghai-2-different-takes-tackling-covid-19?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3178651/taiwan-and-shanghai-2-different-takes-tackling-covid-19?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 May 2022 04:00:23 +0000 Taiwan is battling a spike in Covid-19 cases, with local infections topping 90,000 for the first time, after it abandoned its elimination strategy to live with the virus There were 90,331 new locally transmitted cases, 47 imported infections and 59 deaths reported on Thursday, according to the Central Epidemic Command Centre. The daily case number was a 6 per cent jump from the previous day, and most infections were mild or asymptomatic, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung told reporters. Cases... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3178312/taiwan-hit-record-coronavirus-cases-island-abandons-zero-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3178312/taiwan-hit-record-coronavirus-cases-island-abandons-zero-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 May 2022 05:09:38 +0000 The mother of a murder victim whose case sparked widespread protests in Hong Kong against an extradition bill has renewed calls for the city’s outgoing leader to send the suspected killer to Taiwan for trial before she leaves office next month. But lawmaker Reverend Canon Peter Koon Ho-ming, an Anglican priest who has been assisting suspect Chan Tong-kai, pointed to the coronavirus pandemic for the 2½-year deadlock over the case, saying governments on both sides might be “unmotivated” to explore... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3177442/mother-hong-kong-murder-victim-centre-extradition-bill?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3177442/mother-hong-kong-murder-victim-centre-extradition-bill?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 May 2022 06:25:12 +0000 Taiwan has been invited to take part in the second Global Covid-19 Summit, a virtual meeting to be co-hosted by US President Joe Biden later this week, the Taiwanese foreign minister said. It was not immediately known whether Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen would directly attend the event – a move certain to draw protest from Beijing which claims sovereignty of the self-ruled island. The second Global Covid-19 Summit is expected to be held on Thursday for countries to discuss efforts to end the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3177032/coronavirus-taiwan-invited-bidens-second-global-covid-19?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3177032/coronavirus-taiwan-invited-bidens-second-global-covid-19?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 May 2022 07:32:26 +0000 Taiwan will cut mandatory quarantine for all arrivals to seven days from 10, in the latest relaxation of rules as the island tries to live with Covid-19 and resume normal life despite a spike in domestic infections. Taiwanese authorities have kept quarantine rules in place even as large parts of the rest of Asia have relaxed or lifted them completely, though isolation time had already been reduced from two weeks to 10 days in March. The island has reported some 125,000 domestic cases since the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3176368/taiwan-cuts-covid-19-quarantine-arrivals-even-cases-rise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3176368/taiwan-cuts-covid-19-quarantine-arrivals-even-cases-rise?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 May 2022 09:27:15 +0000 Taiwan’s major electronics manufacturers and chip makers are slumping in the stock market as they grapple with supply chain disruptions amid the ongoing lockdowns in Shanghai and its neighbouring cities. The shares of Hon Hai Precision Industry, Pegatron Corp, Quanta Computer, Compal Electronics and AU Optronics, five of Taiwan’s bellwether electronics suppliers, retreated by 8.5 per cent on average in April, erasing a total of NT$118 billion (US$4 billion) in market capital. TAIEX, the Taiwan... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3176111/taiwans-stocks-suffer-market-jolt-chinas-zero-covid-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3176111/taiwans-stocks-suffer-market-jolt-chinas-zero-covid-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 May 2022 00:00:33 +0000 Mainland China’s lockdowns to control the spread of Covid-19 are “cruel” and Taiwan will not follow suit, Premier Su Tseng-chang said on Sunday. Having controlled the pandemic with tough border controls and quarantines, Taiwan has been dealing with a surge in domestic infections since the start of this year, with some 75,000 infections driven by the Omicron variant. China’s zero-Covid policies leave citizens living abroad feeling cut off But with more than 99 per cent of those having mild or no... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3176149/taiwan-says-it-will-not-follow-mainland-chinas-cruel-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3176149/taiwan-says-it-will-not-follow-mainland-chinas-cruel-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 May 2022 03:39:08 +0000 Taiwan has seen a spike in Covid-19 cases this month, including more than 23,000 cases reported in the past two days, after its government chose to move away from its zero-tolerance approach to begin living with the coronavirus. The latest outbreak – caused mostly by the less severe but more contagious Omicron variant – saw 11,353 new local cases on Thursday which marked the first time the number of local cases topped 10,000, according to the health ministry. “Today, there are 11,974 local... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3176059/taiwan-sees-surge-cases-few-deaths-or-serious-illnesses-it-moves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3176059/taiwan-sees-surge-cases-few-deaths-or-serious-illnesses-it-moves?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Apr 2022 03:00:19 +0000