THE WORLD
Coronavirus outbreak: Taiwan’s experts (again) excluded by WHO (UN) Taiwan, with its proximity to China and intensive people-to-people contact between two sides, bears the brunt of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in Wuhan on the Mainland. Taiwan has scaled up directly its immigration quarantine and health contingency measurements. On February 26, the Central Epidemic Command Center of Taiwan’s Health and Welfare Ministry revealed 32 confirmed cases with one death. In Taipei City, a bill aimed at mitigating any impact from a COVID-19 outbreak was signed into law by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, reaffirming the government’s commitment to ensuring public health while maintaining social and economic stability. by N. Peter Kramer
T
he outbreak of the Coronavirus is a more serious challenge to the global health than the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) that erupted in 2003. The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the Coronavirus a pub-
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lic health emergency of international concern. But Taiwan’s experts are excluded from the WHO Emergency Committee meetings held in Geneva. That means that Taiwan is the only country with confirmed cases having been excluded!