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進入《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》 New measures taken to prevent spread of Ebola
Ebola declaration cards are shown in Taipei yesterday. As of today, all travelers arriving in Taiwan from Europe or the Middle East will have to fill out one of these forms. Photo: Yao Chieh-hsiu, Taipei Times
‘BLUE FORMS’: The policy, requiring passengers from specific areas to fill out a form detailing their travel history, was criticized by some as hasty and incoherent
By Stacy Hsu / Staff reporter
The Centers for Disease Control （CDC） has implemented a new measure requiring passengers on flights to Taiwan from European and Middle Eastern countries to fill out a “blue form” detailing their travel history as part of its efforts to prevent the Ebola virus from entering the nation.
“Starting last weekend, tourists flying to Taiwan from countries such as Dubai, France, Germany and the UK are obligated to complete the ‘Ebola Declaration Card,’ which asks them whether they have traveled to any Ebola-affected nations within the past 21 days,” CDC Deputy Director-General Chou Jih-haw （周志浩） said yesterday.
Chou said both Taiwanese and foreign airlines are required to comply with the new measure and that passengers who refuse to fill out the form could be subject to financial penalties in accordance with the Communicable Disease Control Act （傳染病防治法）.
However, the policy was met with criticism from some airline companies.
An airline owner who requested anonymity said while disease prevention is of the utmost importance, the new measure seems “too bureaucratic” and poorly designed.
“There are also confirmed cases of Ebola in the US; why are people coming from the US to Taiwan not obligated to complete the blue form? The policy appears hasty and could be difficult to implement, particularly as there is no law stopping passengers who refuse to comply from entering the nation,” the owner said.
In related news yesterday, the centers said a 55-year-old Nigerian man with suspected Ebola symptoms has tested negative for the virus.
The man stayed in Taiwan for two days before traveling on a Mandarin Airlines flight carrying 95 passengers and 13 crew members to China on Thursday last week, where he showed signs of fever and was isolated.
The negative test result means it is no longer necessary for the two crew members who served the man on the plane to monitor their health, the CDC said in a press release.（Additional reporting by Yao Chieh-hsiu）
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
