Taiwan TV station apologizes to South Korea for “covidizing” national flag

April 19, 2022April 19, 2022 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment COVID-19, South Korea

Taiwan news channel TVBS issued an apology to the people of Korea today, April 19, after using an image that combined the national flag of the Republic of Korea with a CGI depiction of the COVID-19 virus during a TV news report last month. On March 16, TVBS “FOCUS Global News Program” used the image as a background during a news report about South Korea recording 600,000 COVID cases in a single day. A screenshot of the image eventually spread

Society

April 17, 2022April 17, 2022 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment COVID-19, mass formation psychosis, virus mania

An 18-year-old man has been issued a fine of NT$1.5 million (US$51,500) after leaving his mobile tracking device at home and going out to play basketball after testing positive for COVID-19, according to reports today, Sunday, April 17. New Taipei City Department of Health said that the resident of Sanxia District tested positive for COVID-19 on April 14, along with other family members and his girlfriend. The entire family was ordered to stay in home quarantine. However, the man left

composite image showing alleged pet cull and order to kill pets

International

March 31, 2022March 31, 2022 Phillip Charlier 1 Comment China, COVID-19, mass formation psychosis, virus mania

Municipal health authorities in a city in Hebei Province, China said that they have rescinded an order to cull the pets of people who test positive for COVID-19, after a copy of the order went viral on social media, sparking outrage among citizens. China’s Sina.com reported that the document titled “Urgent Notice on Rapidly Carrying Out the Work of Culling of Domestic Animals of Positive Patients” was issued by the “Epidemic Prevention and Control Leading Group Office” in Anci District,

food opened, crushed, and dug through in search for contraband

Society

February 20, 2022February 20, 2022 Phillip Charlier 2 Comments COVID-19, human rights, mass formation psychosis, quarantine, virus mania

A college student complained that food delivered by her family while she resided in a quarantine facility was opened, dug through, and crushed by quarantine personnel, making her feel that she was being treated like a criminal, but the Minister of Health and Welfare said that this was “necessary.” The college student revealed the information along with pictures on the student-oriented social media platform “D-card,” on February 17th. The pictures showed that packets of snacks such as potato chips were

Disaster

February 16, 2022February 16, 2022 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment COVID-19, mass formation psychosis, quarantine

The building that housed a hotel used for COVID-19 quarantine until four people died in a fire after being told to stay put in their rooms will be demolished by the end of the year, the Changhua County Government announced yesterday, February 15. In June 2021, a fire broke out in the empty bottom floors of the building, leading to the death of three quarantined hotel “guests,” and a firefighter who went to their assistance after hotel managers told them

composite image showing laying hens and people queuing for eggs

Business and Economy

January 28, 2022January 31, 2022 Phillip Charlier 1 Comment African Swine Flu, avian influenza, COVID-19, mass formation psychosis

As Taiwan goes into the Lunar New Year holidays, people are facing empty egg shelves in some supermarkets, long queues at stores with supplies, and rising prices that have been capped as an emergency measure by the Council of Agriculture. Just as egg prices rise while supply falls, hundreds of thousands of chickens are being culled due to “bird flu.” But this seems to be the elephant in the room. Taiwan’s peak government agricultural authority, the Council of Agriculture, doesn’t

personal covid protection cocoon on plane

Odd News

January 12, 2022January 13, 2022 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment China, COVID-19, mass formation psychosis, popular delusions and the madness of crowds, stupid people

Fellow passengers barely batted an eyelid when a man made an improvised social isolation tent to protect himself and his companions from possible viral infection on a flight from Los Angeles to Guangzhou, China, according to reports from Taiwan news outlets. The reports came after a Chinese citizen uploaded a picture of the incident on social media site Weibo. The picture was said to be taken on Monday, January 10. In the picture it can be seen that the passenger

Chen Shizhong, Minister of Health and Welfare

Health and Safety

January 4, 2022January 4, 2022 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment COVID-19, Ministry of Health and Welfare, vaccine

The Vaccine Injury Compensation Program of the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced today that a resident of Taitung County will receive a compensation payment of NT$1.2 million, the highest on record for a suspected COVID vaccine injury, after a determination at the committee’s most recent meeting, December 16. According to a report by Taiwan’s Central News Agency, the Taiwanese citizen, who is unnamed in the announcement, developed Guillain–Barré syndrome, suspected thrombosis, and thrombocytopenia after being administered the AstraZeneca vaccine

Fire

December 3, 2021May 13, 2023 Phillip Charlier 1 Comment Changhua County, COVID-19, highrise fire, quarantine

The operator and two staff of a hotel used for quarantine have been indicted on charges of negligent homicide, and negligent injury, following an inquiry into a fire in a building that left four people dead and 22 injured in Changhua City, Taiwan, June 2021. See previous story: Four dead including one firefighter in COVID quarantine hotel fire The Changhua District Prosecutor’s Office charged Cai Jinfeng, Shen Yiqian, and Wu Songrong, after finding that they did not immediately notify the

Aviation Health and Safety

November 16, 2021November 16, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Aviation industry, COVID-19

Subjecting pilots to frequent nasal swabs to test for COVID-19 has led to severe nosebleeds while pilots are on duty, and it may affect flight safety, according to the Civil Aviation Administration and pilot unions. According to current epidemic prevention regulations, flight crew must be subject to three PCR tests within 14 days of entry, and it is stipulated that these must be in the form of nasopharyngeal swabs. However, many flight crew members have reported that this method causes

Health and Safety

November 15, 2021November 15, 2021 Phillip Charlier 3 Comments COVID-19, vaccine

Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center announced today that there were nine cases of COVID-19 detected among arrivals to the country, all of whom were fully vaccinated. There were no domestic cases reported for the 10th day in a row, and no deaths reported among past or present cases. The nine imported cases were detected among arrivals between October 30 and November 13 from the United States, Indonesia, Germany, and Saint Kitts and Nevis. The cases consisted of five males and

COVID-19

Taiwan TV station apologizes to South Korea for “covidizing” national flag

Teen slammed with NT$1.5 million dollar fine for playing basketball during quarantine

Chinese city officials rescind order to cull COVID patients’ pets after public outrage

Quarantined residents treated like prison inmates: food delivered searched for drugs and contraband

Quarantine death hotel building to be demolished

The war on viruses: What’s that got to do with the price of eggs?

Viral madness: passenger makes self-protective COVID cocoon on long-haul flight

Record COVID vaccine injury payout approved for patient who suffered Guillain–Barré syndrome, thrombosis, and thrombocytopenia

When fear of infection overcomes rationality: three charged for quarantine hotel fire deaths

Frequent nasal swabs on pilots causing nosebleeds: a flight safety issue

All imported COVID cases today were fully vaccinated