President Tsai Ing-wen convened a high-level national security meeting May 13 at the Presidential Office in Taipei City following recent developments potentially impacting the health and well-being of the people of Taiwan.
 
Attended by Vice President Lai Ching-te, Premier Su Tseng-chang, Secretary-General to the President David Tawei Lee, National Security Council Secretary-General Wellington Koo and other senior officials such as Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu, the meeting addressed issues including the coronavirus situation, vaccines, pandemic economic relief measures and power outages earlier in the day.
 
Tsai said during the post-meeting news conference that the collective efforts of the government and all segments of society are ensuring life continues as normal as possible in Taiwan amid COVID-19.
 
Managing coronavirus is a matter of national security, Tsai said. Given the uptick in cases at home and abroad, the Central Epidemic Command Center has raised Taiwan’s pandemic alert to level two, she added.
 
According to Tsai, all relevant central and local government agencies are heightening COVID-19 response measures. The public is reminded to remain cautious about coronavirus and adhere to health protocols at all times, she said.
 
At the same time, Tsai said, more coronavirus vaccines are expected to arrive in Taiwan starting next month. These will be complemented by domestically produced versions scheduled for release by the end of July, she added
 
It is imperative everyone gets inoculated so as to better safeguard the country, Tsai said, adding that the government will keep enhancing homegrown vaccine R&D and production capacities.
 
On the economic front, the Cabinet passed an amendment earlier in the day increasing the special budget for pandemic relief projects by NT$210 billion (US$7.5 billion), Tsai said. The Ministries of Economic Affairs and Finance are drafting supplementary short-term response measures, she added.
 
Tsai also took the opportunity to apologize for power outages in several parts of Taiwan. The incident was caused by a power grid malfunction in the southern city of Kaohsiung rather than insufficient electricity, further highlighting the need for balanced supply, she said.
 
In closing, Tsai said it takes all hands on deck to combat COVID-19. As long as the people remain calm, unified and vigilant, there is every reason to expect coronavirus will remain under control and Taiwan can pass through this challenging period in good shape, she added. (SFC-E)
 
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