MORE CONTROLS IMPLEMENTED AS EPIDEMIC RISES|禽流感防疫層級提升 林揆:視同全國性作戰

After Taiwan's first case of H5N6 was found in Hualien's Yuli, other cases have emerged in both Tainan and Hualien. Chiayi also reported cases on Feb. 13, and central government has now stepped in on disease prevention measures. Premier Lin Chuan requested each city and county to undertake a full investigation of case numbers. If these rise, systematic control may be implemented. The Council of Agriculture said that the first case in Hualien was confirmed as H5N6, in ducklings, not goslings. Cases of avian flu continue to rise and the government is now worried enough to intervene. Premier Lin Chuan personally chaired a meeting on the issue. ==PREMIER LIN CHUAN== Disease prevention is a battle. What we have seen over the past two days is the development of a level one epidemic. So we are going to have a nationwide battle. The Council of Agriculture pointed out that there have been avian flu epidemics in China, Japan and Korea and this has been brought to Taiwan by migratory birds. On Feb. 2, dead ducklings were found in Hualien's Yuli and were confirmed as the first cases of H5N6. On Feb. 6, the COA issued an order that ducklings from Hualian County could not be transported before Feb. 21. On Feb. 8, over 3,000 turkeys in a turkey farm in Tainan's Liujia died. They were confirmed to have died from H5N6. On Feb. 11, in Yilan a number of ducks were intercepted, checked and confirmed to carry the virus. On Feb. 12, a central disaster response center was set up. On Feb 13 further outbreaks were reported in Chaiyi and Hualien. Lin requested each city and county to undertake a full investigation. If farmers undertake a cull on their own initiative, the COA will develop a compensation mechanism and if the epidemic develops further, movement of stock or a ban on slaughtering may be implemented. ==CHEN CHIH-CHUNG Dep. Minister Council of Agriculture== W have requested all local governments to request poultry farms, both covered and open, in their area to test and do blanket inspections. == CHOU JIH-HAW Dir-Gen. Centers for Disease Control== Today, 244 contacts were released from management, 73 people in Ilan and Hualien will be monitored until February 21. In Tainan, there are 16 contacts being monitored until Feb. 19. To prevent the epidemic spreading the government tightened controls to try to minimise losses but also called on the public not to panic. TRANSLATED BY：CLARE LEAR Clare 禽流感延燒，政府繃緊神經，應變機制提升到中央層級，行政院長林全親自坐鎮，舉行第一次會議。 ==行政院長 林全== 防疫就是作戰 根據這兩天我們所看到 疫情所發展的情況 現在已經列為一級開設 那我們就要把這個作戰 作為一個全國性的作戰 農委會強調，在大陸、日本和韓國爆發的禽流感疫情，隨著候鳥遷徙帶到台灣，2號在花蓮玉里發現死亡的幼鴨，是全台H5N6禽流感確診首例，6號農委會下令，花蓮縣的鴨鵝在21號禁運，9號台南六甲火雞場，有3千多隻火雞死亡，確定感染H5N6，11號在宜蘭攔截一批鴨，確定感染H5N6，12號成立中央災害應變中心，13號在嘉義和花蓮又爆發疫情。 林全要求各縣市政府全面清查，如果農民主動通報撲殺，將研擬補償機制，疫情未來升溫的話，將研擬採取禁止移動或禁宰措施。 ==農委會副主委 陳吉仲== 請求各地方政府 針對所管轄區內的 所有的家禽場全面作監測 不管封閉 或者是開放式的 全部要做地毯式的巡察 ==疾管署長 周志浩== 有244個接觸者今天解除列管 有73個人宜蘭花蓮的 他會追蹤到2月21號 那在台南的話 有16的追蹤者 16個接觸者會追蹤到2月19號 為了防堵禽流感疫情大爆發，政府上緊發條，全台備戰，要將傷害降到最低，也呼籲國人不要恐慌。 記者 林欣儀 蔣龍祥 陳昌維 台北報導