The COVID-19 cluster infection on the Navy's Friendship Flotilla has greatly damaged the military's image. Commander of the Navy Liu Chih-pin publicly apologized for the first time.


It is my responsibility as commander of the Navy to express my sincerest apologies. I will of course shoulder the heaviest responsibility.

Commander of the Navy Liu Chih-pin publicly apologized for the first time since the COVID-19 cluster infection involving the Navy's Friendship Flotilla came to light via a military television program. He said he would shoulder the responsibility as commander of the Navy. He also had some words for China, which has widely reported this scandal.

The Chinese Communist Party is right now in the midst of wantonly reporting that the military has suffered a devastating setback, and is awaiting for cracks to emerge in our military capabilities. However, it's wrong.

The military has been accused of covering up the outbreak, and the Ministry of National Defense has taken to conducting a daily press conference to provide updates on the investigation. It has been reported that flotilla captain Chen Tao-hui did not report that sailors had fevers. The ministry said that between March 6 and April 1, the number of reports on fevers that it received was zero and it contacted Chen to ask him for clarification.

What he remembers is probably something related to March 11. He recorded tonsillitis and reported that back. In the table that we just provided, he wrote zero in the fever column. He also said there might have been a disparity in his recollection yesterday.

There were also cases of sailors aboard the frigate Yuehfei seeking treatment for fevers. The ministry said it did not receive any related reports while the flotilla was away. It also denied there were any reports extracted under pressure. The ministry also confirmed that sailors disembarked ahead of schedule on April 14, but added that they passed inspection by the joint inspection party. However, it has been reported that the joint inspection party requested Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital's Zuoying Branch to falsify reports. The ministry said it would turn the focus of its investigation to the joint inspection party.

The joint operations stage is the most important stage in the investigation. We will of course include it and it will be an important part of our future investigation.

It's true that there have been many shortcomings in this issue involving the Friendship Flotilla and the Panshih. Every detail and every point will be checked.

Premier Su Tseng-chang acknowledged that the cluster infection has caused people pain, and the government's disease prevention efforts have fallen short. He therefore ordered Minister without Portfolio Lo Ping-cheng to set up an investigatory task force to help the Ministry of National Defense identify shortcomings and make reparations.



海軍司令 劉志斌表示：「我身為海軍司令責無旁貸，要表達最誠摯的歉意，一定肩負起最大的責任。」

海軍敦睦艦隊爆發群聚感染後，海軍司令劉志斌首度在莒光園地露面，向外界致歉，強調自己身為海軍司令責無旁貸，會肩負起最大責任，面對中國趁機大肆宣傳國軍遭受重創，劉志斌重話回擊。

海軍司令 劉志斌表示：「中共正在大肆宣傳國軍遭受重挫，也期待我們產生戰力的罅隙，但是他們錯了！」

由於國軍遭質疑隱匿疫情，重挫形象，對此，國防部每天召開記者會，對外說明調查進度，外界關注支隊長陳道輝，沒有確實回報發燒紀錄，國防部公布回報紀錄澄清，強調從3月6號到4月1號，通報發燒的項目都是維持零，也有聯繫陳道輝，釐清真相。

國防部總督察長室軍督處長 胡瑞訓表示：「他記憶所及是應該在3月11號，他是記載是扁桃腺發炎，回報的這個案子。那扁桃腺發炎裡面，我們在剛剛所公布的這個表格上面，他是在發燒這個欄位是寫零，他也特別講說，可能是他昨天在這個記憶上，有一點落差。」

康定艦、岳飛艦也爆出發燒求診案例，國防部解釋，遠航期間沒有收到相關回報，也否認擠牙膏式的報告。至於14號官兵提前離艦，國防部坦言確有此事，人員有通過聯檢小組檢查，不過卻傳出，聯檢小組疑似要求高雄左營海軍總醫院開立假報告，引發熱議，國防部承諾未來調查方向將聚焦聯檢小組。

國防部軍政副部長 張哲平表示：「聯合作業這個階段，其實是一個整個調查裡面，最重要的階段，我們絕對會納入，我們未來的調查的一個要項裡面。」

行政院長 蘇貞昌表示：「敦睦艦隊、盤石艦這一個事情，確實有許多的缺失沒有到位，任何的每一個細節，每一個點，都要查核清楚。」

行政院長蘇貞昌則坦言，敦睦艦隊染疫讓人非常痛苦，防疫確實沒有到位，因此，下令政委羅秉成組成調查小組，協助國防部找出缺失，痛定思痛，亡羊補牢。