The second dead pig in 0104 "Jinmen rediscovered that dead pigs floating in the China Sea had become a high-risk area, and the Executive Yuan lambasted China for not releasing information.

Share2.7K + 1 Tweet EmailShares 2.7K

In the face of the menacing African classical swine fever epidemic, the whole Taiwan has entered a state of high alert! Today (4) the second inter-ministerial meeting of the African Central disaster response Center for Classical Swine Fever was held. Premier Lai Qingde presided over the meeting, emphasizing the need to raise the level of combat. All counties and cities should set up local disaster response centers today at the earliest, and draw up exercise plans to be submitted to the Council of Agriculture. At the same time, it also called on China to disclose all epidemic information and seek cooperation from neighboring countries: "this is China's responsibility, not a matter of face. It should be open, make epidemic prevention public, and allow international intervention and assistance."

In addition, this morning, it was reported that a floating pig had flowed to Xiaomi Island, Wuyi Township, Jinmen. Since there was no local pig farm, it was inferred that the dead pig had drifted from the Chinese sea. At present, a blockade line has been set up at the scene. The Kinmen County Animal and Plant epidemic Prevention Center (referred to as "Kinmen epidemic Prevention Center") stressed that it would complete the sampling inspection as soon as possible to determine whether the African swine fever infected pigs.

(middle) Premier Lai Qingde (Photography / Lin Xiejun)

Chen Jizhong: the emergency in Kinmen exceeds expectations, so it is necessary to develop a new epidemic prevention SOP.

Chen Jizhong, acting chairman of the Council of Agriculture, said frankly that this is an epidemic prevention situation that has not been simulated before, and it is necessary to immediately develop a new epidemic prevention SOP. He further explained that in order to effectively reduce the risk of infection, pigs and their products in Kinmen County will be suspended for 14 days from now on, and no raw or cooked pork can be brought back to the island. All passengers returning to Taiwan from Kinmen will be inspected by X-ray machines and quarantine dogs before boarding the plane, and violators will be fined not less than 50,000 yuan but not more than 1 million yuan in accordance with Article 28 of the regulations on the Prevention and Control of Animal Infectious Diseases.

At the same time, the Jinmen County government also set up a local African classical swine fever disaster response center yesterday, and paid close attention to the health status of a total of 11000 pigs in 68 farms under its jurisdiction, and carried out movement control and enhanced sampling and monitoring of pig farms around the place where it was found.

Jinmen has become a high-risk area of the epidemic, and it is possible to evaluate the ban on raising pigs with food waste.

However, Jinmen is so close to China, how to strengthen the defense of the Jinmen coastline? Chen Jizhong said that at present, through the cross-strait epidemic prevention notification mechanism, it has once again solemnly called on the other side to strengthen the strict control of sick and dead pigs; in addition, the Marine Patrol Administration has also strengthened the monitoring and management of drifting garbage at sea, as soon as the bodies of sea drifting pigs are found, local epidemic prevention personnel need to arrive at the scene for treatment and sampling within two hours, and the central government should also announce the test results within 24 hours. At the same time, China will respond to the OIE (World Organization for Animal Health) and seek international cooperation, hoping to set up a regional joint meeting on the prevention of floating pigs in China and carry out regional joint defense actions against classical swine fever in neighboring countries.

Feng Haidong, director of the Prevention and Inspection Bureau, also pointed out that there may be more than one or two Haipiao pigs in the future. "Kinmen is indeed a high-risk area for the epidemic." should local pig farms in Kinmen directly ban the use of food waste to feed pigs?. He responded that at present, he will continue to promote the industry to switch to feed for pigs, and it is necessary to make a follow-up evaluation if there is to be a total ban on raising pigs with food waste.

In view of the immigration control of high-risk passengers, the prohibition of entry is discussed.

Interior Minister Xu Guoyong said that at present, almost all those who illegally bring meat into the country are Chinese tourists, but considering that tourists who have been punished for violations may enter the country briefly and then leave the country, resulting in the subsequent inability to recover the fine, coupled with the approaching of the Lunar New year, people on both sides of the strait may have more frequent exchanges, so it is suggested that relevant regulations be drawn up to restrict these people from entering the country.

In this regard, Lai Ching-de responded that epidemic prevention should still focus. If foreigners do not carry meat, they will not constitute a high-risk target for the spread of African classical swine fever, so it is not appropriate to ban foreigners from entering Taiwan altogether. However, for those who have brought meat into Taiwan and left Taiwan without full payment, entry will be prohibited the next time they come to Taiwan. However, Feng Haidong added that at present, the plan is only at the stage of discussion, and the implementation details and dates will have to be communicated with various ministries.

Lai Qingde instructed three points that all counties and cities should strengthen the expansion of epidemic prevention and set up local response centers today at the slowest time.

During the meeting, Lai Qingde also directed three epidemic prevention priorities. First, in order to strengthen the three-in-one cooperation between the central government, the local government and the public (including pig farmers and the general public), it is stressed that the central ministries should exercise due diligence, and the central and local governments should also make joint efforts.

Second, in order to speed up the implementation of various epidemic prevention actions, Lai Qingde said that since the central government established the "African Classical Swine Fever Central disaster response Center" on the 18th of last month, all local governments should cooperate synchronously. "at present, all counties and cities have not yet entered the situation of epidemic prevention." of the 22 counties and cities in Taiwan, only nine counties and cities (Taipei, Xinbei, Taoyuan, Tainan, Changhua, Yunlin, Chiayi County, Pingtung County and Jinmen) have set up local disaster response centers to prevent the epidemic situation. "but no county or city has decided on the time, place, and details of the exercise," so he asked all county and municipal governments to set up disaster response centers today at the latest, and submit the exercise plan (including time, place, and details) to the Council of Agriculture, so that the central government can assist the relevant exercise process.

Lai Ching-teh further explained that the most direct way to examine the effectiveness of epidemic prevention is the exercise. "to be successful in the war, you must exercise, and the goal cannot be achieved through official documents and telephone exchanges alone." However, most counties and municipal governments have not experienced African classical swine fever exercises, so the most important thing at present is to have an in-depth understanding of the conditions of local pig farms, areas where pig farms are concentrated, and possible ways of infection, and to draw up a local battle plan.

"every county and city is a strong epidemic prevention unit, and if there is no strict precaution, China's African swine fever will enter Taiwan through various conditions." he added that only through one exercise after another and accumulating all kinds of experience, can the impact of African swine fever be minimized.

The third point is to increase the scope of epidemic prevention. Including maritime patrols and flight control, "all measures should be taken immediately," and to contact neighboring countries and seek group cooperation. Lai also called on China to disclose the epidemic as soon as possible: "this is China's responsibility, not a matter of face. We should be honest, make epidemic prevention public, and allow international intervention and assistance."

(for news related to African classical swine fever, please click here to read)

Share2.7K + 1 Tweet EmailShares 2.7K