The current Level 2 COVID-19 alert has been extended for another two weeks to
Oct. 4.

Taiwan has been under the Level 2 alert since July 27, and it was to expire
on Sept. 20 before the CECC announced a two-week extension for a fourth time.

Under the Level 2 alert, people need to wear a face mask when they are
outside their residence, and the number of people attending indoor and
outdoor gatherings will remain capped at 80 and 300 people, respectively.

Certain entertainment venues, such as dance halls, bars, clubs and KTV
parlors, will still not be allowed to open.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Economic Affairs announced a set of new rules on
holding conventions and trade fairs.

They require organizers to submit a disease prevention plan to local
governments three weeks before the scheduled event.

And at least 60 percent of the people working at an event must have received
at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot.

Taiwan recorded 12 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday.

One of those was transmitted domestically and the other 11 were contracted
overseas.

The new domestic case was a Taipei resident in her 60s.

On Sept. 10, she tested negative for COVID-19 prior to being admitted to a
hospital, but her daughter, who was set to accompany her during her hospital
stay, tested positive on Sept. 15.

The woman was tested for the disease again on Sept. 17, and the results came
back positive.

The 11 new imported cases involved five Taiwanese and six foreign nationals
who recently traveled to Taiwan from Russia, the United States, Honduras,
Singapore, Canada, the Czech Republic, Poland, Myanmar, South Africa, and
Cambodia.

And there was one death from the disease, a man in his 70s who passed away on
Sept. 10.

To date, Taiwan has confirmed a total of 16,141 COVID-19 cases, of which
14,412 are domestic infections reported since May 15.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths in the country has risen to 840.

The Alishan Forest Recreation Area in Chiayi County welcomed at least 3,600
visitors on the second day of the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday.

That is the most of any day since Taiwan was hit by a major COVID-19 outbreak
in mid-May.

As of 4:30 p.m. Sunday there were over 3,600 visits to the popular tourist
attraction.

Travel to the area, known for its ancient cedar and cypress forests, has
been limited since a surge in COVID-19 cases in Taiwan in mid-May.

Reservation rates for hotel rooms reached 90 percent on Sunday.

Taiwan reported six new COVID-19 cases today, with all the patients
contracting the virus overseas -- and no deaths from the disease.

According to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), of the six new
cases, two were Taiwanese nationals who recently returned from the
Philippines, and the four others were three Indonesians and one Bangladeshi
national, who traveled to Taiwan from their respective countries.

They arrived in Taiwan between Sept. 4 and Sept. 16. Five of them tested
positive upon arrival, and one during the mandatory quarantine for all
arrivals to the country.

The six new cases bring the total in Taiwan to 16,129.

To date, 839 people have died of COVID-19 in Taiwan, including 827 since May
15, when the country first recorded more than 100 COVID-19 cases in a single
day.
(

The opposition KMT boycotted much of the opening day of a new legislative
session Friday, demanding that Premier Su Tseng-chang apologize for the
government's COVID-19 policy before presenting a report and fielding lawmaker
questions.

The Legislature was scheduled to have Cabinet officials report on policy
changes made in April that allowed cabin crew members of national airlines to
only quarantine for three days after flying back to Taiwan.

All other arrivals have been required to quarantine for 14 days after
entering Taiwan.

Shortly after the three-day quarantine policy was introduced in mid-April,
two China Airline pilots who had just returned to Taiwan tested positive for
the virus on April 20. Infections involving airline employees and their
families then surged.

On Friday morning, shortly before Su could begin his presentation, the KMT
lawmakers occupied the Legislative Yuan podium with cardboards printed with
protest slogans.

Ten Chinese military planes flew into Taiwan's air defense identification
zone (ADIZ) on Friday as Taiwan concluded its annual Han Kuang wargames held
this week.

That, according to the Ministry of National Defense.

Eight Chinese fighter jets entered the airspace between Taiwan and the
Dongshan Islands, while one reconnaissance plane and one anti-submarine
warfare plane flew to the southeast of Taiwan before turning back, according
to a report released Friday by the ministry.

Officials say the Taiwan Air Force responded by scrambling planes to monitor
the Chinese aircraft, issuing radio warnings, and mobilizing air defense
assets -- their standard practice in responding to these intrusions.

Friday was the fifteenth consecutive day of intrusions from Chinese planes,
with Taiwan concluding its annual Han Kuang military drills that had begun on
Monday.

The highest number of Chinese aircraft to have entered Taiwan's ADIZ in a day
was 28, which was reported on June 15, while up to 19 planes were recorded on
Sept. 5.

Annual Han-Kuang military exercises have come to a close.

Speaking at the end of the drills, Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng passed on
President Tsai Ing-wen's encouragement for the military forces, and the
effort they put into the exercises.

Qiu says that the drills have successfully carried out computer simulations
and battle plans.

He says that service members have improved their capability to defend the
country.

(EG)

Kinmen residents will each receive stimulus vouchers worth 3,000 NT starting
October 1st.

That comes on top of the 5,000-NT cash subsidy the Kinmen County government
already distributed and the Quintuple Stimulus Voucher that the central
government will give away next month.

Kinmen Magistrate Yang Zhen-wu estimates that with all three benefits
together, total business revenue should reach 2 billion NT, adding that the
Kinmen voucher is only eligible for stores on the outlying island.

Yang opes that small stores will benefit more from the local voucher.

(JL)

The Ministry of Culture has announced that there will be 3 million sets of
its new ArtsFun vouchers.

Each voucher is valued at 600 NT, and people will be able to win multiple
copies, up to a maximum of 4.

People can register once to be part of all the lucky draws.

The vouchers can be spent at over 10 thousand venues nationwide.

They will be valid from November 10th through the end of next April.

The ArtsFun Next App will also list special incentives and package deals for
the vouchers.

(EG)

A popular scenic walkway in Hualien County is reopening.

The Qinbuzhizi Walk was closed in August after a fire triggered landslides
that cut off the path.

The damage has since been repaired, and the Walk will reopen tomorrow, just
in time for the Mid-Autumn Festival long weekend.

However, hikers will be required to wear safety helmets.

The 150-long pathway clings to a cliffside, giving visitors a great view of
the ocean.

It normally attracts 100 thousand visitors annually.

(EG)

MOFA is thanking the European Parliament for a new resolution in support of
Taiwan.

The resolution calls for the European Union to speed up negotaitions of a
bilateral investment agreement with Taipei.

It also urged the EU to facilitate Taiwan's participation as an observer in
the United Nations and its agencies.

The resolution expressed grave concern over China's expansionist policies,
and its continued military pressure on Taiwan.

In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed gratitude for the
resolution, and says that Taiwan will continue to deepen relations with the
EU.

It also recommended that the EU rename its representative office here to
include the word Taiwan.

(EG)

The Tourism Bureau has announced that upcoming travel voucehrs will be given
away in weekly drawings.

A total of 1.2 million sets of vouchers will be given away, each valued at 1
thousand NT.

These vouchers can be used to pay for trips, accomodations, and entry into
tourist sites.

The first drawing will be held on October 12th, with more drawings to be held
each week until Novermber 2nd.

Registration to be included in the drawing begins next Wednesday on the
government's official Quintuple Stimulus Vouchers website, 5000.gov.tw.

At the same time, the Bureau is offering a number of travel and accomodations
subsidies with a combined value of 1.1 billion NT.

(EG)

Taichung is set to offer special discounts for teachers, in honor of the
upcoming Teacher's Day.

The city's Education Bureau says it is working with 122 vendors in the arts,
travel, hospitality and food and beverage industries to offer deals for
educators.

The vendors include Wuling Farm, the National Museum of Natural Science, and
others, with discounts on admissions tickets or overnight lodgings.

Officials say the special deals are available from tomorrow until October
11th.

(NS)

A new automated food delivery car program has launched in Taipei.

The program is a collaboration between Taiwan Mobile, iAuto Technology
Company, and National Taiwan University students.

The service is operating in the Taipei Expo Park.

Customers can place orders online, and the autonomous vehicel will deliver
the meals to them.

The vehicle can carry up to 8 orders at a time.

The idea for the delivery vehicle was one of the top contenders at the Dubai
World Challenge for Self-Driving Transport.

(EG)

Taipei prosecutors have launched an investigation into reports than an
influencer got a COVID-19 antibody test.

The influencer, known in Chinese as Shi Cha Mao, had a clinic run an antibody
test on him 15 days after he received the Medigen coronavirus vaccine.

He said the results showned that he did have antibodies, but the numbers were
relatively low.

However, the Central Epidemic Command Center has not authorized clinics to
conduct antibody tests on members of the general public, and the clinic he
went to isn't one of the 12 that is authorized to run them at all.

Taipei prosecutors are now looking into the case to see if it violated
epidemic prevention rules.

(EG)

Blackfaced Spoonbills have been spotted in southern Taiwan.

The endangered wading birds are seasonal regulars in Taiwan, and rangers at
the Taijiang National Park say 4 were spotted from afar resting in the Sicao
Wildlife Refuge.

Officials say the distance made it impossible to determine whether they were
adults or subadults, but the group is likely among the first to arrive.

Experts say the birds winter in Taiwan from September to April, and can also
be found in other national parks and protected wetlands areas.

The global population of black-faced spoonbill has grown to 5-thousand-222
this year, and officials say over 3-thousand or 60-percent of those, wintered
in Taiwan.

(NS)

Rescuers have finally found the scooter rider in Hsin-chu that went missing 6
days ago.

The Hsin-chu Fire Department spotted the man, surnamed Qi, this morning
walking along a ravine in the mountainous area of Jian-shi Township.

As the rescuers were still quite a distance from him, they sent a drone to
deliver a radio phone to him and the man's first comment was that he's
hungry.

Rescuers say they're trying to reach him now.

Qi's family and friends put together half a million NT yesterday as a cash
reward for whoever could provide information that helped locate him.

Qi rode to Gao-tai Mountain with two friends on the 11th but then
disappeared, leaving his scooter, cell phone and backpack on the mountain
road.

A massive search efforts led by the local fire department kicked off the next
day and carried on until today.

(JL)

MOFA is thanking the U.S. and Australia for their continued support.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Joanne Ou today expressed gratitude
to the United States and Australia for their continued commitment to Taiwan,
democratic values, and stability in the Indo-Pacific Region.

U.S. and Australian Foreign and Defense Ministers yesterday emphasized the
importance of Taiwan's role in the Indo-Pacific, saying they aim to
strengthen relations with Taiwan and support its participation in global
affairs.

Spokesperson Ou says, the U.S. Biden Administration has repeatedly stood by
its Six Assurances principles of foreign policy.

And she says Australia has publicly supported Taiwan on many occasions,
including advocating in July for Taiwan's participation in the World Health
Assembly.

Ou says Taiwan will continue to work closely with the U.S., Australia, and
other like-minded nations, to expand Taiwan's global connections and stand up
for peace and global order.

(TT)

The opposition KMT, TPP and NPP parties have dismissed the Cabinet's report
on the "3 11" decision as disrespectful and shirking responsibility.

The "3 11" policy refers to three days of quarantine plus 11 days of
self-health management rules imposed on April 15th on airline pilots and crew
members returning to Taiwan, which were more relaxed than before.

The decision is widely believed to have led to the subsequent COVID-19
outbreak in May, but Health Minister Chen Shi-chung has rejected
accountability for it.

The KMT chairman calls the report, demanded by the Legislative Yuan 3 months
ago, as "eulogizing the government's anti-epidemic work" instead of reviewing
it.

TPP legislative head Qiu Chen-yuan criticizes the report as perfunctory,
while the NPP questions its deviation from what Chen had said before.

Both have lambasted the Cabinet for leaking the report to news media last
night but refusing to give it to the opposition parties.

(JL)

Premier Su Tseng-chang has said Taiwan's military must make the best possible
preparations in the event of an attack from China.

His comment came in response to queries from the public over whether the
country's military budget will cut into public spending.

Su said Taiwan must not be complacement to prevent the possibility of war.

The premier was invited today to talk on the "3 11" quarantine policy for
airline crew.

In an interview after his address, Su was questioned on Taiwan's military
budget, which has reached an all-time high.

Su said Taiwan has nothing without its safety, and the whole world is
undertaking preparations as China increasingly conspires against Taiwan.

(RD)

The FTC has handed down fines against delivery platform Foodpanda.

The Fair Trade Commission says foodpanda violated regulations by requiring
partner restaurants to maintain the same prices for items sold by the
restaurant itself, and items listed on the platform.

The commission also says foodpanda also banned restaurants from refusing
customers who chose to pick-up their order.

The FTC ordered foodpanda to immediately halt such practices, and pay a
penalty of $2-million NT.

The decision was passed after three committee reviews.

(NS)

The Central Epidemic Command Center is reporting 12 new coronavirus cases --
two of which are domestic infections, and 10 are imported cases.

The two domestic cases are both in New Taipei, and one is linked to the New
Taipei preschool and an apartment complex cluster in the city's Banqiao
District.

The 10 new imported cases involve six Taiwanese nationals who recently
returned from the United States, the United Arab Emirates and Japan, while
the other four are citizens of South Africa, Japan, India and Indonesia.

The latest cases bring the total number here in Taiwan since the pandemic
began to 16,115.

No new deaths have been reported for the six days now and the death toll
remains at 839.

The Central Epidemic Command Center says 1.08-million doses of the Moderna
coronavirus vaccine and 640,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine will arrive
in Taiwan today.

Both batches have been purchased directly from the manufacturers.

The government has ordered a total of 5.05-million doses of Moderna from the
American drugmaker and 10-million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from the
UK-based manufacturer.

Health Minister Chen Shih-chung says the government has also signed a second
contract to purchase 36-million doses of the Moderna vaccine, while
negotiations on new orders from AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech are in the
pipeline.

Delivery of the new shipments later today will bring the total supply of
coronavirus vaccines to date to 17.3-million doses.

Health Minister Chen Shih-chung says the Moderna vaccine arriving today will
be reserved primarily as second shots for people who have received their
first jab of that brand.

The government will be rolling out its current stock of 300,000 Moderna
vaccines this morning.

The rollout opens-up appointments for the 291,000 senior citizens aged over
74 who got their first shot of that brand before July 9.

The Central Epidemic Command Center began distributing the vaccines earlier
this morning.

And local health departments will be arranging for eligible recipients to
receive their second dose at designated vaccination sites.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the government plans to donate medical
equipment to Japan in return for Tokyo's donations of coronavirus vaccines to
Taiwan.

According to the ministry, the government will donate 10,000 pulse oximeters
and 1,008 oxygen concentrators to Japan as a gesture of gratitude for the
vaccine donations.

However, officials have yet to say when the equipment would be delivered.

Taiwan's envoy to Japan Frank Hsieh says the decision to provide medical
equipment was prompted by recent reports in the Japanese media that demand
for pulse oximeters has surged among coronavirus patients who are suffering
mild symptoms.

While Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has thanked the Tsai
administration for the donation via Twitter - saying the devices will be put
to good use and that "Japan and Taiwan always help each other on humanitarian
grounds and have fostered a strong friendship."

Japan has shipped approximately 3.4-million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine
to Taiwan.

And Japan's foreign minister earlier this week announced another donation of
500,000 vaccine doses to Taiwan.

The Ministry of National Defense has be carrying out anti-landing drills on
day-four of this week's Han Kuang live-fire exercises.

The drills were aimed at testing ability of armed forces to repel an
amphibious invasion.

They took place in New Taipei's Bali District, in Taichung, in eastern
Hualien and Taitung as well as in Tainan and Pingtung.

The largest drill was held in Pingtung County's Feng-Gang Township and that
involved the use of heavy artillery in a simulation of efforts to prevent an
invading enemy force with a large number of vessels from landing troops.

The Han Kuang live-fire exercises were scheduled to start July 12 and run for
five days.

However, they were delayed due to the domestic coronavirus outbreak.

The European Parliament has adopted a resolution urging the European Union to
negotiate a bilateral investment agreement with Taiwan.

The resolution is part of a new EU-China strategy report sets out the
parliament's recommendations for the E-U's engagement with Beijing.

Members of the European Parliament underlined the importance of trade and
economic relations between the E-U and Taiwan in the report.

They say the E-U needs to "urgently begin the impact assessment, public
consultation, and scoping exercise with the Taiwanese authorities" in order
to "move towards" the signing of a bilateral investment agreement.

The European Parliament is also calling for "concrete proposals and action"
by the European Commission to facilitate Taiwan's full participation as an
observer in United Nations agencies.

And the parliament is "expresses grave concern over China's assertive and
expansionist policies in the South China Sea, East China Sea and Taiwan
Strait, especially China's continued military provocation aimed at Taiwan."

The Taipei City Government says people will face a fine of up to 6,000 N-T if
they are caught barbecuing in riverside parks during this weekend's
Mid-Autumn Festival holiday.

The ban is part of the city's coronavirus prevention measures.

And the fines will issued under the Taipei City Park Management Ordinance.

Deputy Mayor Vivian Huang says barbecuing is being banned this year in order
to avoid crowds gathering in public spaces as the city continues to face the
threat of the Delta variant.

However, there are questions as to how strictly the regulation will be
enforced across the city's 28 riverside parks.

And Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je earlier this admitted that it will be impossible
for the police to patrol all the riverside parks every night during the
long-weekend holiday.

New Taipei and Keelung have also banned barbecuing in public spaces during
this weekend's holiday.

And,

Local Jewish religious leader, Ephraim Ferdinand Einhorn, has died.

He was 103.

Einhorn passed away after an extended illness.

He was a much-respected, and long-serving spiritual leader of the Taiwan
Jewish Community.

Einhorn was born in Vienna in 1918 and came to Taiwan in 1975 as part of a
trade delegation and decided to stay.

Along with officiating at Shabbat and holiday services to serve Taipei's
Jewish community, Einhorn also played an actively roll in a host of community
organizations, including the American Chamber of Commerce, the European
Chamber of Commerce, and the Rotary Club.

He will be buried in the Segula Cemetery in Petah Tikva, Israel.