Premier Su Tseng-chang: Implement epidemic prevention, supplement inspection equipment and manpower

To implement African swine fever prevention, Premier Su Tseng-chang, upon taking office yesterday (the 14th), immediately went to Taoyuan International Airport to inspect border measures against African swine fever and to encourage the working team members.

After hearing a briefing from the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine of the Council of Agriculture, Premier Su Tseng-chang stressed that the current random inspection rate for carry-on luggage is only 30%, but African swine fever has a 100% mortality rate; once it invades, it will cause losses of several hundred billion to related industries, affect people's livelihoods, and create national security problems. For luggage inspection of passengers from high-risk areas, especially carry-on luggage illegally carrying meat products, which is the most serious case, quarantine inspection should reach 100%. If inspection equipment or manpower is insufficient, the government will fully support it, and relevant units should properly design luggage inspection routes to make it convenient for passengers passing through.

Premier Su Tseng-chang pointed out that tour leaders or staff leading tour groups should be thoroughly familiar with the government's epidemic prevention regulations. If tour group passengers still violate the regulations, not only the tour leader but also the travel agency must be held responsible. In addition, for the publicity boards prepared by epidemic prevention units, the font should be enlarged and the content should be clear at a glance, so that passengers know the government's prevention content.

The Council of Agriculture of the Executive Yuan pointed out that during the Spring Festival transportation period, joint inspection will be improved, adopting pocket tactics, flexibly adjusting key flights close to the inspection counter of the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine, and introducing joint inspection routes. Short-term measures include: comprehensive X-ray inspection of checked luggage by Customs and the Aviation Police Bureau; the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine supervises and inspects aircraft kitchen waste to be fully sent to incinerators for destruction. Medium- and long-term measures: the Customs Administration plans to add X-ray machines and appropriate manpower to continuously strengthen passenger carry-on luggage inspection operations.