With the Lunar New Year approaching in two weeks, the government will not ease up in the fight against bird flu, Premier Mao Chi-kuo said at today's Cabinet meeting. He asked central government agencies to work closely with local authorities and to continue closely monitoring and handling outbreaks.
The COA has already taken a raft of measures to contain the bird flu—including temporarily banning the slaughter of live poultry and setting up quarantine stations—but the epidemic has yet to slow down, Mao noted. He asked the COA to work with local governments to make sure all control measures are being implemented properly and that local authorities are thoroughly disinfecting affected sites. The COA should also invite scholars and experts to assess its epidemic control plan in detail so as to contain transmissions as quickly as possible.
So far, the central government has distributed NT$741 million (US$23.5 million) to local governments to compensate farmers for the value of culled poultry. The COA has asked local authorities to pay out 60 percent of the subsidies before the Lunar New Year. Mao asked the COA to stay on top of the situation to make sure farmers receive at least part of their compensation before the holiday.
Since ducks are a natural reservoir for the avian influenza virus, the COA plans to collect and test samples of all birds within a 1-kilometer radius of certain farms. Mao asked the COA to complete testing quickly and to pass the results to industry, government and academic experts as reference for forming further control measures.