VZCZCXYZ0009
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #1554 1250840
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 050840Z MAY 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0041
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5171
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 7823
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 7697
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001554 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/TC; OES/IHA 
 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AMED ECON SENV TBIO TW
SUBJECT: TAIWAN AIRPORT AI EXERCISE 
 
REF: 05 TAIPEI 04951 
 
            ¶1.  SUMMARY. Taiwan conducted an avian influenza 
(AI) simulation exercise at the main 
international airport on April 6.  The exercise sought to 
test Taiwan's ability to detect,                isolate and 
treat an inbound passenger infected with AI.  The event was 
broadcast over live TV              and Premier Su 
Tseng-chang presided over the exercise. The exercise was 
 
SIPDIS 
conducted on a small                scale and showed good 
interagency coordination but the system has not been tested 
for a large                   influx of people.  END SUMMARY. 
 
AI CONTROL AT THE AIRPORT 
------------------------- 
 
¶2.  Taiwan's Department of Health (DOH), its Center for 
Disease Control (TCDC), together with the Ministry of 
Transportation and Communications (MOTC) and the Department 
of the Interior organized an exercise at Taipei's Chiang 
Kai-shek (CKS) international airport on April 6 to test 
Taiwan's response to arriving airline passengers carrying the 
AI virus.  DOH Minister Hou Sheng-mou and TCDC Director 
Steven Kuo conducted the exercise while Premier Su 
Tseng-chang observed the entire process.  The exercise, 
 
SIPDIS 
including Premier Su's critique, was broadcast over live TV. 
In the scenario, the World Health Organization (WHO) has 
declared a phase 5 alert (human to human transmission 
confirmed) and  Taiwan authorities react by issuing their own 
AI alert (human to human transmission confirmed). 
 
EMPHASIS ON CONTROL AT THE PORT OF ENTRY 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  In the scenario, an hour before arrival, the airplane 
captain reports that two passengers on board have a fever. 
The CKS control tower instructs the captain to announce that 
all arriving passengers must undergo a seven-day isolation 
period.  Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) notifies 
overseas offices that travelers arriving in Taiwan from 
country X must undergo quarantine in Taiwan.  The Taiwan 
Council of Labor Affairs also bans entry of laborers from 
country X. 
 
¶4.  Upon arrival at CKS, all passengers undergo temperature 
checks before immigration and customs.  Those with a fever 
are given a more detailed exam and sent to the hospital in 
Taoyuan (near the airport) for observation.  The airport 
establishes holding stations where passengers free of 
symptoms, but on the same flight with feverish passengers, 
are further evaluated.  All are sent to quarantine stations 
for seven days of observation. One passenger tried to smuggle 
birds; the birds were destroyed and he was taken to district 
court to face charges. (Observers later questioned why the 
smuggler was not put into quarantine.) 
 
CRITIQUE 
-------- 
 
¶5.  Premier Su Tseng-chang provided a critique at the 
conclusion of the exercise.  He said the exercise had gone 
smoothly but noted that real conditions would be much 
tougher.  He said other ports of entry (air and sea) also 
need to be ready for AI episodes and he urged the media to 
distribute information on AI.  TCDC will conduct a thorough 
review of the procedures, regulations, and coordination 
between agencies before the next exercise takes place. 
 
COMMENT. 
-------- 
¶6.  The exercise was conducted on a small scale so it was 
relatively easy to handle the small number of people.  It 
remains to be seen how airport and medical authorities will 
handle large numbers of patients such as what happened during 
the SARS episode.  Medical procedures need to be uniformly 
applied, AIT noted that not everyone who was checking the 
passengers was wearing mask and gloves. END COMMENT 
 
            YOUNG 
YOUNG