Taipei City Government

With the arrival of the dengue fever season, the Commissioner of Health Huang Shier-chieg and Commissioner of Environmental Protection Liou Ming-lone held a meeting to synchronize plans to prevent the further spread of the disease on July 23.
 
Xinzhuang District of New Taipei City reported 2 confirmed indigenous cases last week – the first for this year. Given the close proximity to Taipei City and the number of people commuting between the two municipalities on a daily basis, The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced that it will step up efforts in patrolling and conducting environment cleanup to reduce the possibility of outbreaks.
 
In addition, it also requested the assistance of the Education Department in helping to maintain a clean environment at schools, as well as help from the Parks and Street Lights Office and Geotechnical Engineering Office to oversee sanitation at parks and other areas under their respective jurisdictions. A joint effort involving staff across all 12 of the city’s districts will also take place on July 15, including agency workers, volunteers, and community residents.  
 
Over a 5-day period, the agency dispatched 300 workers to clean up 145 locations, emptying out 190 water containers and removing 103 kg of garbage.
 
According to the DEP, due to frequent heavy rain over the past weeks, empty containers and vessels in outdoor areas can collect water and become the breeding ground for mosquitos which carry the dengue virus. The agency advices households to conduct frequent check on containers such as vases, pots, plates, waste tires, and other items that might collect rainwater to clean, empty out, or dispose these items to minimize the chance of mosquitos breeding.