Pupils all across Taiwan returned to school yesterday following a mandatory three week extension of their Chinese New Year holidays as a precautionary measure in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak.

The Ministry of Labor set this year's Equal Pay Day on 21 February, two days earlier than last year, based on estimates that women needed to work that far into the year to earn the same amount that men did last year.

The ECCT is pleased to announce that the chamber has formed a news sharing partnership with ICRT. Under the new cooperative agreement, the ECCT will publish selected ICRT news stories in the News section of Euroview online as well as ICRT's weekly “Taiwan this Week” podcast. In return, ICRT will draw on or cite selected content from Euroview and the ECCT's website.

Taiwan's Legislative Yuan (LY) has passed a bill authorising a series of measures aimed at supporting businesses and workers in Taiwan affected by the 2019 novel coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak. The Special Act on COVID-19 Prevention, Relief and Restoration was shortly afterwards signed into law by President Tsai Ing-wen. The act authorises the use of NT$60 billion (US$1.9 billion). Implementation is backdated to activities starting from 15 January this year and will end on 30 June next year.

Global stock markets suffered some of their worst drops in more than two years on Monday, following fears that the outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus (Covid-19) will be much more damaging to the economy than originally feared.

The European Commission has announced a new aid package worth €232 to support global efforts to tackle the Covid-19 outbreak.

Authorities in Italy have imposed strict quarantine restrictions in the two northern regions of Lombardy and Veneto, close to Milan and Venice, following a large coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak.

The number of confirmed 2019 novel coronavirus (Covid-19) cases in Taiwan continues to rise, although at a scale and pace much slower than in China. Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) has reported two more confirmed coronavirus cases in Taiwan, bringing the total number of cases in Taiwan to 24, with one death since the outbreak began.

The tourism industry is taking the hit from the 2019 novel coronavirus (Covid-19) by the drop in the number of both international and local tourists. Airlines and hotels have been the most affected given their large operating costs.