Taiwan was a Covid success story. Now it's fighting its biggest outbreak
CNN
Taiwan has imposed new restrictions including limits on gatherings in its capital as it battles its biggest coronavirus outbreak since the start of the pandemic last year.
The democratically-ruled island off the coast of China, widely praised as a success for its handling of Covid-19, reported 207 new cases Sunday -- a record single-day rise. One infection was imported from India, while the others were all locally transmitted. Taiwanese authorities imposed new social distancing measures Saturday, closing bars, clubs and gyms around the island, and restricting indoor gatherings in Taipei and the surrounding New Taipei City to five people. In Taipei, people must wear masks outdoors -- failure to do so is punishable by a fine of 3,000 to 15,000 New Taiwanese dollars ($107 to $535).Elected officials, Jewish advocacy groups and civil rights leaders are vowing to “push back” against the message of a White nationalist group that staged a march last week near downtown Columbus, Ohio, calling the demonstration an act of hate unwelcome in their community – and the United States more broadly.
Senate Democrats have confirmed some of President Joe Biden’s picks for the federal bench this week in the face of President-elect Donald Trump’s calls for a total GOP blockade of judicial nominations – in part because several Republicans involved with the Trump transition process have been missing votes.