TAIPEI: "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs" (MOFA) has issued a yellow travel alert concerning travel to Sweden, Poland, and Guatemala, bringing to 26 the number of countries and areas that Taiwan has tagged with a yellow advisory since the outbreak of A (H1N1) flu around the world.

In light of the fact that Sweden, Poland and Guatemala have confirmed human infections of H1N1 swine flu, the government has issued a yellow travel alert for those countries and is advising citizens to take precautions on health concerns, the MOFA said in a press release.

On the MOFA's three-color travel advisory scale, a yellow alert serves as a reminder for travelers to exercise caution, an orange travel alert advises travelers to postpone trips, and a red alert warns travelers not to enter the area in question.

At present, Mexico is the only country for which the MOFA has issued a red travel alert, where the current outbreak of H1N1 flu was first identified.

To date, Taiwan has issued yellow alerts for 26 countries and areas, including the United States, Canada, Britain, Germany, Holland, South Korea, and Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, a Taiwanese quarantine physician who visited Mexico last week to witness efforts to contain the outbreak of A (H1N1) influenza, returned to Taiwan Wednesday with a sore throat and runny nose but was confirmed yesterday to be free of the A (H1N1) virus.

Huang Sung-en, a quarantine doctor with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) under the Department of Health, has recovered from her symptoms.

Huang arrived in Mexico City May 1 from the United States - where she had been receiving training at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in April .

Meeting the press with CDC officials yesterday, Huang said she is confident about Taiwan's preparedness against a pandemic in light of its experiences in battling SARS in 2003.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 05/08/2009 page1)