Keelung Mayor's Earlier Quip About Not Being 'Stubborn' on Rats Revisited After Hantavirus Case; Councilors Criticize Slow Response
After Keelung City Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang jokingly responded "let's not be stubborn" to councilors' early warnings about a rat problem, a hantavirus case has been confirmed. Councilors are now criticizing the city government for a response that was "half a beat slow." The patient, a man from New Taipei City, was bitten by a rat while working in Keelung on April 7 and was confirmed positive on May 19. The city government stated it is acting with the "fastest action."
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 19, 2026 at 16:19
- 🔍 Collected: May 19, 2026 at 16:31 (12 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 19, 2026 at 23:19 (6h 48m after Collected)
(CNA, Keelung, May 19, by reporter Wang Chao-yu) When Keelung City councilors recently questioned Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang, urging him to address the city's rat problem sooner rather than later, Hsieh responded with a smile, "With the councilors' kind reminder, let's not be stubborn." Unexpectedly, a hantavirus case has now emerged in Keelung, leading councilors to criticize the city government's epidemic prevention as being "half a beat slow."
On May 12, during a general review of municipal affairs at the city council, DPP Keelung City Councilors Tseng Yi-fang and Wu Hua-chia raised concerns about the rat issue. They noted that even before netizens developed a "Rat Sighting Map," Keelung already had several hotspots. As a culinary capital with tourist night markets, traditional markets, and high foot traffic around the port area, they questioned whether the city government had a response plan ready and if the Health Bureau and Environmental Protection Bureau had taken relevant actions in case of a hantavirus outbreak.
In his response, Hsieh Kuo-liang said he would ask the Health Bureau to pay special attention. Regarding the councilors' kind reminder, he said, "Let's not be stubborn about it. When everyone has such good intentions, we shouldn't say Keelung doesn't have such problems, or that the problem isn't serious. Sometimes saying that backfires... so let's not be stubborn." He added that if the councilors are concerned about environmental maintenance, the city government will act on it.
Tseng Yi-fang stated today that despite reminding the city government to strengthen epidemic prevention when the council session began, Keelung has now recorded its first hantavirus case. She noted that apart from the Environmental Protection Bureau's cleaning of drains, there has been no visible enhancement of epidemic prevention or publicity efforts around areas like markets and night markets, calling the response "half a beat slow." She urged the city government to take the rat problem seriously and engage in advance deployment and proactive prevention to avoid escalation.
Wu Hua-chia pointed out that a week after her questioning, it was revealed that a hantavirus case had actually occurred in Keelung a month ago. She argued the city government should implement more thorough preventive measures. Besides disinfecting drains, cleaning and disinfection should be intensified at locations prone to illegal dumping, such as around light poles, utility poles, pipes, and industrial roads. She also suggested that citizens should be notified before disinfection to prevent rats from fleeing into homes, ensuring effective prevention.
In response to the criticism, the Keelung City Government stated, "The city government is acting with the fastest action to prevent the epidemic and hopes that both the ruling and opposition parties can work together, setting aside differences."
According to information from the Keelung and New Taipei City Governments, the case is a man in his 40s from Linkou District, New Taipei City. He was bitten by a rat while cleaning his workplace in Keelung on April 7. He developed symptoms such as fever on May 2. After treatment, he is expected to be discharged today. The Centers for Disease Control of the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced this afternoon that the man was confirmed to have hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. (Editor: Li Hsi-chang)
On May 12, during a general review of municipal affairs at the city council, DPP Keelung City Councilors Tseng Yi-fang and Wu Hua-chia raised concerns about the rat issue. They noted that even before netizens developed a "Rat Sighting Map," Keelung already had several hotspots. As a culinary capital with tourist night markets, traditional markets, and high foot traffic around the port area, they questioned whether the city government had a response plan ready and if the Health Bureau and Environmental Protection Bureau had taken relevant actions in case of a hantavirus outbreak.
In his response, Hsieh Kuo-liang said he would ask the Health Bureau to pay special attention. Regarding the councilors' kind reminder, he said, "Let's not be stubborn about it. When everyone has such good intentions, we shouldn't say Keelung doesn't have such problems, or that the problem isn't serious. Sometimes saying that backfires... so let's not be stubborn." He added that if the councilors are concerned about environmental maintenance, the city government will act on it.
Tseng Yi-fang stated today that despite reminding the city government to strengthen epidemic prevention when the council session began, Keelung has now recorded its first hantavirus case. She noted that apart from the Environmental Protection Bureau's cleaning of drains, there has been no visible enhancement of epidemic prevention or publicity efforts around areas like markets and night markets, calling the response "half a beat slow." She urged the city government to take the rat problem seriously and engage in advance deployment and proactive prevention to avoid escalation.
Wu Hua-chia pointed out that a week after her questioning, it was revealed that a hantavirus case had actually occurred in Keelung a month ago. She argued the city government should implement more thorough preventive measures. Besides disinfecting drains, cleaning and disinfection should be intensified at locations prone to illegal dumping, such as around light poles, utility poles, pipes, and industrial roads. She also suggested that citizens should be notified before disinfection to prevent rats from fleeing into homes, ensuring effective prevention.
In response to the criticism, the Keelung City Government stated, "The city government is acting with the fastest action to prevent the epidemic and hopes that both the ruling and opposition parties can work together, setting aside differences."
According to information from the Keelung and New Taipei City Governments, the case is a man in his 40s from Linkou District, New Taipei City. He was bitten by a rat while cleaning his workplace in Keelung on April 7. He developed symptoms such as fever on May 2. After treatment, he is expected to be discharged today. The Centers for Disease Control of the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced this afternoon that the man was confirmed to have hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. (Editor: Li Hsi-chang)