According to CECC, on May 15, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced that in response to continued severity of COVID-19 in Taiwan and an increasing level of community transmission, shown by cases of unknown sources of infection as well as cluster infections in Taipei City and New Taipei City, it would raise the epidemic warning level for the two cities to Level 3 and would strengthen related measures, effective from today to May 28.
Related restrictions and measures are listed below.
A. Nation epidemic prevention measures:
1. Closure of leisure and entertainment venues: singing and dance venues, bars and clubs, KTVs, MTVs, hair salons, massage parlours, bowling alleys, pool halls, gyms (including government sport centers), fitness and recreational centers (including facilities offering Shiatsu massage services, sauna rooms, and other weight-loss and body toning facilities), indoor golf practice areas employing screens, arcades, Internet cafes, majiang clubs and other similar venues.
2. Religious rites and rituals: A halt to all pilgrimages and processions associated with temples or churches. Other events should ensure contact-information registration, social distancing and heightened disinfection measures;
3. Campuses in elementary and middle schools to be closed to the public;
4. A halt to all activities involving the handover of leadership of all sports and social clubs and societies.
B. Measures imposed on Taipei City and New Taipei City, which are under a Level 3 epidemic alert, effective from May 15 to May 28, are listed below.
- Closure of leisure and entertainment venues and other venues listed below:
- Sports and exhibition venues: exhibitions, movie screening venues (cinemas and theaters), auditoriums, gymnasiums, performance venues (music halls, performance halls, museums, galleries, exhibition halls, historical relic museums, and memorial halls), activity centers, indoor ice rinks, indoor swimming pools, amusement parks, amusement arcades for children and similar venues.
- Educational facilities: community colleges, senior learning centers, training centers, study centers, social educational institutions (libraries, social education halls, science education halls), senior centers and other similar venues.
- Wear a mask outdoors;
Avoid unnecessary movement, activities or gatherings;
4. All family or social gatherings involving over 5 people indoors or 10 people outdoors are suspended;
5. Self-health monitoring (those with symptoms should seek medical attention)
6. Business venues and places where personal business is conducted should implement crowd and flow control and enforce the wearing of masks and social distancing;
7. Workplaces should follow the epidemic prevention rules in the Guidelines for Enterprise Planning of Business Continuity in Response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019, and put individual and work place health management mechanisms into action, as well as measures to maintain business continuity (like working in multiple offices, distance working and flexible working hours);
8. Food and beverage vendors should use epidemic prevention measures, such as contact-information registration, social distancing and dividers. Those that cannot adopt those measures are urged to offer take-out services;
9. Weddings and funerals should implement contact-information registration, social distancing and enhanced disinfection;
10. Enhanced disinfection of public places and public transport.
Measures concerning the medical response systems in the areas under a Level 3 epidemic alert include the following:
1. Expansion of dedicated wards
2.Traffic control bundling and patient ward segregation
3. Outdoor testing posts
4. Widespread use of distance consultations and medical treatment
5. Proactive setup of designated and responding hospitals
People in the Level 2 and 3 areas are urged to reduce unnecessary movement between areas.
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Disease control countrywide: New Taipei City and Taipei City have now raised COVID-19 alerts to Level 3. Image courtesy of Executive Yuan. (5張同)
