MOI: religious activities suspended until June 14

According to The China Post, the Ministry of Interior (MOI, 內政部) announced that the temporary suspension of all religious temples’ activities throughout Taiwan until June 14.

The statement came in response to the Central Epidemic Command Center’s (CECC, 中央流行疫情指揮中心) latest announcement that the Level 3 epidemic warning will remain in place for two more weeks (until June 14).

The MOI’s decision extends to all types of religious activities, including funerals, with the aim of lowering the risk of participants contracting the virus.

The China Post mentions, in light of the recent spikes in local cases, the MOI argues that there is a high risk of transmission of the coronavirus even if participants register themselves on the name-based registration system and wear face masks.

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In the eventuality of cluster infections, the MOI stressed that such events will add a huge burden to the domestic epidemic prevention system. Accordingly, all places of worship, temples, churches, mosques and more are temporarily closed to the public.

The China Post says, if worshippers can avoid gathering together, however, the MOI indicated that worshipers can still participate in outdoor religious events as long as they comply with social distancing and wear face masks.

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