The Taipei City Government yesterday canceled this year’s Lunar New Year market on Dihua Street and postponed the Taipei Lantern Festival over COVID-19 concerns.
The market was to open on Thursday next week and run through Feb. 10, while the lantern festival was to run from Feb. 26 to March 7.
Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said that the decisions were made after considering the COVID-19 situation reported by the Central Epidemic Command Center and discussions with city departments.
Photo: CNA
“We think it is inappropriate to hold a large public event at this time, so the Lunar New Year market’s brick-and-mortar activities have been canceled, and the Taipei Lantern Festival postponed,” Ko said.
A cluster of infections linked to a Taoyuan hospital over the past week has spread to family members of healthcare professionals, and the next few days are critical to observe whether local transmission
has occurred, he said.
The lantern festival would be held later in the year, when the virus situation improves, he said.
Taipei Department of Economic Development Commissioner Lin Chung-chieh (林崇傑) said that the online Dihua market would go ahead.
Ko said he has asked Taipei Deputy Mayor Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) to discuss and draft compensation rules for organizers commissioned to prepare major city events if there are further COVID-19 disruptions.
Asked whether the hospital should conduct mass testing, Ko said that testing does not detect the virus in people who are in the early stage of the incubation period.
The purpose of mass testing is to detect asymptomatic carriers, whose number is relatively small, Ko said, adding that disease prevention should be implemented in a cost effective way.
The city government has set up standard operating procedures in case the COVID-19 situation worsens and community spread is confirmed, including temporarily halting meal sharing services for elderly people and limiting the number of people at gatherings, he said.
However, details on the tightened measures do not need to be announced at this time, as they would only frighten people, he said.
Separately, the Ministry of the Interior issued notices to religious groups, asking them to consider suspending large events.
Jenn Lann Temple (鎮瀾宮) in Taichung’s Dajia District (大甲) said that it would not hold an event at which people race to place the first incense in a burner.
The New Taipei City-based Dharma Drum Mountain organization said that it would livestream its annual event on Lunar New Year’s Eve on Feb. 11.
Yunglian Temple (湧蓮寺) in New Taipei City’s Luzhou District (蘆洲) said that it was still discussing whether it would hold its annual events, adding that it would decide by Wednesday next week.
Nanyao Temple (南瑤宮) in Changhua County said that it is suspending its midnight incense run on Feb. 11.
Fusing Temple (福興宮) in Yunlin County’s Xiluo Township (西螺) said it has canceled its run and would instead have a representative place the first incense.
However, it would continue with its hongbao (紅包, “red envelope”) distribution event, although it would mandate that everyone wear a mask on temple grounds.
Fo Guang Shan Temple (佛光山) in Kaohsiung said it has canceled all of its Lunar New Year events.
Tzunan Temple (紫南宮) in Nantou County announced that it is canceling events, while the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival (鹽水蜂炮) in Tainan has also been canceled.
However, Pingtung City, as well as Chaozhou (潮州) and Neipu (內埔) townships in Pingtung County, are going ahead with market events, citing financial losses of more than NT$10 million (US$351,927) if they are canceled.
The Chaozhou Township Office and Pingtung Mayor Lin Hsieh-sung (林協松) said that they would cancel the events if the center orders them to do so.
Additional reporting by Yeh Yung-chien and CNA
‘LOCAL TRANSMISSION’: The nation reported 11 new cases, including seven local infections in the north, the highest daily number of cases since the pandemic began The COVD-19 situation has entered the “local transmission” stage and enhanced disease prevention measures have been implemented until June 8, the Central Epidemic Command Center announced yesterday as it reported six locally transmitted cases with unclear infection sources. The center reported 11 new cases yesterday: four imported cases from India, and seven local infections in northern Taiwan, the highest daily number of cases since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said that one of the local infections — case No. 1,201 — is a woman who is a family member living with
SIXTEEN LOCAL: Three COVID-19 infections are linked to a cluster at a gambling house in Yilan County, 10 to a case in New Taipei City and three had unclear sources The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday urged people to increase vigilance and thoroughly practice preventive measures against COVID-19 as it reported 16 locally transmitted cases of the disease. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said that 21 cases were confirmed in Taiwan yesterday: 16 local cases, four imported cases and one case undetermined. The locally transmitted cases are three linked to a cluster of infections at a gambling house in Yilan County, 10 associated with a previous case in New Taipei City and three with unclear sources of infection. The CECC on Tuesday reported a cluster
TRACING TROUBLE: An infected man who had said that all his children were abroad was found to have a daughter in Kaohsiung who tested positive, the center said The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported a new daily record of 29 local COVID-19 cases, including seven cases with unknown sources of infection. Of the 29 cases, 16 are linked to tea houses in Taipei’s Wanhua District (萬華), Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, told a news briefing in Taipei. The 16 are tea house workers or visitors, or their contacts, the CECC said. Workers and visitors to the establishments have frequent interpersonal contact, but few protective measures against the COVID-19 pandemic are in place, Chen said, urging those who have been exposed or have
GRID PROBLEM: A Taipower spokesman said that the blackouts were not due to usage exceeding supply, nor were they because of a problem at the Singda plant There were rolling blackouts across Taiwan yesterday due to a grid malfunction at the Singda Power Plant (興達電廠) in Kaohsiung’s Yongan District (永安), while Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電) said that it was working “as hard as possible to resolve the issue as soon as possible.” At 2:37pm, a malfunction at an ultra-high-voltage substation in Kaohsiung’s Lujhu District (路竹) triggered four generators at the Singda plant to go offline, cutting power output by 2.2 million kilowatts and prompting Taipower to initiate rolling blackouts nationwide as it worked on the problem. Taipower spokesman Chang Ting-shu (張廷抒) told a news conference in Taipei that
RSS