Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday announced that the capital is easing its disease prevention measures, with rules concerning schools and educational activities being relaxed starting today.
After raising Taipei’s COVID-19 alert level to 2.5 at the end of last month, Ko said yesterday that he believes that “communities in Taipei are clean” since seven domestic cases in Taipei last week were all reported during quarantine with known sources of infection.
Starting today, junior-high schools, high schools and vocational high schools are to be reopened to the public, and graduation trips and field trips can resume as long as the students have been vaccinated, he said.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
About 98 percent of the city’s students at junior-high and above have been fully vaccinated, he added.
Those who have not received two shots of vaccine can still take the trips as long as they take a COVID-19 test and receive a negative result within three days of the trip, Ko said.
As kindergarten and elementary-school students have not been vaccinated, their schools are to remain closed to the public and only field trips in Taipei would be allowed, he said.
A class is to be suspended for 14 days if a single infection is reported and the whole school is to be suspended for 14 days if two infections or more are reported, Ko said.
Capacity limits for venues such as zoos and public libraries would also be lifted, he said.
Eating and drinking is to be allowed in movie theaters and on restaurant buses, but employees should comply with the EU vaccination regulations and people who have not been fully vaccinated can only use takeout services, he added.
Separately yesterday, the Ministry of Education announced that 1,156 foreign teachers who have received work permits can apply for a special entry permit to enter Taiwan.
Visa applications are to resume today, it said.
Due to strict border control measures implemented by the Central Epidemic Command Center, Taiwan’s overseas offices had suspended all visa applications for the past two years.
Foreign teachers arriving in Taiwan would be required to submit a polymerase chain reaction test result within two days of their flight and provide vaccination certificates, the ministry said.
After entering Taiwan, they have to complete a 14-day quarantine and seven days of self-health management, during which period six further tests would be carried out, it said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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