The indoor mask mandate would be lifted on Feb. 20 except in medical facilities, nursing homes, public transportation and other designated locations as the COVID-19 situation stabilizes, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday.
However, the mandate would remain in place for all school levels, including kindergartens, daycare centers, after-school childcare centers and cram schools, until March 6 to prevent a spread of the virus at the beginning of the spring semester, the center said.
The announcement comes after the center in December scrapped a policy that required people to wear masks at all times, even outdoors.
Photo: CNA
From Feb. 20, the mask mandate would apply only to people accessing hospitals, ambulances, rehabilitation buses, nursing homes, child and youth service facilities, mental health and welfare institutions, as well as those using railway, cable car, public bus, taxi or air and sea transport services, said Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝), who heads the CECC.
However, people in such locations would be allowed to temporarily remove their masks to eat or drink, take pictures or undergo medical exams, Wang said.
“We advise elderly people or those with weak immune systems to continue wearing a mask,” he said.
“People with respiratory symptoms, as well as those attending large gatherings and visiting crowded areas, should wear a mask as well. In other circumstances, they can decide for themselves whether they should wear a mask,” he added.
Ministry of Education Chief Secretary Lai Hsing-kuo (廖興國) said the spring semester for elementary and junior-high schools is to start on Monday next week.
“Teachers and students had the 10-day Lunar New Year holiday and the winter break. After the semester begins, they will have the 228 Peace Memorial Day long weekend. During these holidays, they are likely to visit crowded places and come in close contact with strangers,” Liang said.
“Since 2020, schools have reminded teachers and students to monitor their temperature and wash their hands often during the first two to three weeks of a semester. We think the mask mandate should be gradually eased following an observation period,” he said.
Parents and education groups also agreed that schools should be cautious to prevent a COVID-19 outbreak on campuses, particularly at the beginning of the semester, he added.
CECC specialist advisory panel convener Chang Shan-chwen (張上淳) listed several reasons behind the center’s decision to lift the mask mandate.
“The level of herd immunity has dramatically increased, with more than 60 percent of the population contracting the virus through natural infection,” he said.
“Meanwhile, the booster vaccination rate has reached 76 percent. Herd immunity is strong enough to support easing of the mask mandate,” he added.
Some subvariants of SARS-CoV-2 have so far led to small outbreaks without causing a drastic increase in the number of hospitalizations, Chang said.
“Judging from the experiences of South Korea and other Asian countries, most people would voluntarily wear a mask when they are indoors even if they are no longer required to do so. People can decide whether wearing a mask is necessary,” Chang said.
The timing to ease the mask mandate is also reasonable, as most Asian countries only enforce mask mandates in designated locations, he added.
Chang also said that the advisory panel would consider whether those who test positive for COVID-19 should still undergo mandatory isolation, but added that an easing of the requirement would depend on the COVID-19 situation at home and abroad.
Asked whether easing the mask mandate would further strain the nation’s healthcare system, given that it is the season for influenza, enterovirus and other respiratory diseases, Chang said that none of the diseases have caused a large-scale outbreak since the end of last year.
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