Two major international orchid shows scheduled to take place in Taichung and Tainan next month have been postponed due to concern over the spread of COVID-19.
Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) said in a statement that he decided to postpone the Taiwan International Orchid Show, which was scheduled to take place from Saturday next week to March 16, after consulting with the Taiwan Orchid Growers Association and in consideration of public health.
The annual show, which is held at the Taiwan Orchid Plantation in the city’s Houbi District (後壁), attracted more than 210,000 visitors last year, creating NT$11.3 billion (US$372.6 million) in export opportunities, Huang said.
Huang added that he hoped the show could be rescheduled for the second half of the year.
In Taichung, Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) said that the triennial World Orchid Conference, which was scheduled to be held from March 9 to 18, would be postponed “to a later time in 2020 after COVID-19 has subsided.”
Taiwan Orchid Growers Association secretary-general Tseng Chun-pi (曾俊弼) said that the impact of the postponement on the industry was difficult to calculate, while Tainan Agriculture Bureau Director Hsieh Yao-ching (謝耀清) said the city would work to adjust its contracts with the association and assist the group in seeking compensation from the Council of Agriculture.
In other news, Taipei 101 and Pacific Sogo Department Stores yesterday began taking the temperatures of shoppers, denying entry to those with readings of 37.5oC or higher.
Other measures have also been taken to combat the spread of disease, including improving the ventilation system to keep the building’s air clean and more intensively disinfecting elevators, escalators and restrooms in the shopping mall, Taipei 101 said.
Sogo said that its elevators, escalators and restrooms are disinfected every two hours, and customer service counters, VIP rooms and children playgrounds are disinfected every hour, with their frequency being increased during holidays.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
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