Customer flow management will be tailored to reflect the different types of shopping facilities as part of the efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Taipei Deputy Mayor Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) said yesterday as she toured Chengde Market (成德市場) and Yongchun Market (永春市場) to inspect their disease-prevention efforts.
She praised the markets for having instituting temperature checks at their entrances and having hand sanitizers there as well, in line with the central government’s push for shopping venues to open only a single entrance/exit.
Huang said she had discussed the customer flow at public markets with the Taipei Market Administration Office.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
A single entrance/exit improves customer flow management, but maintaining a single entrance/exit at night markets and shopping districts would be difficult, she said.
The city government would ask businesses to come up with customer flow management plans for it to review, she added.
Asked if Taipei would follow New Taipei City in fining night market customers or stall owners who do not keep a mask on except for when they are eating, Huang said: “We would not let people who are not wearing a mask enter public markets, so there is no need to impose a fine, unless an individual refuses to obey the rule and insists on entering.”
However, punishments should not be the only option, and the city government would prefer to use persuasion, she added.
Wearing a mask is part of efforts to ensure people can continue to work, so keeping markets safe for stall owners and customers is crucial, she said.
Asked if movie theaters, pubs and other recreational spots should be closed, Huang said such sites might not be dangerous if proper social distancing is practiced.
Very few people are going to movies these days, and those that do wear masks, and so far there have been no confirmed COVID-19 cases traced back to a recreational site, so people do not have to be too worried, she said, adding: “Social distancing is key.”
Taiwan has done a good job in keeping its case numbers low, and it is one of the few nations where schools and workplaces are still open, so everyone should maintaining safe social distances and personal protection, she said.
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