Organizers would strive to hold this year’s Taipei International Comics and Animation Festival as planned, the Chinese Animation & Comic Publishers Association said on Tuesday.
The festival is scheduled for Thursday next week to Feb. 8.
If it goes ahead, people would be barred from lining up to enter the venue the night before the doors open, while a maximum of 9,000 people would be allowed inside at a time, the association said, citing the possibility that a COVID-19 cluster infection centered on Taoyuan General Hospital would prompt authorities to cancel public events.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
People would be asked to wear goggles, the association said, adding that it would have personnel on patrols to warn against eating and drinking on the premises.
Association secretary-general Kao Shih-chuang (高世樁) said that it has not received an official notice from the government regarding the virus situation.
Precautionary measures such as masks, temperature taking and requiring identification, as well registering visitor information, such as time of entry, would be enforced, Kao said.
People would be asked to maintain a one-person gap between those in lines, while there would be strict crowd control measures enforced at each booth, he said.
Organizer Kuei Jung Exhibition Co said that it expects the same number of companies to participate in the festival this year as last year, although there would likely be fewer visitors due to the COVID-19 situation.
Comic festivals usually draw high-school students, Kuei Jung Exhibition said, adding that it would allow online registration this year.
The festival is often where firms promote limited-edition merchandise, and invite renowned illustrators and comic artists to speak or sign autographs, the company said.
However, due to the pandemic, such merchandise might be sold online this year, while autograph sessions might be canceled, it said.
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