Authorities over the weekend carried out checks at entertainment facilities throughout the nation, fining businesses for breaching disease prevention rules.
The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Wednesday imposed a nationwide level 3 COVID-19 alert, after level 3 alerts were implemented in Taipei and New Taipei City on Saturday last week, requiring KTVs, dance clubs and related entertainment businesses to remain closed until May 28.
Police in Changhua County yesterday reported that they had fined a bar NT$60,000 for opening despite CECC orders, and found women from Vietnam and Thailand allegedly involved in prostitution.
Officials in Nantou County yesterday said that they had found contraventions at 11 high-risk businesses.
Police in Kaohsiung, New Taipei City, Hsinchu City and other cities and counties also reported breaches.
The National Police Agency has mandated local police precincts to increase checks on high-risk businesses, including teahouses, nightclubs, entertainment venues and businesses suspected of being involved in sex trade, citing reports of teahouse hostesses moving to central and southern Taiwan to offer their services there and evade enhanced checks in Taipei and New Taipei City.
Separately yesterday, the Taiwan Association for Human Rights called on the agency to take measured steps that allow officers to also focus on disease prevention efforts.
The agency should halt search operations targeting undocumented migrant workers, and naturalized citizens originally from China and Southeast Asia working at teahouses, bars and in the adult entertainment sector, it said.
“Such actions might constitute human rights abuses,” the group said. “They are also against CECC guidelines, and stigmatize foreign workers and people working in those businesses.”
Increasing the checks might lead to people going into hiding, which would block their access to services necessary during the COVID-19 outbreak, it said.
However, if police detain suspects working in these fields, they should bring them to a local hospital for COVID-19 testing, the group said.
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