The Council of Agriculture’s Forestry Bureau on Saturday closed a dozen hiking trails in Kaohsiung and Pingtung County to tourists until Friday over COVID-19 concerns.
The enforcement of mask rules for hikers was not feasible, the agency said, adding that due to the outbreak, there was a shortage of medical personnel to rescue stranded hikers.
The public should remain home until the COVID-19 situation eases, it said.
Photo: Lee Li-fa, Taipei Times
The Shuangsi Tropical Arboretum Trail (雙溪樹木園步道), the Lingshan Trail (靈山步道), the Yueguangshan Trail (月光山步道), part of the Liouguei Security Path (六龜警備道), the Weiliaoshan Trail (尾寮山步道), the Northern Dawushan Trail (北大武山步道), the Mount Kavulungan Trail (筏灣泰武步道), the Shihmenshan Trail (石門山步道), the Gaoshifoshan Trail (高士佛山步道), parts of the Jinshueiying Ancient Trail (浸水營古道) and the Lilongshan Trail (里龍山步道) have been closed.
Also on Saturday, the Fisheries Agency said that recreational fishing would be halted at four fishing ports — Keelung’s Badouzi (八斗子), Yilan County’s Wushih (烏石), Tainan’s Anping (安平) and Pingtung County’s Donggang Yanpu (東港鹽埔) — to prevent the spread of the virus.
An order to close the ports to recreational fishing had been filed with the city and county governments on the previous day, it said, adding that offenders would face a fine as stipulated by the Fishing Port Act (漁港法).
Photo courtesy of Sun Link Sea Vacation Resorts
Yesterday, the Kenting National Park Headquarters said it was closing 11 beaches and scenic spots in the park as part of disease prevention measures.
Watersports are also temporarily banned along the park’s coastline, it added.
The move affects beaches at Baisha (白沙), Nanwan (南灣), Dawan (大灣), Fishers’ Village Park (漁村公園) and Siaowan (小灣), as well as scenic spots at Chuanfan Rock (船帆石), Wanlitong (萬里桐), Houbihu (後壁湖) and Houwan (後灣), it said.
Offenders would face fines of up to NT$15,000, as stipulated by the Communicable Disease Control Act (傳染病防治法), the agency said.
In other news, the private operator of Shanlin River Forest Park (杉林溪) in Nantou County said that people visiting the Carefree Forest (忘憂森林) should be wary of falling timber.
The Carefree Forest is a wetland area in the cypress forest that is famous for its enchanting views when enshrouded in fog.
However, the current drought has dried up the area, making dead trees unstable and prone to falling over, Sun Link Sea Vacation Resorts official Chiang Hua-chang (江華章) said, adding that people should stay clear of the wetland and its dead cypress trees, to avoid being crushed by falling logs.
Additional reporting by Yang Yuan-ting,
Chen Yan-ting and Hsieh Chieh-yu
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