Arts and cultural institutions and schools have changed plans after the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Tuesday extended the nationwide level 3 COVID-19 alert to June 14.
The ceremony for the 32nd Golden Melody Awards, originally scheduled to be held at the Taipei Arena on June 26, has been postponed, the Ministry of Culture said yesterday.
Details, including when and how the ceremony would be held, are to be announced at a later date, it said.
Photo: Chen Yi-chuan, Taipei Times
The ministry has planned several possible solutions, it said, adding that it would settle on a new time and format that would comply with the CECC’s latest guidelines following discussions with the organizers.
Preventing the spread of COVID-19 is the nation’s most important task at this stage, Minister of Culture Lee Yung-te (李永得) said.
“Only by working together to protect Taiwan can we allow all arts and cultural groups to return to the stage as soon as possible,” he said.
National Taiwan University yesterday said that it has canceled its commencement ceremony originally scheduled to take place at the university’s sports center in Taipei on Saturday next week.
Instead, a pre-recorded video would be broadcast online on June 26, the university said.
Details about the video presentation would be announced at a later date, while the commencement speaker would not be announced until the day of the virtual event, it said.
The Ministry of Education on Tuesday said that schools at all levels across the nation would continue suspending in-person instruction until June 14.
All schools have also been asked to either cancel their graduation ceremonies or hold them online, the education ministry said.
Indoor gatherings of more than five people and outdoor gatherings of more than 10 people are prohibited under level 3 restrictions.
Exhibition and sports venues, including theaters, auditoriums, stadiums, concert halls, performance halls, museums, memorial halls, activity centers, indoor swimming pools and amusement parks, are also closed when a level 3 COVID-19 alert is in place.
With more people using videoconferencing to study or work from home, the National Palace Museum yesterday said it has released six background images for people to download and use during their video conferences.
The images, which are available on its Web site, depict the museum’s buildings in Taipei and Chiayi County, as well as works of art in its collection.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
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