Without the opportunity to go on dates, single people have been left struggling for ways to connect with a partner amid the COVID-19 pandemic — although restrictions have not been bad news for everyone.
Disease prevention restrictions implemented under a level 3 pandemic alert have closed the usual dating haunts until at least Monday next week, leaving movie theaters, cafes and even tourist attractions off-limits and couples without a way to meet.
In one example, a teacher and a civil servant who met at a singles mixer were discouraged from getting together during the pandemic by the civil servant’s father, who told her that if the teacher could not show restraint, it would expose him as being impulsive.
Photo: Lee Jung-ping, Taipei Times
Another man, surnamed Chang (張), had been planning to marry his girlfriend of six months during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, but as the outbreak forced him to close his rice bowl restaurant, he said that he “does not dare propose for now.”
Yet pandemic closures have been good for some couples.
One woman, considering that she and her boyfriend were planning to start a family, suggested registering their marriage straight away so that they could “fight the pandemic together.”
A woman from New Taipei City moved in with her boyfriend in Taoyuan to “stay safe” while studying for her civil service exam.
After living together for a little more than a month, they decided to get married as soon as she is done with her exam.
Hsu Nai-yi (徐乃義), who runs the Meiman Service Center, a 36-year-old matchmaking service in Taoyuan’s Jhongli District (中壢), said that the pandemic is affecting more than just physical health.
In Japan, the term “pneumonia divorce” has even emerged to reflect the sheer number of relationships falling apart due to the fallout of the pandemic, Hsu said.
Although dating is nearly impossible, the pandemic has led to deeper connections for some, he said.
Some abroad are calling this phenomenon “corona cuffing,” in which single people choose a partner to weather the storm with, he added.
The pandemic is affecting all kinds of relationships, especially those still in the dating stage, he said.
However, “a crisis is also an opportunity,” he added.
The pandemic would eventually pass, Hsu said, but in the meantime, it is testing couples on their ability to adapt and withstand challenges.
Besides, connecting with friends and using videochat is also a good choice while stuck at home, he said.
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