The Ministry of the Interior yesterday announced guidelines for funerals, and visits to temples and national parks, to take effect after a nationwide COVID-19 alert is downgraded to level 2 on Tuesday next week.
People paying their respects to a deceased person should nominate one representative to attend the funeral, the ministry said.
The number of people who can attend a ceremony at a funeral home would be limited according to the venue’s size, it said, adding that venues should inform people of attendance limits.
Outdoor ceremonies should be attended by no more than 100 people, the ministry said.
Columbaria would also be open for visitors once the alert level is lowered, it said, adding that attendance would be limited according to the venue’s size.
Disease control measures, including mask wearing and temperature checks, should be conducted and the premises should be disinfected regularly, it said.
Columbarium operators who cannot effectively limit attendance can continue holding Ghost Festival rites without allowing mourners to attend, the ministry said.
Temples would be open to individual worshipers and religious gatherings, the ministry said.
The maximum number of attendees would be up to 50 for indoor events and 100 for outdoor gatherings, it said.
Firms should observe disease prevention guidelines when conducting pudu (普渡, “universal salvation”) ceremonies for their employees, the ministry said, referring to a traditional ceremony to honor deceased ancestors on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, also known as Ghost Month.
Large religious events, such as processions, pilgrimages and feasts, are still prohibited, the ministry said.
Cabins in ecological preserves and national parks would remain closed, while camping grounds and other outdoor facilities would reopen, it said.
Visitor flow would be regulated and COVID-19 prevention measures remain in place, it said, adding that parking lots would operate at 50 percent capacity.
Depending on the development of the COVID-19 situation and the behavior of national park visitors, the ministry might implement rolling measures should the need arise, it said.
The limit of indoor gatherings at 50 people would also allow for the resumption of in-person meetings of political parties, and civic and community groups, as well as corporate board meetings, it said.
However, gatherings of between 51 and 100 people would have to be held outdoors, it said, adding that organizers of larger meetings would have to divide the gathering into sub-groups or use teleconferencing.
Meetings that do not allow for appropriate disease prevention measures would have to be postponed, the ministry added.
OFFLINE: People who do not wish to register can get the money from select ATMs using their bank card, ID number and National Health Insurance card number Online registration for NT$6,000 (US$196.32) cash payments drawn from last year’s tax surplus is to open today for eligible people whose national ID or permanent residency number ends in either a zero or a one, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday. Officials from the ministry revealed which days Taiwanese and eligible foreigners would be able to register for the cash payments at a joint news conference with the Ministry of Digital Affairs. Online registration is to open tomorrow for those whose number ends in a two or three; on Friday for those that end in a four or five: on Saturday
Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) officials are investigating why a Starlux Airlines flight to Penang, Malaysia, returned to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport nearly two hours after takeoff yesterday morning. The airline said in a statement that Flight JX721 to Penang took off from Taoyuan airport at 9:20am. “After the dashboard showed a signal of an abnormality in the hydraulic system, the captain followed standard operating procedures and returned the flight to Taoyuan airport for safety precautions,” the airline said, adding that the flight landed safely at the airport at 11:04am. The airline arranged for the passengers to have lunch after the flight landed and
TECH PROGRAM: A US official said that an important part of the delegation’s trip would be to meet with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co executives The US is to send officials in charge of chip development to Taiwan, Japan and South Korea to promote cooperation in the global semiconductor supply chain, the US Department of Commerce said on Tuesday. Chips Program Office Director Michael Schmidt announced the visit, which marks the first time officials from the office are to visit the three nations since it was set up in September last year. “As semiconductors and technologies continue to evolve, the United States will keep working with allies and partners to develop coordinated strategies to ensure that malign actors cannot use the latest technologies to undermine our collective
WORKING UP AN APPETITE: Sales at the Rueifong Night Market surged 20 to 30 percent, while seats at Liouhe Night Market were packed until 1am, market officials said South Korean pop band Blackpink’s concerts over the weekend in Kaohsiung helped draw large crowds to local night markets, the Kaohsiung City Government said yesterday. The two concerts on Saturday and Sunday at Kaohsiung National Stadium drew more than 90,000 people. The city government offered NT$50 vouchers to spend locally to concertgoers who showed their ticket stubs. Liouhe Night Market (六合夜市) management committee head Chuang Chi-chang (莊其章) said that crowds over the weekend surged at about 10pm and the market remained packed until 1:30am. “Almost all the seats were filled,” Chuang said. Night market stall owners had stocked up in expectation of an increased number