Barbecuing in pedestrian arcades in Taipei would be allowed during the Mid-Autumn Festival, but masks must be worn while cooking food and the food must be eaten indoors, Taipei Deputy Mayor Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) said yesterday.
Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) on Monday announced that barbecuing would be banned at riverside parks in the city during the holiday this year.
All Mid-Autumn Festival events must comply with restrictions under a level 2 COVID-19 alert, including no more than 80 people indoors and 300 people outdoors, mask wearing, and no eating or drinking, Ko said, adding that people should also practice social distancing or use table dividers when barbecuing at home.
Photo: Yang Hsin-hui, Taipei Times
COVID-19 infection risks do not stem from barbecuing, but rather from crowds, so people should practice disease prevention measures even while enjoying a meal together, he said.
When asked about barbecuing in pedestrian arcades, Huang said that from a legal perspective, such areas are private property that have been opened to the public, so people are allowed to use them.
“However, please wear a mask” while cooking, she said. “And please take the food into your home to eat.”
Barbecuing in public spaces is generally banned in the city and allowing people to use riverside parks during the Mid-Autumn Festival was an exception in past years, but the government cannot ban people from using their own property, such as on rooftops or yards, she said.
Enforcement of alert rules is difficult in private spaces, so the government urges people to show self-discipline, and understand that crowds, not wearing a mask and breaches of social distancing increase the risk of infection, even within households, she said.
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