Some COVID-19-related restrictions at cram schools and after-school childcare centers are to be eased, as Taiwan’s pandemic situation improves, the Ministry of Education said on Friday.
Limits on class sizes would be relaxed, while plastic dividers would no longer be required during meal breaks, the ministry said, adding that the changes have been approved by the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
Class sizes are currently limited to one person per 2.25m2, excluding space occupied by furniture.
The crowd-density rule is only to apply to large gatherings, with 80 or more people in a room, the ministry said.
The changes come after cram school operators complained about the strict requirements, saying that the CECC on Monday relaxed similar COVID-19 restrictions on other businesses, which had been in place since a nationwide pandemic alert was lowered to level 2 on July 27.
However, the ministry said that while some restrictions at cram schools and after-school childcare centers would be eased, mask and visitor identification requirements would remain in place.
Meanwhile, senior citizen active learning centers can resume wind instrument and cooking classes amid the improving COVID-19 situation, the ministry said.
However, wind instrument classes would be required to take a 15-minute break per hour, while participants in cooking classes would have to wear masks, it said.
The ministry lists seven senior citizen active learning centers in Taiwan on its Web site. The locations are Taipei, New Taipei City, Hsinchu County, Taichung, Chiayi County, Tainan and Pingtung County.
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