Hospitals, long-term care centers and psychiatric wards in New Taipei City and Keelung yesterday announced that visitors will not be allowed until at least Jan. 21.
The city governments made the announcement on the same day that Taipei implemented similar measures amid heightened COVID-19 prevention measures following a cluster of infections linked to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.
In-patients are only allowed one family member with them at a time, the New Taipei City Government said.
Photo: CNA
Effective immediately, everyone in New Taipei City must wear a mask if they cannot maintain social distance when taking photographs or singing at a karaoke establishment, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said.
Everyone must submit their details with the contract tracing system at establishments and should closely follow pandemic prevention measures by washing their hands often and checking their temperature, Hou said.
New Taipei City is increasing its hospital bed capacity, its fleet of taxis to transport people to quarantine hotels and quarantine hotel staff numbers, he said, adding that some COVID-19 testing stations would remain open at weekends.
Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said that all live events in the capital would be halted if cases in the city from unidentified sources exceed 10 a day, or if two or more cluster infections are reported in the city.
Ko did not say whether Taipei would also enforce mandatory mask rules for people taking photos or singing.
Restaurants are at the greatest risk, he added.
“If we can keep the pandemic at bay, we will not order restaurants to stop dine-in services,” he said.
Taipei Deputy Mayor Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) said that all 516 taxi drivers designated to transport people to quarantine hotels in Taipei are expected to undergo polymerase chain reaction tests today and tomorrow.
The drivers are expected to be tested every week, Huang said, adding that the city government has required them to get a third COVID-19 vaccination within a week.
Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said that this year’s public health checkups for elderly people and other non-necessary healthcare activities in the city have been suspended.
Hospital visits would be limited and all patients are limited to two visitors at a time, Chen said, adding that all healthcare workers at quarantine hotels must get their third vaccination as soon as possible.
Additional reporting by Ho Yu-hua and Huang Hsu-lei
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