No decision yet on lifting Level 3 COVID alert, but changes possible
ROC Central News Agency
07/05/2021 06:56 PM
Taipei, July 5 (CNA) A final decision on whether to lift Taiwan's Level 3 COVID-19 alert, set to end on July 12, has yet to be made but plans are being made to adjust some existing restrictions, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said Monday.
Earlier in the day, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said the time was not ripe to lift the alert given that community transmissions were still occurring in some parts of Taiwan, referring to Taipei and New Taipei cities, which have had more than 90 percent of Taiwan's cases.
Most parts of Taiwan, however, have seen very few COVID-19 cases, Su said, and he called on the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) to make "reasonable adjustments" to some existing restrictions on businesses and provide guidelines to follow within this week.
Responding to Su's comments, Chen, who heads the CECC, confirmed that the CECC is making preparations to adjust the restrictions, without offering any details.
He reiterated the CECC's stance that there should continue to be a consistent policy applied equally to the whole country, even though only sporadic cases have been reported outside the Greater Taipei area.
Taiwan has been under a Level 3 alert since May 19, requiring people to wear masks outside their homes, banning gatherings of more than four people indoors and more than nine outdoors, and closing all schools.
All on-site dining at restaurants has been prohibited and night markets have been closed, but restaurants have been allowed to serve takeout or make deliveries.
The government has also regularly urged people to leave their homes only if necessary, dramatically reducing the number of people seen in shopping areas or districts, hurting retail businesses.
The CECC said last week that it was drafting COVID-19 prevention guidelines and as long as people followed them and the COVID-19 situation in the country continued to stabilize, the on-site dining ban could be lifted for restaurants and night market food stands soon.
(By Chen Chieh-ling, Chiang Hui-chun and Joseph Yeh)
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