CORONAVIRUS/Taipei Lantern Festival postponed, LNY market canceled

Taipei, Jan. 20 (CNA) The Taipei Lantern Festival has been postponed due to the recent spread of COVID-19 pandemic and the annual Lunar New Year market has been canceled, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said Wednesday.

The decision was made after carefully considering how to continue disease control efforts without significantly sacrificing normal business activities, Ko said at a press conference.

Ko said the new date for the festival, originally scheduled to be held from Feb. 26 to March 7 in Wanhua District, will be decided depending on how the pandemic unfolds.

Most local governments canceled their municipal lantern festivals a day earlier due to the COVID-19 situation, following the cancelation of the national-level Taiwan Lantern Festival in Hsinchu.

Ko also said at Wednesday's press conference that the Lunar New Year market slated to officially open Jan. 28 in the Dihua Street shopping area has been canceled.

Meanwhile, the Dajia Jenn Lann Temple in Taichung announced that a celebration featuring worshippers rushing to burn the first incense stick on Lunar New Year's Eve on Feb. 11 has been canceled.

To date, nine domestic cases of COVID-19 have been reported in a cluster at a government hospital in Taoyuan, which is believed to have started with a doctor there.