CORONAVIRUS/Taiwan set to relax indoor mask mandate

01/31/2023 08:55 PM

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Many of the visitors to a scenic spot in Shilin District, Taipei City still wear a face mask, even though it is not required outdoor. CNA photo Jan. 28, 2023

Taipei, Jan. 31 (CNA) Taiwan is in the final stages of scrapping the national face mask mandate for most indoor public places, with details set to be announced Feb. 2, Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) spokesperson Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said Tuesday.

The Cabinet and CECC discussed the issue with officials from the ministries of education, transportation and labor Tuesday afternoon, Chuang told reporters after the meeting, which lasted over an hour, noting that a few details still need to be ironed out.

However, the details will not be unveiled until Thursday, he said.

At Tuesday's CECC press briefing, CECC chief Victor Wang (王必勝) said Taiwan would likely follow the model of South Korea, which lifted the mandatory wearing of face-coverings in a majority of indoor locations on Jan. 30.

As a result, Taiwan will adopt a policy that specifically lists places where masks still need to be worn, such as hospitals or on public transport, with no mask mandate the default in all other settings.

The CECC will also list special occasions when people will be required to wear a mask in places where face-coverings are not generally necessary, Wang said.

(By Chen Chieh-ling and Lee Hsin-Yin)

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