Taiwan eases religious gathering, indoor dining restrictions

Days after politicians came to physical blows over the government’s handling of the pandemic, Taiwan has eased further restrictions.

Days after politicians came to physical blows over the government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, officials in Taiwan have announced the easing of further restrictions.

As of Tuesday, measures surrounding religious gatherings and indoor dining have been somewhat rolled back – despite the nation’s current Level 2 alert being extended until at least October 18.

Deputy head of the Central Epidemic Command Centre (CECC) and Deputy Interior Minister Chen Tsung-yen announced on Monday that religious venues – including temples, churches and mosques – will be opened to visiting worshippers under specific conditions.

Gatherings of worshippers for meals at these venues will also be allowed – though mask wearing and periodic handwashing must be observed, Mr Chen said.

Religious venues that provide overnight accommodation will also be permitted to expand their offering from one guest per room to four.

Religious processions, though, will remain prohibited for now, he said.

Restaurants will now be permitted to offer dine-in services without observing social distancing rules or using dividers between diners. Picture: Sam Yeh/AFP

As for indoor dining, restaurants will now be permitted to offer dine-in services without observing social distancing rules or using dividers between diners.

Entertainment venues like karaoke bars, internet cafes and board game centres can also reopen, and members of the public can visit outdoor attractions without having to wear a face mask if social distancing can be maintained.

With a population of over 23 million people, Taiwan has largely been lauded for its approach to the pandemic – which has involved pursuing a Covid-zero approach.

Earlier this year, though, that success faltered. A large outbreak in May and June – suspected to have come from pilots returning to the nation and only undergoing a short stay in quarantine – killed more than 800 people.

According to critics, Taiwan failed to fully prepare an outbreak response, and was plagued by global shortages, inadequate orders and geopolitics when it came to its vaccine rollout.

“I think the government started thinking seriously [about vaccines] too late,” director general of the Global Taiwan Medical Alliance, Dr Peter Chang, told The Guardian at the time of the outbreak.

“They thought we were very good with mask-wearing, and people are very disciplined with social distancing, so it is OK.”

The aforementioned quarantine lapses triggered a scuffle in parliament last Tuesday, when members of Taiwan’s opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party accosted those in the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

The KMT had been demanding that Premier Su Teseng-chang apologise for his government’s handling of the pandemic, and scuffled with their DPP counterparts, throwing things at the dais where the deputy speaker was seated.

Taiwan parliament Covid Brawl - Opposition Furious over pandemic handling

Taiwan’s Nationalist Party opposition broke into the chamber and interrupted house speaker Su Tseung-chang as he was starting his address to protest his party’s handling of Covid, sparking a rowdy melee. pic.twitter.com/WS0VwehVSG

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As for Taiwan’s lagging vaccine rollout, after repeated accusations that China was blocking the island’s access to the Pfizer/BioNTech jab, the first batch of the vaccines arrived in early September.

The nation also began administering its first domestically developed jab – amid criticism that its approval was rushed – in late August, with President Tsai Ing-wen one of the first to receive the Medigen vaccine.

“We have done so many experiments, everyone has seen how safe our vaccine is. There are so few side effects, almost no fever and so on. So I think everyone can rest assured,” Medigen’s CEO Charles Chen told Reuters at the time.

Despite criticism that by administering the vaccine, Taiwanese people were being treated as “white rats in a laboratory”, the jab has now been approved in New Zealand.

That means that, from November 1, non-New Zealand citizens who have received the Medigen vaccine will be permitted to enter the country.