As the Dragon Boat Festival long weekend nears, there is a sense of uneasiness that there might be a travel frenzy that would exacerbate Taiwan’s COVID-19 outbreak.
From President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) plea: “If you love your hometown and your family, please stay put,” to the popular Internet post: “If you go home to worship your ancestors this year, you’ll be the one worshiped next year,” public figures and other Internet users have expended a great deal of effort persuading people not to travel during the holiday.
The Tainan City Government is offering cash incentives to people who return their tickets, while others have floated ideas such as combining this holiday with the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday.
It is encouraging that most are following suit: The Taiwan Railways Administration on Monday said that there has been a 70 to 80 percent return rate on tickets for this weekend, with only about 5 percent of the seats reserved. Many fewer tickets have been sold for the Taiwan High-Speed Rail as well.
Hopefully, all of the nation’s residents will rally and weather this crisis together. Of course, there are exceptions and those who need to go home should not be stigmatized.
With the extra time and money saved from staying put, those who can might want to support those who are seriously affected by the outbreak, and the people and organizations who are trying to help them. For many disadvantaged people nationwide, the outbreak is much worse than having their holiday plans dashed — and those who are doing their best to help them should receive more recognition.
For example, the Eden Social Welfare Foundation (伊甸社會福利基金會) yesterday said that its bakeries, run by people with disabilities, are struggling to sell their Dragon Boat Festival gift packs — sales are down more than 70 percent — as many businesses have canceled orders.
A similar challenge is facing the Down Syndrome Foundation, which continues to provide services despite a sharp drop in sales at its Abrazo bakery workshop.
Charities in general have been hit hard since the pandemic began — and who does not like to receive cookies?
With school canceled for the rest of the academic year, it is easy to forget that not every household has access to the Internet or possesses the electronic devices needed to keep their child current with their studies.
World Vision Taiwan said that 83 percent of the households it serves lack Internet access and 43 percent do not have an electronic device for personal use, while 22 percent do not have either. Civic groups and businesses are working together to help alleviate the need — and this is also a worthy venture to consider supporting.
Mental health is an issue that might be overlooked in times of crisis, but it is even more critical during the outbreak, as emotions and stress levels run high. Many are sure to lose access to therapy or feel uncomfortable going to a clinic, and psychologists are calling for the relaxation of requirements for online therapy.
Meanwhile, the Taiwan Counseling Psychologist Union is offering one-time free online sessions until the end of the month.
This covers just a fraction of those who truly need help, and those who are staying indoors this weekend should try to see what they can do.
Concerns that the US might abandon Taiwan are often overstated. While US President Donald Trump’s handling of Ukraine raised unease in Taiwan, it is crucial to recognize that Taiwan is not Ukraine. Under Trump, the US views Ukraine largely as a European problem, whereas the Indo-Pacific region remains its primary geopolitical focus. Taipei holds immense strategic value for Washington and is unlikely to be treated as a bargaining chip in US-China relations. Trump’s vision of “making America great again” would be directly undermined by any move to abandon Taiwan. Despite the rhetoric of “America First,” the Trump administration understands the necessity of
In an article published on this page on Tuesday, Kaohsiung-based journalist Julien Oeuillet wrote that “legions of people worldwide would care if a disaster occurred in South Korea or Japan, but the same people would not bat an eyelid if Taiwan disappeared.” That is quite a statement. We are constantly reading about the importance of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), hailed in Taiwan as the nation’s “silicon shield” protecting it from hostile foreign forces such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and so crucial to the global supply chain for semiconductors that its loss would cost the global economy US$1
US President Donald Trump’s challenge to domestic American economic-political priorities, and abroad to the global balance of power, are not a threat to the security of Taiwan. Trump’s success can go far to contain the real threat — the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) surge to hegemony — while offering expanded defensive opportunities for Taiwan. In a stunning affirmation of the CCP policy of “forceful reunification,” an obscene euphemism for the invasion of Taiwan and the destruction of its democracy, on March 13, 2024, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) used Chinese social media platforms to show the first-time linkage of three new
Sasha B. Chhabra’s column (“Michelle Yeoh should no longer be welcome,” March 26, page 8) lamented an Instagram post by renowned actress Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) about her recent visit to “Taipei, China.” It is Chhabra’s opinion that, in response to parroting Beijing’s propaganda about the status of Taiwan, Yeoh should be banned from entering this nation and her films cut off from funding by government-backed agencies, as well as disqualified from competing in the Golden Horse Awards. She and other celebrities, he wrote, must be made to understand “that there are consequences for their actions if they become political pawns of