Mask rules excessive
In the wake of recent attacks on convenience store clerks who asked customers to wear masks, I totally agree with your editorial in the Taipei Times on Nov. 23 (page 8).
You wrote: “The incidents hint at a growing frustration with mask mandates that many view as no longer necessary” and “The [Central Epidemic Command Center] CECC could consider adjusting its rules further to ease mask fatigue.”
I believe the CECC should carry some of the blame for these attacks, for not lifting the mask mandate, when it is so obvious that the virus has been under control domestically for a few months. Especially having to wear a mask outdoors makes no sense whatsoever.
Taiwanese are mostly law abiding and most do not mind wearing a mask, but I wonder how much longer the government will bully the people with ridiculous rules.
In most other countries, when it becomes clear that the virus is under control, the governments try and lift restrictions to help and get life for its citizens back to normal, and also get the economy going again. Not in Taiwan.
Last year, after having no domestic cases for more than eight months, rather than lift some mask rules, the CECC imposed even more rules in December, including the laughable rule that you must wear a mask to the swimming pool and only take it off as you enter the water.
I have no doubt that if someone should ask questions about the silly mask rules, the CECC at its daily news conference would say that everyone has to be careful as there might still be some carriers out there.
Surely that is no way to live your life, in fear of what might happen. If so, we should all stay home and not go to work, because we might get in a traffic accident on the way there.
I think it is high time the CECC listens to your suggestion, follows the science and lifts unnecessary restrictions.
It seems the CECC conveniently forgot that last year during the first outbreak in Taiwan, the virus was brought under control without making masks mandatory. It was only required on public transport. Masks were not mandatory in buildings and certainly not outdoors.
Anti-mask,
Taipei
There is a modern roadway stretching from central Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland in the Horn of Africa, to the partially recognized state’s Egal International Airport. Emblazoned on a gold plaque marking the road’s inauguration in July last year, just below the flags of Somaliland and the Republic of China (ROC), is the road’s official name: “Taiwan Avenue.” The first phase of construction of the upgraded road, with new sidewalks and a modern drainage system to reduce flooding, was 70 percent funded by Taipei, which contributed US$1.85 million. That is a relatively modest sum for the effect on international perception, and
When former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) first took office in 2016, she set ambitious goals for remaking the energy mix in Taiwan. At the core of this effort was a significant expansion of the percentage of renewable energy generated to keep pace with growing domestic and global demands to reduce emissions. This effort met with broad bipartisan support as all three major parties placed expanding renewable energy at the center of their energy platforms. However, over the past several years partisanship has become a major headwind in realizing a set of energy goals that all three parties profess to want. Tsai
An elderly mother and her daughter were found dead in Kaohsiung after having not been seen for several days, discovered only when a foul odor began to spread and drew neighbors’ attention. There have been many similar cases, but it is particularly troubling that some of the victims were excluded from the social welfare safety net because they did not meet eligibility criteria. According to media reports, the middle-aged daughter had sought help from the local borough warden. Although the warden did step in, many services were unavailable without out-of-pocket payments due to issues with eligibility, leaving the warden’s hands
At the end of last year, a diplomatic development with consequences reaching well beyond the regional level emerged. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as a sovereign state, paving the way for political, economic and strategic cooperation with the African nation. The diplomatic breakthrough yields, above all, substantial and tangible benefits for the two countries, enhancing Somaliland’s international posture, with a state prepared to champion its bid for broader legitimacy. With Israel’s support, Somaliland might also benefit from the expertise of Israeli companies in fields such as mineral exploration and water management, as underscored by Israeli Minister of
RSS