The government should give cash to people who are struggling amid a COVID-19 outbreak in Taiwan, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said yesterday.
Chiang made the remarks at a virtual meeting on COVID-19 prevention and relief joined by the heads of several city and county governments run by the KMT, including Hsinchu County Commissioner Yang Wen-ke (楊文科), Miaoli County Commissioner Hsu Yao-chang (徐耀昌) and Changhua County Commissioner Wang Hui-mei (王惠美).
KMT Secretary-General Lee Chien-lung (李乾龍), KMT caucus whip Alex Fai (費鴻泰) and Sean Lien (連勝文), vice chairman of the KMT-affiliated National Policy Foundation, were among the KMT officials who also attended, the party said.
Since last year, the KMT has called on the central government to distribute cash directly to people who are struggling, as other governments have done, Chiang said.
The COVID-19 situation in the nation is not better this year, he said, adding that for the first time, restaurants nationwide have been prohibited from providing on-site dining, while many people are either working from home or taking turns going to work.
Some people are taking unpaid leave to stay at home and take care of their children, while many restaurant workers are not being paid, he said.
Many self-employed people or those working part-time are not included in the government’s relief plans, he said.
Issuing cash handouts would be the “most straightforward” method and prevent people from being left out of relief efforts, he said, adding that this was “what people need the most.”
Chiang also urged the central government to increase the proportion of relief funds that would be distributed by city and county governments in the next phase of the government’s relief plan.
While local governments are willing to cooperate with the central government’s COVID-19 prevention policy, the spread of the virus cannot be curbed without an adequate supply of vaccines, he said.
The WHO and many experts have said that the virus might never disappear, and instead become a long-term and seasonal disease, he said.
Vaccines are the ultimate solution, he added.
As public calls for COVID-19 vaccines grow, the KMT must pressure the central government into providing more doses, he said.
Chiang said he hoped that the meeting was “just the beginning,” adding that the party’s headquarters and legislative caucus, as well as the foundation, would support KMT-led cities and counties.
Separately, the KMT in a statement said that it has collected medical supplies for COVID-19 prevention, including 40,000 goggles, 40,000 face shields, 10,000 protective gowns and 10,000 rapid testing kits.
The supplies would be handed over to city and county governments, which would distribute them as soon as possible, it said.
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