Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) yesterday said that all beauty salons in the city must close from Friday to Thursday next week or face a fine, in the latest restriction imposed by the city to contain the spread of COVID-19.
The call came after Taoyuan recorded 29 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases on Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the city to 475.
The city has the third-highest number of confirmed cases in Taiwan, following New Taipei City and Taipei.
Photo copied by Chen En-hui, Taipei Times
Taoyuan is the first municipality to order the closure of beauty salons, which Cheng described as establishments that provide hairdressing, and nail and eyelash treatments.
There is a three-day grace period from yesterday through tomorrow before the policy takes effect on Friday.
Violators would face a fine of NT$3,000 to NT$15,000, Cheng said.
He also said that the number of COVID-19 screening sites in the city would be expanded from 14 to 18 — 11 at hospitals and seven in communities.
All of the stations provide polymerase chain reaction tests and can process a combined 5,200 samples per day, he said.
The city is planning to set up at least two large vaccination sites and some smaller sites once the central government has received more vaccines and is ready to launch a large-scale rollout, he added.
The Taoyuan City Government has also urged city residents to follow a voluntary ID number-based rotation system to reduce crowding at traditional markets.
The markets have been identified as hotspots for virus transmission because of their cramped conditions and poor ventilation.
Under the rotation system, people whose ID numbers end with an even digit are advised to limit visits to traditional markets to Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, while those with an odd number in the last digit of their ID cards should visit on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
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