A substantial majority people yesterday continued to wear masks on public transport, despite it being the first day that masks were no longer required nationwide on buses, trains and Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) systems.
A doctor yesterday said it could take about three months for many people to psychologically adjust to feeling safe without a mask on public transit.
The mandate has been replaced with “suggested use,” and also applies to school buses and commercial airlines, as announced by the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Apr. 7.
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
After 1,111 days of mandatory mask wearing on public transportation, the vast majority of passengers appear to have become accustomed to the practice, as per witness accounts on Taipei’s buses and MRT system.
Humans are social beings prone to following group behaviors in a “herding” manner, which evolutionarily has helped individuals avoid risk, Tri-Service General Hospital deputy superintendent and Department of Psychiatry attending physician Yeh Chin-bin (葉?斌) said.
Taiwanese continue to wear masks for a few reasons, including fear of contracting COVID-19 given that infections continue to be reported, Yeh said, adding that the flu is also a consideration.
Another reason could be appearance anxiety, as people have become accustomed to concealing their appearance and emotions with a mask, and many people might feel less confident about going out without a face covering, he said.
Some people might also have emotional issues that combine either with appearance or disease anxieties, he added.
Separately, the Taipei Department of Transportation yesterday said it recommends that passengers wear masks in taxis and on public transportation, especially when around older people and those who might be immunocompromised.
Masks are still required to be worn in healthcare facilities and in ambulances, the CECC said.
Healthcare facilities include hospitals, medical clinics, pharmacies, medical laboratories, physical and occupational therapy clinics, long-term care facilities, senior welfare facilities, veterans’ homes, children and youth service facilities, and disability service facilities.
A relatively large earthquake may strike within the next two weeks, following a magnitude 5.2 temblor that shook Taitung County this morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. An earthquake struck at 8:18am today 10.2km west of Taitung County Hall in Taitung City at a relatively shallow depth of 6.5km, CWA data showed. The largest intensity of 4 was felt in Taitung and Pingtung counties, which received an alert notice, while areas north of Taichung did not feel any shaking, the CWA said. The earthquake was the result of the collision between the Philippine Plate and the Eurasian Plate, the agency said, adding
Snow fell in the mountainous areas of northern, central and eastern Taiwan in the early hours of yesterday, as cold air currents moved south. In the northern municipality of Taoyuan, snow started falling at about 6am in Fusing District (復興), district head Su Tso-hsi (蘇佐璽) said. By 10am, Lalashan National Forest Recreation Area, as well as Hualing (華陵), Sanguang (三光) and Gaoyi (高義) boroughs had seen snowfall, Su said. In central Taiwan, Shei-Pa National Park in Miaoli County and Hehuanshan National Forest Recreation Area in Nantou County saw snowfall of 5cm and 6cm respectively, by 10am, staff at the parks said. It began snowing
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