Taiwan cancels its annual lantern festival over COVID-19 pandemic inshorts.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from inshorts.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Taipei, Jan. 19 (CNA) The annual Taiwan Lantern Festival, slated for Feb. 26 to March 7 in Hsinchu, and several municipal versions have been canceled, due to an escalation of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Taipei International Book Exhibition will be held later this month, as scheduled, officials announced Tuesday.
CECC advises canceling large holiday events
By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter
The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) strongly advises event organizers to postpone or cancel large public events if they cannot strictly conduct a risk assessment and make a comprehensive plan for implementing disease prevention measures, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said yesterday.
As the Lunar New Year holiday is approaching and many celebrations are being prepared, the CECC must remind people to remain vigilant, said Chen, who heads the center.
“Mass gatherings are usually packed with large crowds for extended periods, and people can easily come into close contact with other people, so there is a high risk of disease transmission,” Chen said. “COVID-19 prevention would become highly difficult if a suspected case or a cluster of infections occurs at one of the events.”