Focus Taiwan
Date: 03/25/2020
By: Wu Hsin-yun, Yu Hsiao-han, Chen Yi-hsuan and Joseph Yeh

Taipei, March 25 (CNA) Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Wednesday recommended the cancellation of mass gatherings of more than 100 people indoors and 500 people outdoors to help stop the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the CECC, said the recommendation was made because venues where a large number of people gather together can increase the risk of spreading the virus.

Organizers of such events, he said, should assess the risks of holding them and decide whether to cancel them based on their ability to identify those who will attend the events beforehand, the quality of the venue's ventilation, and the length of such gatherings.

Other factors that need to be taken into consideration are the distance between participants, whether participants can walk around the venue or are restricted to a designated seat, and if they can keep their hands clean and wear a face mask, Chen said.

The CECC also advised event organizers to establish contingency measures should they identify "suspected COVID-19 cases" during gatherings, including setting up a temporary shelter for them and designating the hospital they should be sent to, Chen said.    [FULL  STORY]