MISUNDERSTANDING?  Minister of the Interior Hsu Kuo-yung said that what he meant was that testing would not be conducted ‘simultaneously’ across the nation

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 07, 2020
By: Sean Lin / Staff reporter

The government yesterday backpedaled on a plan to suspend breath alcohol tests due to fears about the spread of COVID-19, reiterating its “zero tolerance” stance on drunk driving and saying that testing would continue nationwide.

Minister of the Interior Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) on Thursday told a legislative meeting that to avoid COVID-19 contagion and prevent excessive strain on personnel of the National Police Agency’s Special Police, breath alcohol testing, conducted twice per month, would be suspended.

However, local governments would still conduct “regional” testing at their discretion, he said.

Hsu’s remarks at the legislature sparked controversy, as they came less than a week after Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) told the public that stiffened penalties for drunk driving were taking effect.    [FULL  STORY]