This Week in Taiwan 0222-0228
February 22: A thick haze occurring in the early morning of February 21 on the Yunlin section of Taiwan's Provincial Highway No. 61, also known as West Coast Expressway, contributed to serious collisions involving 21 cars and causing two deaths and eight injuries. Investigation revealed that the highway 308 kilometers long was equipped with only one fog detector, and early warming devices were seriously inadequate. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) convened and finalized a seven-point road safety improvement plan, under which 16 fog detectors would be installed on the West Coast Expressway within one year, consistent with the density on National Highways.
February 23: The MOTC announced that effective March 2, restrictions on food and drink on business areas of public transportation and post offices would be lifted; food and drink services and unassigned seating services of the Taiwan High Speed Rail would be restored; and ticket purchase restrictions on inter-city Taiwan Railways services would be canceled.
February 24: Considering the slowdown of the global pandemic, sufficient epidemic prevention capacity within Taiwan, and needs for business and trade exchanges, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced that effective March 1, foreigners (including mainland Chinese, Hong Kong, and Macao people) with valid Taiwanese residency permits, may enter Taiwan without applying for entry, those from low and medium-low risk countries and regions may travel to Taiwan for business activity may shorten their home quarantine period. But those who enter Taiwan still need to provide proof of a negative nucleic-acid test, and home isolation must comply with the guideline of "one household, one person."
February 26: The start time of the 2021 annual Dajia Mazu pilgrimage was decided by poe divination to be 11:05 PM on April 9. The theme of this year's procession is "promise." In the interest of epidemic prevention, followers may enter the Dajia Jenn Lann Temple in Taichung by name registration, and meal boxes will replace regular big- pot dishes.
February 26: Responding to interpellation at the Legislative Yuan, Premier Su Tseng-chang stated that Taiwan has obtained for certain 20 million doses of foreign vaccines and may start supplying them in the first quarter. According to Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung, inoculation of domestically produced vaccines may begin July.
February 28: In order to protect the algae reef in the Datan area of Guanyin District, Taoyuan, from destruction due to development of the third natural gas receiving station managed by CPC Corporation, civic groups launched an "algae reef referendum" initiative for which environmental groups and opposition parties are endeavoring to collect a sufficient number of signatures by the end of February. Retaliation by the Office of the President, Executive Yuan, and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party triggered a surge in signature count. As of the evening of February 28, the number of signatures have exceeded the legal threshold of 290,000 and approaching a "safe" conservative threshold of 350,000. The deadline for filing the referendum petition is March 17.
Update: As of March 2, the referendum initiative garnered more than 350,000 signatures.