This Week in Taiwan 0531-0606
June 1: The Dunnan Branch of Eslite Bookstore in Taipei, the world’s first 24-hour bookstore, ended operations. Thousands flocked to the bookstore on its last day of business. Because the current lease of the building is expiring, the bookstore will be moved to Taipei’s Xinyi Branch.
June 1: The 32-year-old United Evening News, the last remaining evening newspaper in Taiwan, ended publication on June 2. The newspaper decided to terminate circulation due to changes in reading habits, development of digital media, and outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. On the last day of June 1, the newspaper’s front page featured a collage of miniature front pages spanning 11,783 days to say goodbye to readers.
June 2: The Executive Yuan announced its scheme for stimulus vouchers. Specifically, consumers may purchase a NT$3,000 (about US$101) voucher for NT$1,000 (about US$33). Applications will open from July 1, and the vouchers will be available to use from July 15. Taiwan’s 23 million citizens, as well as their resident spouses, will all be eligible to claim the vouchers, regardless of age. For 1.2 million low-income and minority people, the government will directly remit NT$1,000 per person their bank accounts. However, the complicated exchange scheme has caused public resentment. Many predict that the stimulus vouchers will create another mess like the pandemic relief assistance last month.
June 3: Japan, Greece, New Zealand, Australia, and other countries announced lift of international travel restrictions, but Taiwan was not included in this first wave of permitted countries. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung, who heads of Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), stated that countries consider three conditions in deciding whether to lift travel restrictions: situation of the epidemic, parity and reciprocity, and political factors. Chen thinks that political factors played a greater role behind Taiwan’s exclusion.
June 4: Some 26,000 foreign and mainland Chinese students were supposed to be permitted to enter Taiwan in July, but the Executive Yuan held an inter-ministerial meeting on June 3 and preliminarily concluded that because most of the international community has yet to lift border restrictions, Taiwan will wait until the global pandemic eases further before lifting border restrictions. Many universities expressed fears that if they miss this key period of enrollment, many talented foreign students may give up on studying in Taiwan.
June 7: As the pandemic eases, many epidemic prevention measures have relaxed throughout Taiwan. Daily and leisure activities will no longer be limited by occupancy limits, and restrictions on mass transportation will be gradually lifted. Religious activities and services postponed due to the pandemic will also resume operations. In July and August, students under 19 years of age may enter 22 amusement parks throughout Taiwan for free. Domestic tourism in Taiwan is expected to pick up.