The loosening of the indoor mask order is expected to be announced this Thursday.

(file photo)

[Reporter Lin Huiqin/Taipei Report] Zheng Wencan, vice president of the Executive Yuan, held a meeting today to discuss the loosening of the indoor mask order. It is expected to be announced this Thursday. Experts suggest that if you are worried about the epidemic situation heating up, there may be more places where you need to wear masks in the initial positive list, such as hypermarkets , Large-scale speeches or concerts and other places can also be considered.

The latest meeting of the World Health Organization decided that Wuhan pneumonia (new coronavirus disease, COVID-19) still maintains the highest alert level in the world and has not been removed from the "Public Health Emergency of International Concern" (PHEIC). Hong Ziren, chairman of the Taiwan Medical Management Society, said, The main point is that although vaccines and medicines are much better than before, many people still die from the epidemic, which is in a transitional period and needs to be carefully managed to mitigate potential negative impacts. The reason why I can't let go.

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Hong Ziren believes that the United States and Japan are expected to further relax the epidemic prevention regulations in May. By then, the impact of China's unblocking on the global epidemic will be more clear. It is estimated that COVID-19 will have a chance to be reduced from a global pandemic to a local epidemic in May. Therefore, The mask loosening order must still be implemented in accordance with the established steps. If it is not lifted, it will be difficult to move on to the next step of isolation and adjustment of local confirmed cases, changing the definition of confirmed cases, changing from the fifth category of legal infectious diseases to the fourth category, etc. .

Hong Ziren pointed out that the outdoor mask order was loosened in December last year. Because vaccines and drugs were sufficient, the epidemic did not break out and was still under control. It is less than 1/2 of the second wave. During the Spring Festival, the epidemic caused by the flow of people, cars, and restaurants will increase. If there are no new mutants, it should decline in the future.

Hong Ziren believes that if the indoor mask order is to be lifted, if you are worried about causing another wave of impact, you can list more places to wear it in the positive list at the beginning, and gradually reduce it later, except for medical institutions, long-term care institutions, and public transportation. Places such as restaurants, hypermarkets, large-scale speeches or concerts may be more embarrassing now. If you still have concerns, it is recommended to be cautious at the beginning. When the medical institutions are no longer required to wear masks, the epidemic will come to an end.