The Taipei City Government will hold a lockdown table exercise next week. Deputy Mayor Huang Shan-shan says Taipei City is still a long ways away from a citywide lockdown. Meanwhile, mask vending machines have debuted in Wenshan and Wanhua District. Huang says if the vending machines will be available citywide remains to be evaluated.
Municipalities all over Taiwan are holding lockdown exercises in the wake of the naval cluster infection. Taipei City will hold a lockdown table exercise next week simulating various scenarios. Asked if central government agencies would be included in the exercise, Taipei City Deputy Mayor Huang Shan-shan says only the central government can decide that and a citywide lockdown is still a long ways away.
(The exercise) will be held regionally. It won't be expanded beyond that and there won't be a full (lockdown). Everyone should stop thinking of it as a lockdown. If or when we get to that point, the situation will be very, very serious. The central government will decide whether they want to cooperate. We don't have the power to force (central agencies) to take part in the exercise.
Public bus ridership in Taipei City fell by 6.76 million in March for losses of NT$140 million. The city government will provide bus operators with a subsidy of NT$8,000 per month per bus and stop collecting bus ad revenues for the time being.
There are 3,582 public buses in Taipei. At NT$8,000 per month per bus, we estimate NT$85.968 million in total subsidies to be paid out between March and May.
(Mask vending machines) have been installed in these three locations on a trial basis. We will continue consulting with the company to monitor (mask sales).
Taipei's new mask vending machines have debuted in Wanhua and Wenshan districts' health service centers. The city government says whether vending machines are made available in other districts will depend on the effectiveness of the real-name mask-purchasing 3.0 system.