With Taiwan’s daily COVID-19 case numbers slowly dropping below 100, the soft lockdown seems to be finally having an effect. But authorities are still urging people to stay at home, after transport officials announced a recent rise in passenger numbers.
A train pulls into Taipei’s busiest metro station. Taiwan may be in a soft lockdown, but passenger numbers here are on the rise. One woman says that at rush hour, most trains are full.
The change may not be noticeable to some, but according to Taipei Metro statistics, ridership numbers were 8% higher last week than the week before.
While overall passenger numbers on the railways have stayed the same, there’s been a rise of 10% in northern Taiwan.
New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi says he hopes people can avoid travel by working from home. He’s calling on people to come together to fight the virus.
With a soft lockdown still in place, authorities say the closer people follow the rules, the quicker restrictions can come to an end.