Taiwan's epidemic authorities are planning to reassess mask requirements after the Lunar New Year holiday. That came from top epidemic official Victor Wang (王必勝) on Tuesday, after saying Taiwan's decline in COVID-19 cases means the country has cleared the peak of the pandemic's most recent wave.
But Wang points out that there are still around 10,000 to 20,000 local cases recorded every day, and the public should not let down their guard. He says he predicts there will be a rise in cases after the Lunar New Year celebrations, but it shouldn't develop into another wave of mass infections.
Japanese media reports say Japan is considering lowering COVID-19's classification to the same level as the flu and removing indoor mask requirements. Wang says Taiwan is also considering adjusting mask rules after the Lunar New Year, but this doesn't mean the changes will go into effect immediately.
Taiwan dropped its outdoor mask requirement on December 1, but most of the public still wear masks outside. Wang says lowering COVID's classification and loosening restrictions further will depend on the pandemic's stability throughout Taiwan and the world.