TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Following confirmation of a record 29 domestic coronavirus transmissions, Taipei City ordered all nightlife venues, dance halls, tea houses, hostess bars and Internet cafes shut for an indefinite period beginning Saturday (May 15).

The surge in COVID-19 cases centered on a tea house in the capital’s Wanhua District. Meanwhile, on Friday (May 14) there were also reports of potential cases at two hospitals and even a contact listed at the Presidential Office.

As a result, Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) announced he was shutting down clubs and other venues, including gaming parlors and saunas, CNA reported. The list includes 172 tea houses, which had already been ordered closed due to the Wanhua cluster.

While the new measures would take effect Saturday, Ko set no end date for the closures. Reopening times would depend on how far COVID had spread, he said.

Earlier, New Taipei City issued similar measures, closing activity centers and nightlife venues, after an infected former Lions Club official visited a tea house in Wanhua.