TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As Taiwan officially lifted its outdoor mask mandate on Thursday (Dec. 1), some celebrated a “historical moment” while others reflected on three years of COVID-19.
In response to the lifting of the mandate, Hong Kong actor Chapman To (杜汶澤), who resides in Taiwan, shared a story on Facebook showing himself standing outside of the Taipei Flower Market maskless. He wrote on the image, “No more mask @outdoor.”
An event was held at the Xinyi Assembly Hall in Taipei. At noon, participants took off their masks together on the plaza to welcome the change in official policy.
The event’s organizer, FormosaVerse Co-Founder Vincent Hsieh (謝汶欣) said in an interview with Taiwan News that he wanted to preserve history not only as a file but also as a shared memory among people living in the moment.
An anonymous participant of the event said that even before COVID she would often wear masks. However, she attended to “commemorate a historical moment."
“It’s like welcoming a healthier life, now that the pandemic is almost over,” she told Taiwan News.
People in Taipei remove their masks to commemorate a "historical moment." (Taiwan News photo)
An interviewee surnamed Lin (林) said he had expected the mask mandate to be lifted earlier, but he was glad that things are changing nonetheless. He added that he had gotten “pretty used to” wearing masks and noticed that doing so decreased the frequency of him getting colds.
Meanwhile, a woman surnamed Chu (朱) said that one inconvenience of the mask mandate she encountered was having to worry about whether she had extra masks in her bag when going out. “Sometimes the mask may break on one side, so I would worry and get nervous.”
A woman surnamed Lin saw the lifting of the outdoor mask mandate as an opportunity for Taiwan to attract tourists. She said she was on a business trip to Japan a week ago, where many people told her they intended to go to Taiwan now that various restrictions are being loosened.
Lin added that masks, which allow for different designs and prints, have also become a great way to promote a company or national image. In addition, she said, it is also a “pretty good hygienic courtesy.”
