Taipei Metro To Increase Passenger Temperature Checks

The underground metro system in Taiwan’s capital city, Taipei, is to increase its passenger-temperature check system in a bid to help counter the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

In a statement by Taipei’s Deputy Mayor, Vivian Huang on Monday, the city authorities revealed that in addition to Taipei Main Station, a further five transport hubs around the city, but all on the city’s Blue Line, would install machines to check the temperature of all passengers by late March.

The stations to be added include Banqiao Station in New Taipei City, Longshan Temple Station, Taipei City Hall Station, Ximen Station and Zhongxiao Fuxing Station, all in Taipei proper, according to reports.

By placing the checks at these stations, only the Orange Line would be without any direct link to a station with the facilities to screen transferring passengers.

When fully installed across the system the machines are expected to number 17 in all. Each machine will be capable of remotely checking any passing individual’s temperature in similar form to those currently seen at the entrance of large office buildings and hospitals around the city.

Any potential metro passenger with a temperature over 37.5 degrees will then be flagged, and will have their temperature confirmed using an ear thermometer. If the temperature remains above 37.5 degrees, but below 38 degrees, these passengers will be asked to wear masks.

At present anyone measuring 38 degrees or higher will not be permitted to use the metro system.

Mark Buckton

Mark is a journalism vet of 20 years with most of those years spent in Tokyo, Japan, as a columnist for The Japan Times and numerous other publications. His work has appeared on CNN, in the BBC, NPR, and in several dozen other media forms and publications across five continents.