Taiwanese Restaurants Looking At Social Distancing

In line with a recent announcement by Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), restaurants across Taiwan are starting to come on board with the concept of ‘social distancing’ albeit slowly.

Requirements to maintain a personal space of 1.5 metres from others when indoors have now seen at least two major domestic restaurant groups adopt new policies.

A number of others, however, have pushed back against the government’s latest effort to help stem the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Typically referring to potential loss of income should customers be forced to sit apart, those reluctant to follow the guidelines can apply for government help in shifting their services to delivery based operations from Friday, April 10th.

As part of a package aimed at helping those most affected by the pandemic the central government’s Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) last month set aside NT $265 million for such purposes.

First issued on Tuesday before being expanded on Wednesday, the CECC guidelines also stated that restaurants or similar facilities should close their doors for a while should they not be able to follow the social distancing concept.

No penalties for non-compliance of the rules have yet been made public as far as can be ascertained.

Social distancing spacing in outdoor areas should be maintained at a distance of one metre according to the CECC.

Similar measures to bring social distancing to the fore are already in place at other places of business across Taiwan.

On the first day of the four day Tomb Sweeping holidays, the busy domestic terminal at Songshan Airport in Taipei saw passengers generally observing the rules as determined by prominent floor stickers in check in and baggage check areas.