The most favorite of events I like to go to is to see the fireworks popping out of the
Taipei 101 on New Year’s Eve to welcome the New Year. I was there back in 2010 to welcome 2011, and I was there again last year. The difference is last year I lived closer to Taipei so I could get a local train back following the event. This time I live father so I would have to spend the night in Taipei.
The Taiwan Tourism Bureau still has the New Year’s Eve celebration listed as an event that will happen this year. However this time I am concerned about something. And you know what it is…COVID-19.
You see, the crowd at the event is always big, but the worst part is not before the fireworks, but after the fireworks when the crowd disperses. Once that happens people will start crowding up into the MRT. But now with the COVID-19 situation, I am afraid that if I go there even with my mask on, there will be some reckless person or persons in the crowd who may spread the disease.
There has been about 749 cases of COVID in Taiwan so far, and the vaccines have not arrived here yet! There are about 100 ad ongoing cases. But even though the number of cases in Taiwan are low.
My question is, should I even bother to go to this event this New Year’s Eve with my mask on? Would you go with your mask on while being amongst the crowd? Or would you rather stay in your locality and celebrate?
I do recall that there were some festivals and events in Taiwan that were cancelled earlier this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But I did attend one even at Sun Moon Lake where there was a crowd of people and thank God I wore my mask.
Everybody is waiting to see what happens with the pilot and his mistress’ contacts but all of the other active cases are imported ones in which the people were in quarantine/isolated. So these have absolutely no bearing on anyone’s day-to-day activities.
I don’t know your age, I’m a bit old and reading your text it catches my eyes:
Live far from Taipei.
Need to sleep here (more cost)
Crowded places
Crowded MRT
Risk of Covid
Only the first two options I would opt already to stay home and watch the fireworks from TV (usually they have the best angles), put all of these options together, and myself living in Taipei, I will stay at home, warm, dry and watching TV.
Living far from Taipei and need to spend the night there.
That’s more like a financial thing. I would save money by
not going there at all.
But the risk of COVID-19 is what’s the most concerning.
My health is most important. You want more wealth, keep
your health.
So far, I think the contacts of Captain Cockwash and his Jolly Roger have tested negative. Except the guy who said he couldn’t smell—but I think he is panicing because he also said he had a blocked nose and sneezing which isn’t a covid symptom.
Congestion and runny nose is one of the “official” symptoms of Covid. It’s also super common with the cold so I wouldn’t panic over it. Definitely needs to be tested though.
Oh, I thought that wans’t a symptom? Maybe I looked at an outdated article. My family had it and none of them had a sneeze or runny nose—they had cough, no smell, headache and difficulty breathing
Personally, you couldn’t pay me enough to get packed in like sardines and watch that lame excuse for a fireworks show in a normal year. And this is not a normal year. I’d literally rather stay home and watch the Anderson Cooper New Year’s special on CNN, and that’s saying something.
