Precautions when cycling in Taiwan during COVID

Do not need to hear about that as we are already in level 3. Everyone should already be masking up when riding!

Level 3
•Criteria: Three community clusters within a week (or) ten domestically transmitted cases from unknown sources in one day.
•Masks must be worn at all times outdoors.
•Cancellation of outdoor gatherings of 10+ people and indoor gatherings of 5+ people.
•Apart from essential services, law enforcement, medical treatment and government, all places of business and public venues must close.
•At places of business or public venues that remain open, mask wearing and social distancing is required.
•In neighborhoods where community transmission has occurred, residents must stay within defined a perimeter and comply with COVID-19 testing. All public gatherings and school classes within the neighborhoods are suspended.

Is there a tracker anywhere where we can see what cities/counties are in which levels at the moment? I’m not in Taipei/New Taipei at the moment but I want to know where I need to be sure I’m 100% masking up when riding! I haven’t been wearing one when there isn’t anyone around where I’m at and want to make sure that’s okay.

Three days ago, Taipei/New Taipei were raised to level 3. Other cities/counties, which did not see any further news/announcements by CDC, I believe are still at level 2.

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I commute home along the riverside bike path sometimes, most people seem to have their masks on but of course there are always a few (mostly oldies) that walk/bike/jog without masks :disappointed_relieved:

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This is all I had seen as well. I wasn’t sure if it was because Taipei/New Taipei are the focus of the outbreaks or if they were actually the only ones at level 3. Thank you!

You ride bikes?

“Commute”, no mention of me specifically on a bike :thinking:

You’re in the cycling forum, posting in a cycling thread! :rofl:

Guy

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Could be about the cyclists that are riding without masks! :rofl:

A lot of other countries seemed to have very strict restrictions against outdoor recreation, but then slowly reduced them as it appears the risk of outdoor transmission is very low (and I suppose to keep people sane).

Hopefully Taiwan can leverage being so late to the game and see what has worked well for other countries?

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I hope so, but I’m skeptical. There’s just such a sense that “Oh, things are bad, so anything that may be good must be avoided.” We all need to be more 辛苦 to get through this, or something like that.

It is leaving me somewhat aghast to see Taiwan repeating other country’s errors from last year. A year ago, OK, limit people going outside - we didn’t know. Now, we know. The risk is very, very minimal.

Caveat: there are indeed many places in Taiwan where it’s near-impossible to go outside without being in a big crowd. Plus I suppose authorities feel that if they let people go outside, you’ll have big crowds of old people doing karaoke in a plastic tent or something.

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Hopefully regulations will change, but best to just keep it as is for now.

If you relax any rules, people will abuse it.

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Do I like to wear a mask? Hell no.

But just think about the medical world for a second, the nurses and doctors who wear that bloody thing almost 24/7.

Wear it as a tribute to those who don’t have the privilege nor the time to ride a bike for pleasure right now.

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No complaints on the mask rule here - it’s definitely best to keep things super simple and it’s great to see most people following the rule.

However if we go to level 4 it does sound like we will not go be able to go outside at all other then maybe for groceries or other essential tasks.

We can ride our bike to the store.

Better than nothing!

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“Yes, officer, I need to get THIS kind of Snickers bar from THIS 7-11. What’s that you say? Jinshan is really far from Danshui? Yes, it is, but do you know how amazing the Snickers bars are here in Jinshan?!”

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Yes and no. I see two things as crucial: 1) making the rule simple, as you say (“Always wear masks when away from home”); but also 2) making the rule logical (“Wear a mask anytime you’re near anyone else”). And those are often in conflict - the rule-makers have my sympathy, because finding that balance is hard. If you neglect #2, you’re going to have people thinking the rules are sometimes dumb (which is the stage I’m currently at), and therefore ignoring them when they are important (which is a stage I absolutely do not want to be at).

Benign non-cycling example: I broke the rules and took my mask off when away from home yesterday. I was sitting in my office at work, all by myself for several hours, closed door, air conditioning unit in the window. Technically I could have been fined for that. But that would have been idiotic.

Hazardous non-cycling example: local supermarket has a limit for people allowed in at one time. OK, fine. Clear. But illogical: it resulted in a dense crowd of people waiting in the entryway to get in - which made things far, far more hazardous than just letting the people in the really wide-open store would have been. I chose not to wait, but I had the luxury of that choice; some people may not.

I’m happy that I got a cycling … um … Buff? Is that word seriously safe for work, or is the cycling community having the world on? “UV Protection Multifunctional Headwear”. I look forward to covering my mouth and nose with it for most of a ride tomorrow, with a surgical mask to put on if I ever go anywhere busier, but otherwise in the jersey pocket. Let’s all hope that, when Level 3 ends, the level goes down rather than up.

Anyone using a sports type mask? Where can I get one?

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That looks more aero. Good for time trials I bet. :grinning: