China News Service, Beijing, June 14 (Reporter Zhang Duo Liu Shuling) The fifth day of the fifth lunar month (June 14, 2021) is one of the three most important traditional festivals in China-the Dragon Boat Festival.

Due to the sudden outbreak of new crown pneumonia in Taiwan since May, group activities such as dragon boat races in various regions have been cancelled, and the Dragon Boat Festival is obviously deserted. However, several Taiwanese people in an interview with a reporter from China News Agency on the 14th said that eating rice dumplings, playing with standing eggs, hanging wormwood, Folk practices such as wearing sachets are still going on everywhere.

I look forward to returning to normal soon.

  According to the Taiwan authorities' "Pandemic Epidemic Command Center" announced on the 14th, Taiwan has added 185 local confirmed cases and 15 deaths.

The epidemic is still continuing, and the command center has recently called for reducing unnecessary movement, activities or gatherings, and avoiding crowded places or areas with a high risk of infection transmission.

The Dragon Boat Festival is still the case.

  Lu Yongmao, who lives in Taoyuan City, used to take his family to Longtan Dachi to watch dragon boat races every year during the Dragon Boat Festival.

He told a reporter from China News Agency, "Thousands of people will be there every year, but now they can only stay at home. The game of'Liedan' is the only activity related to the Dragon Boat Festival."

  Song Qingyong, who insists on offering sacrifices to the ancestors at this time every year, said that this ceremony must be done, but due to the serious epidemic in Taipei, it can only be held at home this year.

  The family of Mr. Ji Jiaxing, who lives in Kinmen, listened to his mother’s instructions. In addition to eating rice dumplings, wormwood, and banyan seedlings, according to traditional folk beliefs, he hung more garlic in the hope of getting rid of the disease and protecting the health of his family.

  Insufficient vaccines are one of the most important issues facing Taiwan in this round of the epidemic.

According to estimates by Taiwanese media, based on the publicly-funded vaccination rankings announced by the authorities, if all high-risk populations over the age of 65 are to be vaccinated, Taiwan still lacks millions of doses of vaccines.

  Ji Jiaxing's wife works in the clinic and, as a high-risk contact worker, recently received the first dose of the vaccine.

During the interview, Ji Jiaxing said that currently qualified personnel are not very willing to be vaccinated, and ordinary personnel cannot be matched.

"There is no way, we can only share it, and hope that the situation will gradually improve."

  No one in Lu Yongmao's family has been vaccinated.

He said that many people like us can only stay at home to avoid infection.

Dog walking can only be done in your own home.

When passing the street, you can hardly see cars or pedestrians.

  "Many businesses are going to close down, and currently they can only wait for the vaccine." Lu Yongmao said.

  In areas with severe epidemics such as New Taipei and Taipei, merchants are even more affected.

Lin Yufang, a former "legislator" of the Chinese Kuomintang, said in a telephone interview with a reporter from China News Agency that since the outbreak of the epidemic, Taipei's traditional urban area has been deserted a lot. Large restaurants, snack bars, and cold drinks shops are forbidden to eat in, and tourists can hardly see it. To.

  Today, the United States and Japan provide limited vaccines and it is difficult to increase the number of vaccines in the short term. Taiwan's self-produced vaccines have not undergone Phase III clinical trials, and the public may not be able to receive them without worry.

Lin Yufang said bluntly that many experts are worried that there is no hope that Taiwan will lift the three-level alert in the short term and lead a more normal life.

(Finish)