The Taipei City government said Wednesday it will not order the cancellation of Mandopop singer A-mei's (???) three remaining concert dates at the Taipei Arena, after several COVID-19 infections in other cities were linked to earlier shows.
Speaking with reporters at an event in Wanhua, Taipei Deputy Mayor Vivian Huang (???) ruled out canceling A-mei's shows on April 13, 15, and 16, calling for further investigation after reports that five cases in Kaohsiung, two in Keelung, and one in Taichung had attended earlier performances.
A-mei herself canceled the audience interaction segment of her show beginning April 8, while the singer and some 500 staff are also being regularly tested in accordance with COVID-19 protocols, according to the concerts' organizers.
Taipei has already linked five infections in the capital to performances on April 3, 6, 8, and 9, resulting in around 40 people being asked to quarantine, according to the city's department of health.
Following the confirmed infections, the city government released the times, seating sections and rows for those who tested positive, to alert fellow concertgoers in neighboring seats.
At a daily press briefing Wednesday, health officials in Kaohsiung said that four recently infected individuals in the southern port city had attended concert dates for A-mei in Taipei on April 8.
A fifth individual with COVID-19 in Kaohsiung, meanwhile, is thought to have been in close contact with one of the infected concert attendees.
Two cases in Keelung from Wednesday have also been connected to the concerts, according to Keelung Mayor Lin Yu-chang (???), though the dates that the infected individuals attended have not been released.
People attending A-mei's concert Tuesday have their temperature checked before entering Taipei Arena. CNA photo April 12, 2022
On Tuesday, Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (???) said that a male Taichung resident who developed symptoms on April 10 had traveled to Taipei on April 8 and 9 to attend two concerts with two friends.
The suspected links to infected individuals have prompted some ticketholders for A-mei's remaining shows to request refunds, leading to fans of the singer lining up outside Taipei Arena to try and grab one of the newly available briefs.
Addressing concerns that this could lead to further infections, Health and Welfare Minister Chen Shih-chung (???) said at the Central Epidemic Command Center's daily press briefing Wednesday that he would encourage the public to install and use the Taiwan Social Distancing app (Google Play / Apple iOS) to help the government in its efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Chen added that if anyone working at the concert became infected then the entire staff would have to be replaced.
A-mei's 12-date residency from April 1-16 at Taipei Arena marks her return to the venue for the first time since her Utopia World Tour in 2015, when residents in the area complained of noise pollution and panic-inducing vibrations.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel