According to Singapore's "Lianhe Zaobao" website reported on June 6, since May 15, the new crown epidemic in Taiwan has spread almost every day with three-digit new confirmed cases, and the epidemic prevention myth of "253 days and zero cases on the island" has been shattered, and strict epidemic prevention measures have impacted the lives and livelihoods of countless citizens.
According to the report, in May, the water level of the island's major reservoirs reached a record low. Soon, the rains alleviated the severe heat and water shortage crisis, but the difficulties of many citizens will continue.
On May 31, after the torrential rain, the night rain was endless, and among the 400 roadside stalls at the Raohe Street Tourist Night Market in Songshan District, Taipei, Lin Dewen was left open in the rain, and one person took care of the two stalls of "Tainan White Sugar Kway" and "Hot Dice Cow".
Lin Dewen said that after the three-level vigilance, the stall owners independently prevented the epidemic and closed their businesses, and only more than ten stalls were left to continue to support on weekdays, and the average daily revenue of everyone was 1,000 yuan (1 yuan NT$is about 0.23 yuan - this network note).
But business really fell badly, he said: "I was in the industry for two years, watching the night market business fall from full prosperity to the bottom." After the epidemic, only 20% of the business remained, and now the three-level alert has fallen by 20%, which is equal to 4% of the business volume in the heyday. ”
Egg cake vendor Yao Xiaojing said that the original booming business lost 30%. She now takes three days off a week to reduce her input.
The report pointed out that in recent years, the popular Ningxia Night Market, 180 stalls were closed after May 19, and the pedestrian street was empty. Lin Dingwei, chairman of the Ningxia Night Market Tourism Association, said that night market vendors are one of the lowest workers in society and have suffered the most. "On average, only 10% of the business with stalls remains, and the income from unopened stalls is zero."
The Ximending business district, which is close to the Wanhua "Agong Store" where the outbreak of mass infections, has recently become a place for citizens to smell the wind. Liu Jiaxin, chairman of the Ximen Pedestrian Area Block Development Promotion Association, sighed: "I have lived in Ximending for 60 years, and I have never seen such a deserted! ”
As for the famous food street Yongkang Street, tourists are also replaced by a quiet streetscape. The founding shop of Din Tai Fung, a famous restaurant for small dumplings, used to have to wait for an hour to take a seat, but now it takes 15 minutes to pick up your meal. The 58-year-old Yongkang Beef Noodle Shop insists on opening, but only does takeaway food delivery.
According to the report, the service industry mainly catering, retail, logistics and restaurants accounts for about two-thirds of Taiwan's GDP. In 2020, Taiwan's economic growth was 2.98%, showing a bright performance. Economists generally analyze that driven by strong exports from semiconductor and other manufacturing industries, Taiwan's economy will continue to grow.
But now, even the most optimistic analysts are turning cautious.
According to the report, the French Foreign Trade Bank, which previously predicted that Taiwan's economic growth could reach 6.4% this year, analyzed that if Taiwan delays the measures to control the flow of people until late June, the reduction in service consumption will cause a 0.5% to 1% reduction in GDP this year. "If you enter a four-level lockdown for a month or two, production will stop and investment will plummet, meaning economic growth may hover to zero."
It is reported that under the blow of the epidemic, the occupancy rate of hotels in Taipei and New Taipei has almost zero, and all leisure resort hotels in Taiwan have continued to be cancelled. The industry predicts that if the three-level vigilance is delayed until next month, it is likely to set off a wave of salary cuts and layoffs.
According to the report, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-che warned a few days ago that the Taiwan authorities must think about what to do next, and once the three-level alert state is relaxed, the epidemic will recur, but if it is delayed for another three months, "more people will starve to death than to die of illness."
The report pointed out that the epidemic has been raging around the world for about a year and a half, and the outbreak in Taiwan did not occur until May, but it seems that it has not done its homework, so many commentators believe that Taiwan has wasted "18 months of gold provided by heaven".
Source: Reference News Network