Taipei, Taiwan (Indonesia Window) - The World Health Organization (WHO) announced the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) over the outbreak of a new coronavirus that has spread in China’s Wuhan region since late 2019.

The status was made on January 31, 2020 following the growing number of cases reaching 34,000 and caused 722 people died in China.

Besides China, where the virus began to spread, 25 other countries also reported having coronavirus cases.

Taiwan, which is geographically close to China (about 2,100 km, approximately 2.3 hours by air) reported 11 cases of coronavirus.

Local media reported that the patients had received excellence medical treatments and were in isolation to prevent transmission. Some of them are getting better.

However, Taiwanese people are vigilant of the possibility to get infected by the virus.

Wearing masks is their effort to reduce the risk of contracting corona virus, when being in such closed and crowded public places as airports and train stations.

Hand sanitizers are also provided in all public places.

So far, Taiwanese people’s life goes on as normal like that before the outbreak took place.

In fact, the Lantern Festival which is one of the major national events to celebrate the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunisolar Chinese calendar is held in Taichung.

The government is expected to attract many visitors, including foreign tourists, even though the outbreak brings impact on the event.

The 2020 Lantern Festival on February 8 - 23 in Taichung (about 167 km from Taiwan’s capital of Taipei) has a general theme of Charming Dazzling, featuring three venues with a theme of Children Paradise, Mysterious Forest and World of Arts.

Reporting by Indonesia Window