The COVID-19 vaccination service being offered at Taipei Main Station will be extended from Dec. 9 to Dec. 12 and expanded as it has proved to be a big success, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Wednesday.

A total of three walk-in COVID-19 vaccination sites will operate from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily at the station’s main hall, its west and east corridors offering Moderna vaccine shots, the CECC said.

The extended service will continue to be available to both Taiwanese citizens and foreign nationals, with those vaccinated receiving a voucher, it said.

The service, which started with one walk-in vaccination site on Dec. 5, offers those who get vaccinated a NT$100 (US$3.61) voucher and has been well-received, said CECC deputy head Chen Tsung-yen (???) during a briefing.

A total of 5,623 jabs had been administered over the past three days, Chen said, adding that local governments are also being encouraged to incentivize more people to get vaccinated by giving gifts until Dec. 21.

To date, 62.13 percent of Taiwan’s 23.41 million population have received two shots of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 78.32 percent have received at least one dose, according to government data. In addition, 13,118 people have had a third booster shot, the data shows.

Meanwhile, Chen announced tightened workplace disease control rules that will require more people to be fully vaccinated or receive weekly COVID-19 tests from Jan. 1.

The enhanced rules will apply to those in categories 1, 2, 3 and 7 of the CECC’s COVID-19 vaccination priority list — which covers medical and frontline personnel, epidemic prevention workers in central and local governments, people at higher risk of exposure to the pandemic due to their jobs, as well as military personnel, teachers and other essential workers.

Those who work in funeral homes and correctional facilities will also be subject to the new rule, the CECC said.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel