bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Lawrence Chung

The teahouse culture in Taipei’s Wanhua district is responsible for the recent spike in Covid-19 infections, official figures suggest.
In just 10 days, close to 900 people in the district tested positive for the coronavirus and at least 516 of them were linked to one or more of its 176 hostess teahouses.
Taiwan has reported 1,577 locally transmitted Covid-19 cases since May 11, according to the Central Epidemic Control Centre.
The Wanhua cluster dates back to May 11 when a man from Luzhou who had visited the district tested positive. The next day, two women from separate teahouses were reported to have contracted the disease.


On May 13, three women from three other teahouses, and a man who had visited one of them also tested positive, the centre said.
As the numbers rose, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je ordered all teahouses to close.
“There were human-to-human contacts between the Wanhua cases and the Luzhou case,” Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said on May 13.
It was later discovered that a number of people, mostly men, from other Taiwanese cities and counties had patronised the Wanhua teahouses.
“Our research showed that the virus strain tracked from the infected people came from the same family – the British variant,” said Chang Shan-tsun, head of the centre’s advisory specialist panel, adding that people aged between 50 and 60 were most affected.

A police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the hostess teahouses in Wanhua dated back to when then Taipei mayor Chen Shui-bian shut down all licensed brothels in 1997.
“Many [brothels] went underground after the crackdown while others reopened as so-called teahouses,” he said.
“Because a number of these teahouses are a front, most of the hostesses are not willing to take Covid tests for fear of being caught and fined,” the officer said.
Also, some of the hostesses were from Vietnam or mainland China and did not have the right papers so would not want to be identified by taking a Covid-19 test, he said.
Taiwan to set up Covid-19 testing stations as 286 new local cases reported
A 70-year-old woman who worked in Wanhua was found dead at her home on Monday, Chen said on Thursday.
The woman, who lived alone and had heart and vascular problems, showed Covid-19 symptoms on Saturday but refused to go to hospital, he said.
Mayor Ko urged people who work for or have links to the teahouses or other illegal entertainment venues to take a Covid-19 test to help prevent the disease spreading further. They would not face punishment, he said.


Hong Kong’s Peninsula Hotels sees ‘bleisure’ boom after pandemic curbs, CEO says

US could require US$15,000 bonds for some tourist, business visas

China’s Shenzhen, Guangzhou airports hit record highs, surpass pre-Covid passenger levels

Landmark US Chinatown survived Covid, anti-Asian violence – but tariffs pose new threat

Coronavirus pandemic

Taipei’s Covid-19 spike traced back to hostess teahouses

Soldiers disinfect the streets of Taipei’s Wanhua district, which is home to scores of hostess teahouses. Photo: Reuters

An aerial view shows empty streets next to the Taipei Cinema Park in the Wanhua District, in Taipei on May 19, 2021. (Photo by Sam Yeh / AFP)

Taiwan to set up Covid-19 testing stations as 286 new local cases reported

Taipei’s streets are quiet as Taiwan continues to battle a Covid-19 outbreak. Photo: Reuters

A soldier disinfects a person who is leaving a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) testing site following a surge of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infections in Taipei, Taiwan May 19, 2021. REUTERS/Ann Wang

Coronavirus: Taiwan raises alert level for entire island after 267 more local cases reported

Taiwan has reported 1,291 locally transmitted cases in the past nine days. Photo: AP Photo

A woman wearing a protective face mask walks the street following a surge of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infections in Taipei, Taiwan May 18, 2021. REUTERS/Ann Wang

Taiwan reports 240 new Covid-19 cases, in talks with US for share of donated vaccine doses

Taiwan has reported more than 1,000 new Covid-19 cases in the past eight days. Photo: Bloomberg

A local resident listens to medical staffs before queing up for the COVID-19 virus testing at the Wanhua District in Taipei on May 19, 2021. (Photo by Sam Yeh / AFP)

News

China

People & Culture

Social Welfare


At least 516 of the 900 people who tested positive for the coronavirus in Wanhua district had links to one or more of its 176 hostess teahouses
Venues began appearing in the area after brothels were ordered to close in 1997, police officer says



At least 516 of the 900 people who tested positive for the coronavirus in Wanhua district had links to one or more of its 176 hostess teahouses.


Coronavirus Taiwan

Taiwan

China society

Coronavirus pandemic: All stories