President Tsai Ing-wen has been in the news over the past week amid a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases. As of Thursday, there were 28 more deaths, bringing the death toll since the beginning of the pandemic up to 361.  To curb the virus from spreading further, the government has extended its Level 3 COVID-19 Alert to June 14, which happens to be the day of the Dragon Boat Festival.  The festival, which always falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, is a time for family reunion.

Speaking at a meeting of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s Central Standing Committee on Wednesday, Tsai urged the public not to have a family get-together during this critical moment. She said having an online family reunion is the best thing to do this year. The president said people “should stay put if they love their family.”

When it comes to the controversy over the Taiwanese made COVID-19 vaccines, Tsai said “safety and efficacy are the basic requirements” for the vaccines to hit the market. Tsai also said that the government and the public should both “respect scientific evidence.”