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Overcoming the Pandemic 走向后疫情时代 A Popular Taiwan staff shares how she got through the gloom caused by the pandemic. 台湾大众同事分享防疫点滴，勇敢走出冠病疫情的阴霾。 With the novel coronavirus infection being gradually brought under control, cities in Taiwan have started opening up again. Many Taiwanese have taken their masks off and ventured outdoors. Alas, our world is no longer the same. Some have lost their jobs, while the nature of interactions between people has fundamentally changed due to social distancing. Even international relations have changed, with the global political and economic landscape having undergone an upheaval. We will need to adjust our mindset to deal with the post-pandemic era. Doing Our Best in Prevention News of the novel coronavirus came in early 2020. I was preparing our family’s reunion dinner when my children ran into the kitchen and asked: “What is a novel coronavirus?” I discussed the implications with my husband. After our reunion dinner that evening, we went to the pharmacy to buy face masks for everyone at NT$3 apiece and hand sanitiser with 75% alcohol content. The government had yet to expropriate the production or restrict the sales of face masks then. With the first COVID-19 death of an unlicensed taxi driver in his 60s with no recent travel history, the authorities started holding daily press briefings. I waited in front of the television at 2pm every day to get the latest updates as I live in New Taipei City, the district with the most cases in Taiwan. My family used to plan our weekend culinary excursions on Friday evenings. However, the increasing severity of the pandemic meant we had to switch to learning how to cook new dishes through watching videos on social media together at home. That was how we got through the long school holidays as the start of new school semester in Taiwan was postponed. Emerging from the Pandemic The change in lifestyle also resulted in the emergence of new food delivery platforms in Taiwan, like foodpanda. Using these apps onto our mobile phones, we get to enjoy good food while adapting to our new routine. Making full use of technology, these electronic platforms not only provide food delivery services, but also make daily necessities available, making our lives By Gina Chen (Taiwan) 文:陈雅琪(台湾) 131 popularnews - 35