TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Transferring money between bank accounts online will be free of charge as long as the current Level-3 COVID alert continues, the government said Thursday (May 20).

On Wednesday (May 19), Taiwan expanded the Level-3 alert from Taipei and New Taipei to the whole country, with May 28 as the official end date for all areas. The island has confirmed more than 200 new COVID-19 cases per day this week.

The Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) said it was suspending the transaction fees for bank transfers in order to dissuade the public from visiting banks, with the hope people would instead conduct their financial transactions from home, CNA reported.

Several financial institutions have reported staff infected by the virus, though none of those individuals had had contact with clients, the banks said.

The government, the FSC, the Central Bank, and domestic banks have also agreed to drop transaction fees at ATMs by NT$2 if they are not already free. Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) reportedly praised the measures at the regular weekly Cabinet meeting as examples of a creative response to the pandemic.