TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The grace period for going maskless has expired, and now anyone in Taiwan going out without a mask will be hit with immediate fines, Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) head Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) announced during the COVID-19 briefing on Wednesday (May 26).

In light of the Level 3 COVID-19 alert in the country, which mandates mask wearing in public, law enforcement personnel are no longer required to give warnings to people who are maskless before issuing tickets, the CECC head said. Instead, violators can be slapped with fines right away.

However, there are exceptions. If people suffering from dementia, who must be accompanied by a caretaker when outside, occasionally lower their masks under their chin, they will not be fined, Chen said.

Another exception is that delivery people are allowed to take off their masks to have meals in a wide open area, but they still have to strictly adhere to social distancing.

Fines for mask violations range between NT$3,000 (US$103) and NT$15,000.