PINGTUNG (Taiwan News) — Staying at home has become the new normal for many people around the world, and Taiwan has been no exception since the country entered a Level 3 alert in mid-May.
“Stay home to save the world” is the advice most Taiwanese have been following to avoid cluster infections.
Not being able to step out of the house has changed people’s lives. Taiwan News has surveyed readers to find out what people have been doing, eating, and spending money on during the lockdown, as well as the first place they want to visit after the pandemic is behind us.
The survey was conducted over three days among a randomized sample of readers across Taiwan. A total of 522 responses were gathered, and the analysis throughout this article is based on those responses.
According to the survey, more than 65 percent of those surveyed were quarantined with family or roommates, while 26 percent were in lockdown on their own. It should be pointed out that technically Taiwan is in a “soft” or voluntary Level 3 lockdown. Strict lockdown is classed as Level 4.
Top 5 quarantine activities
Most people have been watching movies and television, followed closely by “sleeping,” according to the poll. Scrolling through social media came in third, as meeting online is the safest way for people to socialize during the pandemic.
Listening to music or podcasts and face-timing friends came in fourth and fifth place, respectively. Many readers also said they were cleaning the house and taking online classes, as all schools are currently closed. Other top things people reported doing at home include online shopping, baking, and reading.
The majority of people only went out to get groceries or to buy food. Some still exercised or had to go to their workplace.
Over 70 percent cook at home
COVID-19 has significantly changed people’s eating habits, as they are no longer allowed to dine out in restaurants.
When asked about how people eat during the voluntary lockdown, more than 70 percent said they cooked at home, while around 60 percent ordered food delivery. The least number of people got takeout.
(Taiwan News, Venice Tang image)
Comfort food for dark times
Since food delivery has become an essential service during the lockdown, these businesses have thrived, with most reporting increased orders during the latest outbreak. Foodpanda, for instance, received 20 percent more orders after Taiwan entered its Level 3 in mid-May, compared to the previous month.
Most people voted for burgers or sandwiches as their favorite items from food delivery services, with pizza coming in second. French fries and fried chicken were also popular items, according to the survey.
Spending less
Almost 50 percent of those surveyed reported that their expenses had decreased during the period.
“This phenomenon is expected,” said Fong Po-han (馮勃翰), associate professor of Economics at National Taiwan University.
The lowered expenditures reported can be attributed to two main reasons: reduced income and fewer opportunities to spend money during the pandemic, Fong explained. He said that from personal experience, he felt like his expenses have gone down, as the money saved from gasoline and not being able to visit cafes “outweighs the extra electricity bills I have to pay for staying home all the time.”
However, the “actual change” in the amount of money spent during this period of time “depends on which industry each individual works in, and how each industry is affected,” Fong added.
(Taiwan News, Venice Tang image)
Lockdown emojis
When asked which emoji best represents their stay-home experience, most people voted for the “pensive face” emoji, which is considered “sad” and “remorseful,” according to Emojipedia.
Coming in second was the “woozy face” emoji, which is supposed to represent how one is “tired and emotional from inebriation or smitten with love," per the site. Finally, the “sleeping face” emoji came in third.
(Taiwan News, Venice Tang image)
More than one month
When Taiwan’s outbreak became very serious in mid-May, the meme flying around the country was “Look out world, Taiwan will show you how to move beyond a Level 3 alert in two weeks.” This meme circulated on social media and was written about in TIME magazine.
No one is saying that now. In fact, most people are probably wondering when the pandemic will end and how much longer they have to stay in.
In the survey, almost 40 percent said they thought the voluntary stay-at-home order would take more than a month to be lifted. Around 22 percent believed it would end in a month, while 15 percent thought it could take a year.
A local fortune teller, Hsieh Yuan-Chin (謝沅瑾) predicted that the infection rates will subside after May, according to UDN.
Home, beach, and Japan
When asked what was the first place people wanted to visit after COVID-19 has subsided, most people answered “home” or return to their “home country.” Beaches received the second-highest votes, with many specifically mentioning the beaches in Kenting, which is located in Taiwan's southern Pingtung County.
In terms of popular countries to visit after the pandemic, Japan got the most responses, followed by the United States, the Philippines, and South Korea.
