Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (???) will lead the singing of Taiwan’s national anthem at the flag-raising ceremony in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei on New Year’s Day.

Chen will lead a group of 60 medical staffers in singing the national anthem at the ceremony, which will kick off Saturday, Jan. 1, at 5 a.m. on Ketagalan Boulevard and feature musical and marching band performances, the Presidential Office said.

The national flag will be raised following the singing of the anthem. As of press time, it remained unclear whether President Tsai Ing-wen (???) will deliver a remark after that.

The entire ceremony is dedicated to medical workers who have been working on the frontline of combating the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years, Presidential Office spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka said at a press conference.

In addition to the singing of the national anthem, a band composed of 10 emergency room doctors, Critical Rock, will put on a show, performing two songs written by them during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A choir featuring 100 medical workers and led by Taiwan’s five medical associations will also perform two songs that wish the people of Taiwan a good new year.

The five associations, which will also co-host the flag-raising ceremony, represent Taiwan’s doctors, dentists, doctors of Chinese medicine, nurses, and pharmacists.

There will also be performances from Taiwanese indie band Sorry Youth as well as from military and high school marching bands, and a junior high school string orchestra.

The ceremony will be open to the public but those who wish to attend the event must adhere to the Central Epidemic Command Center’s COVID-19 protocols, such as real-name registration and wearing masks at all times, organizers said.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel