Taiwan eyes mid-October end to COVID-19 quarantine on road to reopening

Taiwan eyes mid-October end to COVID-19 quarantine on road to reopening

TAIPEI: Taiwan aims to end the mandatory COVID-19 quarantine for arrivals from around Oct thirteen and will ease various other restrictions from next week as it continues to re-open to the outside entire world, the government said on Thursday (Sep 22).

Taiwan has kept a number of its entry plus quarantine rules in place as large parts of the rest of Asia have got relaxed or raised them completely, though in June this cut the number of days required in isolation for arrivals in order to three from 7 previously.

Taiwan has reported 6 million domestic situations since the beginning of the calendar year, driven by the more infectious Omicron variant. With more than 99 per cent of those showing no or only gentle symptoms, the government provides relaxed rather than stiffened restrictions in its “new Taiwan model”.

Cabinet spokesman Lo Ping-cheng told reporters that from following Thursday visa-free entry will be resumed for citizens of all nations that previously got that status. The government will also increase weekly arrival limits intended for international travellers simply by 10, 000 in order to 60, 000, he said, with no more PCR tests designed for arrivals.

When “everything is under control”, the government is certainly aiming to end required quarantine for all arrivals from around Oct 13, with landings rising to a hundred and fifty, 000 a week, Lo said.