The Central Epidemic Command Center yesterday announced that the parents of children in China under the age of two, who have one Taiwanese parent and who hold an Alien Resident Certificate, would be permitted to apply for their children to enter Taiwan, from today.
The parents would be allowed to apply for entry as the local COVID-19 situation is under control and because of humanitarian concerns, said Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center.
The Mainland Affairs Council said that children born on and after July 7 last year qualify.
Photo courtesy of the Central Epidemic Command Center via CNA
The children must undergo a 14-day home quarantine after arriving in Taiwan, Chen said, adding that the policy might be gradually expanded to include more children.
More than 2,000 Chinese minor children of Taiwanese-Chinese couples are stranded in China due to tightened border controls, and more than 100 children under the age of two would be eligible to apply to return to Taiwan, Chen said.
As the COVID-19 situation in China remains unclear, the council is being careful by allowing these children to return to Taiwan in several phases, he added.
In related news, Myanmar has been added to the center’s list of low infection risk countries or areas, while Hong Kong and Australia have been moved from the low-risk to the medium-low infection risk countries or areas list, Chen said.
Short-term business travelers can apply for a shortened quarantine of five days if they come from low-risk countries and seven days if they come from medium-low risk countries.
The center also announced that people who forgot to collect masks that they ordered through the real-name mask purchasing system between March 19 and July 8, would be given one chance to claim them next month.
The center’s data shows that more than 120,000 people have, at least once, not collected masks they ordered during that time.
They would receive a text message on Aug. 24, informing them of their right to claim the masks, Chen said, adding that, between Aug. 24 and Aug. 26, they would need to confirm the convenience store or pharmacy where they plan to collect their masks.
The masks would be available for collection between Aug. 31 and Sep. 13, but if they still fail to pick up the masks, they would forfeit them, Chen said, adding that starting from July 27, people would have one chance to reclaim their forgotten masks the following week.
The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Taiwan is still 451. Four people remain in hospital, Chen said.
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