The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday announced an extension of the level 2 COVID-19 alert to Jan. 10, as well as tighter border regulations.
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said that domestic COVID-19 restrictions would remain the same, but they might be subject to change in response to the global situation, adding that the level 2 alert is unlikely to be lowered before the Lunar New Year quarantine program ends on Feb. 14.
All arrivals in Taiwan from Tuesday next week would be required to submit the result of a COVID-19 test taken in the two days prior to their flight, while migrant workers who are fully vaccinated would no longer be required to be tested before changing their job or workplace, the CECC said.
Photo: Lu Yi-hsuan, Taipei Times
The testing requirements for travelers are being tightened in light of a rise in imported COVID-19 cases in Taiwan, many of whom tested positive upon entry, Chen said.
Taiwan recorded 109 imported cases of COVID-19 from Monday last week to Sunday, a 76 percent increase compared with the previous week, CECC data showed.
All incoming travelers currently have to submit proof of a negative result from a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test taken within three days of the date of the flight.
Under the new requirements, which will apply to those who embark for Taiwan on or after Tuesday next week, arrivals would have to submit a negative PCR test result from a sample taken within two days of the date of the flight.
The new rules are expected to make flights safer and lighten the load on the nation’s medical system, Chen said.
Travelers who are unable to present a test result upon their arrival would be fined NT$10,000 to NT$150,000, he said.
Chen also announced that effective immediately, migrant workers who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 would not need to undergo a PCR test before changing employer or workplace.
The adjustment has been made to ensure migrant workers’ rights, the CECC said.
Meanwhile, 16 new imported infections were confirmed, including eight cases who arrived from the US, and a case each from Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines and the UK.
The person who arrived from Kazakhstan is a member of a karate squad of 22 people who traveled to the nation to attend the Asian Karate Championship.
Eleven members of the team had already tested positive and been reported as confirmed cases on Sunday.
Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞), deputy head of the CECC’s medical response division, said that genome sequencing would be conducted on the 12 people to identify the virus strain.
He said 10 of the 12 cases were experiencing mild symptoms and the cycle threshold (Ct) values from their tests ranged from 11 to 34.
Judging from the Ct values and the seating arrangement on the flight, they likely contracted the disease in Kazakhstan rather than during the flight, Lo said, adding that close contacts and passengers on the same flight had been placed in isolation.
A meeting would be held this week to review the disease prevention measures taken during the karate team’s trip, as well as to discuss improved plans for the nation’s athletes traveling abroad, Chen said.
The latest genome sequencing results of imported infections had identified six more cases of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, five travelers from the US and one from the UK, Lo said.
So far, 34 cases of the Omicron variant have been identified in Taiwan, Lo said, adding that all are imported cases who had been fully vaccinated, including a few who had received more than two doses of a vaccine.
“As some of the cases had received three doses of vaccine, but still became infected with the Omicron variant, we urge people planning to travel abroad to not only get vaccinated, but also to thoroughly practice personal preventive measures,” Lo said.
The CECC on Friday informed healthcare facilities about modified policies for visitors.
In general, one person would be permitted to accompany a patient, but for four types of patient — children aged 12 or younger, people aged 65 or older, people with disabilities and people with special conditions that need to be assessed by the healthcare facility — the rule would be eased to permit up to two people to accompany each patient, Chen said.
If a person accompanying a patient has been fully vaccinated, they would be exempt from COVID-19 testing before entering the hospital and from weekly tests; but if they are not fully vaccinated, they would be required to take a government-funded test when entering the hospital, followed by weekly self-paid tests starting from Saturday, he said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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