Starting from March 20, mild COVID-19 cases are no longer to be required to quarantine, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday, announcing the end of a policy that has been in place for more than three years.
Mandatory quarantine has been in effect since Jan. 15, 2020, when COVID-19 was designated a category 3 communicable disease.
The CECC said that as the COVID-19 situation in Taiwan has been easing, the reporting of mild or asymptomatic cases, as well as mandatory five-day quarantine for infected people, would be phased out from March 20.
Photo: CNA
People who test positive in a rapid test would no longer have to confirm their results via a telemedicine appointment and would be asked to monitor their health for 10 days, said Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞), who is also the CECC’s spokesperson.
Symptomatic COVID-19 cases would be encouraged — but not required — to stay at home until their symptoms ease, or wear a mask at all times if they go out, Lo said.
The Ministry of Education said it would continue to advise students and teachers not to attend classes in person for five days after testing positive for COVID-19.
Photo: CNA
In terms of reporting, Lo said that only moderate-to-severe COVID-19 cases — defined as those that require hospitalization — would be reported to the government after March 20.
The rules that require the special handling and expedited cremation of deceased COVID-19 patients would also be lifted on that date, the CECC said.
The number of COVID-19 cases have been dropping steadily over the past five weeks and average at about 10,600 per day, CECC data showed.
Separately, the government has agreed to resume regular flights to 10 more Chinese airports, adding that airlines can today begin applying for regular flights to the destinations.
Prior to the announcement, China had limited cross-strait flights to Shanghai Pudong and Hongqiao International Airports, Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, Beijing Capital International Airport and Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport to contain a COVID-19 outbreak in that country.
Last month, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) urged the government to quickly restore cross-strait direct flights between 16 Chinese destinations: Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Wuxi, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Wuhan, Fuzhou, Hefei, Chongqing, Changsha, Zhengzhou, Haikou, Xian, Shenyang and Harbin.
“We have decided to resume regular flight services to and from 10 Chinese airports after taking into account their proximity to areas densely populated by Taiwanese businesspeople and the balance in flights dispatched from Taiwan and China, as well as capacities of Taiwanese and Chinese carriers,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Deputy Minister Jan Jyh-horng(詹志宏) said.
The 10 destinations are Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Fuzhou, Qingdao, Wuhan, Ningbo and Zhengzhou.
Charter flight services would be allowed to 13 other Chinese destinations, due to smaller demand: Shenyang, Wuxi, Haikou, Changsha, Xian, Jinan, Hefei, Nanchang, Tianjin, Wenzhou, Dalian, Guilin and Xuzhou, he said.
The number of cross-strait flights would be initially kept at 209 — 110 from Taiwan and 99 from China — Jan said.
Details of dispatching cross-strait charter flights would be announced by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) have supported orderly and healthy exchanges of all disciplines between Taiwan and China after both countries reopened their borders, Jan said.
Officials at the MAC, the transportation ministry and the Ministry of Health and Welfare have evaluated a wide range of factors before finalizing the plan to increase cross-strait flights, including travelers’ demands, possible health risks, cross-strait relations and other supporting measures, Jan said.
“We have also tried our best to show goodwill by incorporating Beijing’s suggestions in our considerations,” he said. “We also hope that reinstating the cross-strait flights will facilitate positive interactions between Taiwan and China.”
Jan said the MAC has agreed to allow Taiwanese returning home for the Tomb Sweeping long weekend next month to transit through the “small three links” connecting Kinmen and Lienchiang counties and China.
The timing to resume more cross-strait flights has nothing to do with Tsai’s planned meeting with US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy next month when she transits through the US to visit Taiwan’s allies in Central America, he said.
ANTI-SHIP CONFIGURATION: The Tuo Chiang-class vessels are to be built for NT$9.7 billion by Lung Teh, a shipyard that previously built four similar corvettes for the navy The Ministry of National Defense on Wednesday awarded Lung Teh Shipbuilding (龍德造船) a NT$9.7 billion Co (US$317.57 million) contract to build five Tuo Chiang-class corvettes with anti-ship capabilities, a defense official familiar with the matter said yesterday. The corvettes would carry vertical launchers for four Hsiung Feng II (HF-2) missiles, as well as eight Hsiung Feng III (HF-3) anti-ship missiles, in contrast to ships configured for anti-air warfare, which carry eight HF-2 and four HF-3 missiles, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The anti-ship corvettes would be armed for improved standoff range against surface combatants and carry the latest
‘COINCIDENCE’: The former president should keep in mind local and global response to his actions and abide by the law to safeguard national interests, the MAC said The Presidential Office yesterday confirmed that it has received an application from former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to visit China next week and would be discussing his security detail. “As the travel restrictions on former president Ma have expired, we respect his plan to pay respect to his ancestors in China,” Presidential Office spokeswoman Lin Yu-chan (林聿禪) said. “We will review his travel plan and consult concerned agencies to assist him in arranging his security detail.” “We also hope that Ma, as a former commander in chief of Taiwan, acts in a manner that aligns with national interests and does not hurt
‘NOTHING NEW’: China should not use Tsai Ing-wen’s transits through the US as a pretext to step up aggressive activity in the Taiwan Strait, a Washington official said President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is to stop over in the US on her way to and from Central America next week, but her administration would not confirm a meeting with US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Tsai’s delegation is to leave Taipei on Wednesday next week and stop over in New York City, Presidential Office spokeswoman Lin Yu-chan (林聿禪) told a news conference yesterday. Tsai is then to head to Guatemala on Saturday next week for talks with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei and to meet with Taiwanese expatriates, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. On April 3, Tsai is scheduled to travel
Taiwan is to obtain maintenance parts for its AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, after the Republic of China Defense Mission to the US and the American Institute in Taiwan signed a NT$1.44 billion (US$47.1 million) deal that is to be in effect until Sept. 15, 2028. Taiwan operates 29 Apaches. The US is concerned that if China were to blockade Taiwan, it would be impossible to supply the nation with military equipment, natural gas, coal and other items, a military source said on condition of anonymity. The deal seeks to ensure stable supply of maintenance parts for the Apaches to keep them operational