Confirmed COVID-19 cases can be removed from isolation after two consecutive negative test results, instead of three, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday.
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said that two new imported cases have been confirmed in the past week, for a total of 445 confirmed cases, but no domestic cases have been reported for 66 consecutive days.
The decision to ease discharge requirements to the global standard of two consecutive negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests followed a suggestion by the CECC advisory specialist panel, he said.
Panel convener Chang Shan-chwen (張上淳) said the suggestion was made based on international studies and the observation of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Taiwan.
The few people who tested positive again after being discharged from isolation had viral loads so low that the novel coronavirus could not be grown from their specimens, Chang said.
The international studies include a survey of 285 “re-positive” cases in South Korea and 790 people who had come into close contact with them, which showed that they did not pose a risk of disease transmission after being discharged upon two negative test results, he said.
“We used to adopt an extremely careful discharge criteria, but it led to many infected patients being hospitalized for a long period,” Chang said, adding that the panel considered two consecutive negative test results as an acceptable discharge standard, as the risk of causing further infection would be extremely low.
However, the patients must also meet two other criteria to be removed from isolation: their symptoms must have been relived for at least three days during isolation, and the two PCR tests must be conducted at least 10 days after the onset of symptoms, he said.
The panel thinks that it would be fairly safe for people who meet the three conditions to be discharged from hospital, Chang said.
To ensure safety on flights to Taiwan and reduce the risk of a local COVID-19 outbreak caused by imported cases, the CECC also announced two conditions for people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 abroad, at least one of which must be met to be allowed entry into Taiwan.
The patient’s symptoms must have been relieved and the date of their flight must be at least two months after the onset of symptoms, Chang said.
Or the flight date must be at least 10 days after the onset of symptoms and the patient must obtain two consecutive negative PCR test results, which must be conducted at least 24 hours apart, he said.
Those who do not meet those conditions may face a fine of NT$10,000 to NT$150,000 for contravening the Communicable Disease Control Act (傳染病防治法), he added.
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