Following England’s listing of Taiwan as one of the countries exempted from its quarantine rules, Scotland has followed suit, saying travelers from Taiwan do not have to self-isolate for 14 days.
The UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office on Friday last week announced a “travel corridor” list for England, which exempts travelers who have been or stopped in any of the 59 countries and 14 British protectorates and territories on the list from mandatory quarantine upon arrival.
The Scottish government on Wednesday announced its own list exempting travelers from 57 foreign destinations and 14 UK territories.
Photo: AP
The decision was made after carefully considering “the public health impact of the proposed exemptions,” Scottish Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said.
“We must manage the risk of more cases coming into the country, particularly from areas where infections are more prevalent than here. That makes decisions about lifting quarantine requirements particularly difficult,” Yousaf said.
Both the English and Scottish exemptions take effect today.
Passengers arriving from these countries and territories are required to complete an online passenger locator form prior to travel, and to supply contact details, travel details and the address of the final destination where they will be staying, the Scottish government said.
Travelers arriving directly in Scotland or via an English port or airport, would still need to quarantine if they have been in a country or area which is not on the exemption list, it said.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said that Scotland’s announcement was a recognition of the nation’s COVID-10 prevention efforts.
Ou added that Wales and Northern Ireland would be announcing details of travel restrictions separately.
The lifting of travel restrictions would benefit Taiwan-UK investments and foster bilateral growth, the ministry said.
As Taiwan’s third-largest trade partner in Europe, the ministry hopes to push for further collaborations with the UK government to ensure stable and continuous growth in trade in the post-COVID-19 era, it said.
People traveling from Taiwan to Scotland have to transit through England, as there are no direct flights between Taipei and Edinburgh.
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