Authorities said that an estimated 40,000 Taiwanese are expected to arrive in the nation in the three weeks before the Lunar New Year holiday, about 29,000 of whom would be coming from China, Hong Kong and Macau.
Under new regulations implemented on Friday last week, arrivals who are unable to book a space in a quarantine hotel must sign an affidavit promising to self-quarantine at home alone, or be subject to quarantine in a centralized facility.
The number of expected arrivals from China is significantly lower than the about 100,000 people who returned from China last year, a source said, adding that the combination of stricter regulations in Taiwan and China was likely the reason for the decrease.
Photo: CNA
China’s Jiangsu and Jiangxi provinces require a total quarantine period of 28 days — 14 in a centralized facility and 14 at home — meaning that Taiwanese coming from those provinces would spend a total of 42 days in quarantine, the source said.
A total of 16,242 Taiwanese returned home for the holiday from Friday last week to today, the source said.
“The peak return period will be from tomorrow to Thursday next week, when we expect to see 21,616 arrivals, 16,383 of which will be from China,” the source said, adding that travelers must arrive by Thursday next week at the latest to finish quarantine in time for the start of the holiday.
“From Friday next week until Feb. 4, we expect only 3,793 arrivals, and from Feb. 5 to 11, only 2,645,” the source said.
“One complaint of Taiwanese businesspeople returning from China has been a lack of rooms in quarantine hotels,” the source said.
“Those arriving after Thursday next week would miss Lunar New Year’s dinner with their families. Unofficially, the government’s advice is for them to consider spending the holiday abroad this year and connect with their families via videoconference,” the source said.
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