The Ministry of Transportation and Communications from Thursday next week is to enforce new COVID-19 prevention measures, including new quarantine requirements for airline cabin crew, while people are to be allowed to book train tickets 30 minutes before boarding.
In compliance with Central Epidemic Command Center policy, cabin crew on international flights would be subject to a 14-day quarantine if they return from high-risk countries such as India and Brazil, the ministry said yesterday, adding that they are also to undergo a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test on the final day of quarantine.
Pilots and flight attendants who are not vaccinated or have only received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine less than two weeks prior would be quarantined for seven days and subjected to stricter self-health management for seven subsequent days, the ministry said.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
They are required to take a PCR test on the seventh day and a rapid test on the 14th day, it said.
Cabin crew who have received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at least two weeks prior, but have yet to receive a second shot would be quarantined for five days and undergo self-health management for nine subsequent days, it said.
A PCR test would be administered on the fifth day, it said, adding that rapid tests would be conducted on the ninth and 14 days.
However, those who have received two vaccine doses at least two weeks prior and test positive in antibody tests would only need to observe self-health management guidelines for seven days, with a PCR test scheduled for the seventh day, it said.
For short-haul flights, cabin crew would need to observe two weeks of self-health management if two weeks have not passed since full vaccination and they return negative antibody tests, the ministry said, adding that they are to take a PCR test on the 14th day.
If they have been fully vaccinated, more than two weeks have passed and they test positive for antibodies, they only need to monitor their health for two weeks and take a PCR test on the 14th day, it said.
Separately, from Thursday next week, people booking train tickets can do so up to 30 minutes before boarding, with payment to be completed within 20 minutes of departure, the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) said.
Previously, people had to book tickets at least one hour before departure.
The TRA would also take a tougher stance on people who repeatedly book tickets, but do not complete payment, it said.
Those who fail to pick up a ticket three times within one month would not be able to book tickets for one month, it said.
Meanwhile, Chunghwa Post said that from Thursday next week it would give people using its iPostbox network a NT$30 rebate on postage for pay-on-delivery packages.
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