The government should cover the expenses of people who are ordered to stay in quarantine facilities after being listed as contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases, New Power Party (NPP) legislators told a news conference at the legislature in Taipei yesterday.
NPP Legislator Chiu Hsien-chih (邱顯智) said the party has received multiple petitions from people who were asked by health authorities to pay for their quarantine facility bills themselves, even though they quarantined involuntarily.
“Many of them have financial difficulties, as quarantine has prevented them working and they have to pay quarantine hotel expenses themselves, which could exceed NT$10,000 [US$358.53],” he said.
Photo courtesy of the NPP
Articles 58 and 59 of the Communicable Disease Control Act (傳染病防治法) only authorize health authorities to collect fees from people quarantining in connection with entering or exiting Taiwan, Chiu said
However, listed contacts are asked to quarantine based on Article 48 of the act, which does not mention fees, showing that people should not have to pay quarantine facility bills themselves, Chiu said.
NPP Legislator Claire Wang (王婉諭) said the government last year approved a special budget for COVID-19 prevention, relief and revitalization measures, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare in December reported that NT$26 billion of the budget remained.
The government should pay for quarantine costs using the remaining special budget, as limitations stipulated in the Budget Act (預算法) do not apply, she said.
“The government should not put people in a bind, having to choose between defying disease prevention regulations and being financially strapped,” she said.
Many were also confused by different quarantine pricing schemes, Wang said.
While the Taipei and Kaohsiung city governments have long been offering full subsidies for local residents who are asked to quarantine at hotels, the Taoyuan City Government only began offering such subsidies last month, she said.
Those who quarantine at hotels in Hsinchu and Pingtung counties need to pay themselves, she added.
While people who are ordered to quarantine each receive NT$1,000 daily as compensation for missing work, some municipalities offer additional funds, Wang said.
Taipei and Pingtung County offer an additional NT$500 per day, while Penghu County provides an additional NT$1,200, she said.
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