Taipei, May 3 (BNA) Taiwan announced Tuesday that it will reduce to seven days a mandatory quarantine for all arrivals, the latest relaxation of rules to try to live with COVID-19 and resume normal life even with the number of local residents. Inflammatory mutations.
Reuters said Taiwan has kept its quarantine rules in place as large parts of the rest of Asia have relaxed or lifted those rules altogether, though it has already reduced the time an individual spends in isolation from two weeks to ten days in March.
Taiwan has reported about 125,000 domestic cases since the start of the year, driven by the most contagious Omicron variant, but with more than 99% of those showing no or mild symptoms, the government has eased rather than tightened restrictions in what it calls the “new Taiwan model.”
Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center said the relaxation of the quarantine rule, which will go into effect next Monday, was made due to the short incubation period of Omicron and taking into account “maintaining the local capacity for epidemic prevention, social and economic activities and effective risk control.”
She added that all arrivals will still be required to take PCR tests upon arrival in Taiwan, and will be released on the seventh day of quarantine as long as they are negative from the rapid test.
The requirement for negative PCR tests prior to departure still applies.
Quarantining close contacts of infected patients is now three days, as the government seeks to ease the burden on officials monitoring those in isolation while the number of home infections continues to rise.
The government has not set a timetable for fully reopening its borders, and restrictions remain in place on who can visit. Citizens and foreign residents are free to come and go but most other visitors require special permission.
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