Normal working hours will resume on Thursday, January 2, except for those working on shift basis
uae1 hour ago
Taiwan has kept its quarantine rules in place as large parts of the rest of Asia have relaxed or lifted them completely, but it said on Saturday that the mandatory quarantine for all arrivals would be cut from 7 days to 3 days.
This is the latest relaxation of the rules to try to live with COVID-19, even as Taiwan deals with a surge of infections. Previously it cut the mandatory number of days spent in quarantine from 10 days to 7 days in May.
Taiwan has reported more than 2.7 million domestic cases since the beginning of the year, driven by the more infectious Omicron variant. But with more than 99 per cent of the infected exhibiting no or mild symptoms, the government has relaxed rather than tightened restrictions in what it calls the “new Taiwan model”.
Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Centre said the new, reduced quarantine rule would start from Wednesday.
After leaving quarantine, people will need to continue to monitor their health for a further four days and avoid going out if possible, it added.
The move was made “considering the international and domestic epidemic situation and epidemic prevention and medical capacity, and to promote economic and social activities and necessary international exchanges”, according to the Centre.
All arrivals will still require pre-departure negative PCR tests.
The government says the current domestic COVID-19 wave is waning, but has yet to fully re-open its borders.
Taiwanese citizens and foreign residents have never been prohibited from leaving and then re-entering, but have been required to quarantine either at home or in hotels.
Before the pandemic, Taiwan was a popular tourist destination for mainly Asian visitors, with Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia the most important markets.
ALSO READ:
Normal working hours will resume on Thursday, January 2, except for those working on shift basis
uae1 hour ago
Transporting passengers in buses and luxury vehicles from Dubai to other emirates without a permit can get you a fine of up to Dh20,000
life and living2 hours ago
This watch is more wearable than ever with a thinner profile that packs new performance punches
tech reviews2 hours ago
The first phase of the conservation drive, which covered 3,916 homes, achieved a 40%, 63% reduction in lighting, water consumption respectively
uae3 hours ago
The suspect had made online death threats against German citizens and had a history of quarrelling with state authorities
europe3 hours ago
The president's silence on a looming government shutdown over Christmas is just the latest example of how critics say the ageing leader is in office but not in power
americas3 hours ago
There is no let-up in the violence in the Gaza Strip more than 14 months into the Israel-Hamas conflict
mena3 hours ago
Some traffic officers abandoned their uniforms and motorbikes in the street on December 8, the day the rebels took Damascus
mena3 hours ago