Taiwan will take a look at arrivals from China for COVID-19 from Jan. 1 in response to a surge in circumstances there, the federal government stated on Wednesday, becoming a member of different nations in stepping up controls on folks coming from China.
Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Centre stated all passengers arriving on direct flights from China, in addition to by boat at two offshore islands, should take PCR assessments upon arrival.
The authorities will conduct virus sequencing for individuals who arrive from China and take a look at optimistic to trace new variants of the coronavirus, it stated in an announcement.
The measures, which can run till the top of January, don’t embody these arriving from Hong Kong or Macau, the centre added.
Those who take a look at optimistic will be capable of isolate at residence, it stated.
The majority of these affected shall be Taiwanese residents who dwell and work in China and their Chinese spouses and kids, as Beijing banned Chinese vacationers from visiting the island in 2019.
Many of these Taiwanese who dwell in China historically return to Taiwan for the Lunar New Year vacation, which falls subsequent month.
In an abrupt change of coverage, China this month started dismantling the world’s strictest COVID regime of lockdowns and intensive testing, placing its battered financial system on target for a whole re-opening subsequent yr.
The lifting of restrictions, which got here after widespread protests towards them, means COVID-19 is spreading largely unchecked and sure infecting tens of millions of individuals a day, based on some worldwide well being consultants.
After successfully shutting its borders to guests to manage the pandemic and implementing strict quarantines for all arrivals for nearly two years, Taiwan re-opened to the world in October and ended obligatory isolation.
