Taiwan is reopening its borders to tourists from Thursday, waiving the mandatory three-day quarantine that has been in place since the start of the pandemic. The move is aimed at reviving the island’s struggling tourism industry.
As Taiwan enters the second stage of Relaxing Quarantine Restrictions, the daily limit on arrivals has increased from 60,000 to 150,000. This marks a significant change in policy from when the restrictions were first put into place back in March 2020.
Even though home quarantine is no longer mandatory, travelers who have just arrived must still take their health seriously and monitor it for seven days. They should also avoid close contact with people who are more vulnerable to developing severe COVID-19, such as the elderly and children.
As of September 29th, travelers are no longer required to take a saliva-based PCR test upon arrival at airport. This change in policy was announced last month by Central Epidemic Command Center.
With quarantine measures easing, there is hope for an increase in foreign tourists coming to Taiwan from countries like Japan. Taiwan is seen as a popular destination among Japanese travelers.
Despite a recent surge in coronavirus cases, quarantine requirements have been lifted in many areas. This decision has been met with mixed reactions, as some worry that this will lead to further spread of the virus.
As of Thursday, there have been nearly 7 million confirmed cases of coronavirus worldwide, including over 11,000 deaths.