TAIPEH: Taiwan tightened its anti-coronavirus measures on Saturday (May 2), extending the list of international arrivals ordered to undergo hotel quarantine in a bid to prevent imported infections.
All individuals arriving on the island will be ordered to quarantine in special hotels for 14 days if they share a home with vulnerable people or if they lack a single room with a separate bathroom at home, under new rules announced by the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
Vulnerable people include those aged over 65, children under 6, and people with diabetes, cardiovascular or lung disease.
Since mid-April, the measure has applied to international arrivals who have visited Europe, the Americas, and South and South-east Asian countries in the last 14 days.
As in other countries, hotels in Taiwan have been hit hard by the novel coronavirus pandemic, which has forced sweeping travel restrictions worldwide.
Several local government have been helping Taiwanese hotels to adjust to hosting people in quarantine. According to the CECC, there are 6,933 hotel beds reserved for such purposes.
As of April 30, 1,860 of those beds were occupied.
Saturday's announcement came after three new imported cases were revealed by the CECC.
Health and Welfare Minister Chen Shih-chung, also CECC commander, said that the new Covid-19 patients were Taiwanese nationals who had returned from Japan and Senegal.
Chen told a news conference that Taiwan has not registered any locally transmitted infections for 20 consecutive days.
So far, Taiwan has confirmed 432 coronavirus cases in the nation. Six people have died and 324 patients have recovered. - dpa
All individuals arriving on the island will be ordered to quarantine in special hotels for 14 days if they share a home with vulnerable people or if they lack a single room with a separate bathroom at home, under new rules announced by the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
Vulnerable people include those aged over 65, children under 6, and people with diabetes, cardiovascular or lung disease.
Since mid-April, the measure has applied to international arrivals who have visited Europe, the Americas, and South and South-east Asian countries in the last 14 days.
As in other countries, hotels in Taiwan have been hit hard by the novel coronavirus pandemic, which has forced sweeping travel restrictions worldwide.
Several local government have been helping Taiwanese hotels to adjust to hosting people in quarantine. According to the CECC, there are 6,933 hotel beds reserved for such purposes.
As of April 30, 1,860 of those beds were occupied.
Saturday's announcement came after three new imported cases were revealed by the CECC.
Health and Welfare Minister Chen Shih-chung, also CECC commander, said that the new Covid-19 patients were Taiwanese nationals who had returned from Japan and Senegal.
Chen told a news conference that Taiwan has not registered any locally transmitted infections for 20 consecutive days.
So far, Taiwan has confirmed 432 coronavirus cases in the nation. Six people have died and 324 patients have recovered. - dpa
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