TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Wednesday (March 3) announced that it will move Australia onto its list of low-risk countries, meaning that business travelers from that nation will only need to undergo five days of quarantine, instead of the standard 14 days.
During his weekly press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Minister of Health and Welfare and CECC head Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) announced that because Australia has reached Taiwan's criteria to be categorized as low-risk for five consecutive weeks, it has changed its status from medium-risk to low-risk. Since March 1, business travelers who visit Taiwan from low-risk countries or regions are only required to undergo five days of quarantine, while business people from medium-risk areas need to quarantine for seven days.
Taiwan's list of low-risk and medium-risk countries and regions is as follows:
Low-risk countries/regions:
New Zealand, Macau, Palau, Fiji, Brunei, Laos, Nauru, East Timor, Mauritius, Marshall Islands, Bhutan, Australia.
Medium-risk countries/regions:
In order to qualify for shortened quarantines, business travelers must meet all four of the following criteria:
- The CECC declares the person can enter Taiwan.
- The length of stay is less than three months.
- Businesspeople who enter the country for short-term business-related activities (inspecting goods, after-sales service, technical guidance and training, and contract signing) have obtained the relevant documents from a company legally registered in Taiwan.
- The starting point is a country or region deemed low- to medium-risk in terms of coronavirus infections, and the visitor has no travel history to other countries or regions in the 14 days before boarding the flight to Taiwan.
The CECC said that those who meet the above four requirements should prepare the relevant supporting documents, schedules, and epidemic prevention plans provided by their company. Business travelers must also take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for COVID-19 within three days of their departure and be prepared to present the certified negative results upon arrival.
