TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Peru, Bangladesh, and Brazil are no longer considered high-risk countries for the coronavirus, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced Thursday (Sept. 23).
Individuals who have traveled to or transited in one of those three countries in the past 14 days can now opt to quarantine at a government-approved hotel or centralized isolation center, but they will have to shoulder the cost of the stay themselves. The rule takes effect on Saturday (Sept. 25).
The CECC stressed that no matter what the country of departure is, all arrivals are required to undergo three screenings. These include a PCR test upon arrival and at the end of their quarantine as well as one rapid test during the isolation period.
The adjustment will leave five high-risk countries on the list: India, the U.K., Israel, Indonesia, and Myanmar. Quarantine at centralized centers is mandatory for people from these places, but the service is free of charge.
The decision was made based on two criteria as Taiwan monitors the evolving risks in the countries. Peru, Brazil, and Bangladesh are seeing a downward trend in cases, and Taiwan has not reported any imported cases of COVID variants from these countries over the past two months, according to the CECC.