TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Labor (MOL) announced Saturday (Jan. 22) that measures are being initiated to boost COVID-19 awareness and reduce transmission risk among Taiwan’s migrant worker communities.

In light of a new cluster at the Askey Computer Corp. in Taoyuan that involves Filipino cases, the MOL said inspections have been conducted at the dorms in relevant areas and no violations have been found.

A four-pronged approach has been adopted to help rein in the spike in infections. In addition to contact tracing, the authorities will assist businesses hiring more than 50 migrant laborers with blanket rapid testing. Those with fewer than 50 will receive the aid during a later phase.

The MOL will beef up the crackdown on employers violating the MOL’s anti-epidemic guidelines or Employment Service Act (就業服務法) relating to foreign workers. Examples of infractions are when those working at different locations live on the same floor, when employers fail to arrange health checks for employees, or when they fail to provide each worker with 3.6 square meters of space in a dorm. 

Employers and broker agencies are urged to help migrant workers get their second or third COVID jabs, and they can call the toll-free 1955 hotline for inquiries pertaining to the vaccination campaign. As of Jan. 18, 93% of Taiwan’s migrant workers have had their first vaccination, with 73% having received two shots.

Meanwhile, information on the latest pandemic-related policies and immunization is available in multiple languages. Migrant communities are invited to visit the website of the Workforce Development Agency or add its LINE account to access relevant information.

Click the links for Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, and English versions of the LINE service.