TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Visitors from Vietnam will have to receive antigen rapid screening within six hours of boarding their flight to Taiwan, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Saturday (April 9).
The requirement becomes effective immediately Saturday. This follows the CECC's realization that a large proportion of arrivals from Vietnam have tested positive for COVID-19 after landing in Taiwan, CNA reported.
The measure has been in force since Thursday (April 7), but only for passengers of three Vietnamese airlines. Saturday’s announcement expands the requirement to all travelers arriving from Vietnam, regardless of the airline they use.
According to the CECC announcement, the measure will remain in force at least until May 6 and comes on top of the requirement to present the results of a PCR test taken within two days of travelers’ departures. The airlines will also be required to send staff to supervise the antigen screening at Vietnamese airports, the CECC said.
The new rules came as Taiwan reported 442 new local infections Saturday, the highest single-day tally since early June 2021. The CECC also announced one death and 136 imported cases.