Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) Commander Chen Shih-chung says the key to lifting a ban on migrant workers from Indonesia will be certifying Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing facilities in that country.
The CECC barred Indonesian migrant workers from entering Taiwan for two weeks beginning December 4. The ban was a response to a spike in confirmed COVID-19 cases among newly arrived migrant workers from Indonesia.
In the last month, 35 Indonesian migrant workers were confirmed to have COVID-19 soon after arriving. Of those, 21 presented negative PCR tests upon arrival. That brings into question the quality of the PCR tests.
With the two-week ban scheduled to end on December 18, the government is deciding whether to extend or lift the ban. On Monday morning, Chen said that the most important step to lifting the ban will be certifying PCR testing facilities. He said that inauthentic PCR tests will result in a breach in Taiwan’s COVID-19 prevention protocols.
Chen said that authorities in Indonesia are not cooperating, and have not committed to certifying PCR testing facilities. He said that’s “troubling” because Taiwan’s demand for migrant workers is on the rise.