People traveling to Taiwan’s outlying islands will now have to take a COVID-19 PCR test if their pre-flight rapid test result is inconclusive. Only people whose PCR test then comes back negative will be allowed to board the flight.
PCR tests take a minimum of 3.5 hours to be processed, while rapid tests usually produce results in 20-30 minutes.
Under current regulations, people who have not experienced symptoms within the past 14 days may board the flight without a test. Those with COVID-19 symptoms are not allowed to board flights to outlying islands. They have to undergo immediate PCR testing at the airport. People who say they have experienced symptoms in the 14 days before their flight have to take a rapid test at the airport, and only people with a negative result are allowed on the plane.
But on Monday morning, Deputy Director-General of the Centers for Disease Control Chuang Jen-hsiang confirmed a tightening of Taiwan’s testing policy. He says that if there is any reason to doubt a flyer’s pre-flight test result, then health authorities will conduct a PCR test.