People arriving in Taiwan will no longer have to spend the entire two-week quarantine period in a hotel. That’s according to Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center, which announced new quarantine rules on Monday.
Under the new regulations, people arriving in Taiwan will still have to undergo a 14-day quarantine. However, only the first ten days of that period have to be spent at a designated quarantine hotel or facility. Travelers can spend the remaining four at home.
The rules are a response to the expected number of travelers returning to Taiwan for the Lunar New Year in late January next year.
The new quarantine regime will come into effect on December 14, which is earlier than expected. Authorities had originally planned to implement the new regulations on January 1.
Those arriving from three high risk countries - India, the UK, and Myanmar - will still have to undergo a full 14-day quarantine at a government facility.
Families and people who normally live together will also be able to stay in the same room during quarantine. This is a departure from the previous rule, which required all adults to quarantine alone.
Travelers will have to stay alone in a house or apartment for the last four days of quarantine, unless those who also live there have already received two vaccine doses.
A one-week period of health self-management following the quarantine will remain in place.