The Taipei City Government has launched a drive-through COVID-19 testing center at one of the city’s riverside parks.
The center’s opening comes in anticipation of a surge of travel to Taiwan ahead of the Lunar New Year as Taiwanese people living abroad return home. This year’s holiday falls in the first week of February, and Taiwan’s COVID-19 quarantine rules mean that most travelers will arrive in the second half of January so that they can spend the holiday with family.
Recently returned travelers can arrange for transport to the testing center by reserving a special taxi set aside for people subject to quarantine, in-home isolation, or “self-health management”. Once at the center, they can get a COVID-19 test without having to get out of the taxi.
The testing site is expected to lift some pressure on Taipei’s hospitals. Already, 1,292 people have gotten tested at the site. Around 400 taxis are arriving with passengers waiting to be tested each day, but the site is prepared to handle up to 800 cars per day.
On Friday, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je went to the site to inspect operations. He said that allowing people to get tested without leaving their cars will reduce the risk of infection. The site will operate until February 28.