Premier Su Tseng-chang says Taiwan should consider enforcing quarantine restrictions for Chinese passengers on indirect flights via Hong Kong and Macau. Su spoke with Taiwan’s legislature on Tuesday, after PCR tests showed almost a third of Chinese passengers arriving on Sunday tested positive for COVID-19.
Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) says China is experiencing a major wave of COVID cases that is underreported and could last over three months. Taiwan is still not open to Chinese tourists, and passengers arriving directly from China must take a PCR test upon arrival.
Health officials say Taiwan’s number of domestic cases is also on the rise and authorities will continue promoting vaccination and early medical care for at-risk groups. The CECC adds that the number of imported cases is also growing, which could create issues as more people return home for the Lunar New Year.
Premier Su says many people attended concerts and New Year’s celebrations last weekend, which shows that society is slowly easing back to “normal life”. But he says cases often spike after holidays, and he asks the CECC to continue monitoring the situation’s development and promoting vaccination and self-care.