Taiwan: Officials to ease domestic COVID-19 measures from Nov. 7 /update 75

Event

The government in Taiwan will further ease domestic COVID-19 controls from Nov. 7. Authorities will end a mandate for businesses and public venues to conduct temperature screening for patrons. Officials will also lift requirements for people to either have a third vaccine dose or receive a negative rapid antigen test (RAT) result to go to gyms, entertainment venues, religious events, and group tours.

The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control will also slightly reduce self-quarantine rules for people that test positive for COVID-19 and their close contacts from Nov. 7. Locally acquired COVID-19 cases will no longer have to adhere to a seven-day self-health monitoring period once they receive a negative RAT result following self-quarantine. Authorities will no longer require household contacts of COVID-19 cases to self-quarantine, but they must continue self-health monitoring for seven days. Asymptomatic close contacts can continue to enter the public provided they have a negative RAT result within the previous 48 hours.

Domestic Measures
Facemasks are mandatory in public, with exemptions for outdoor workers in specific industries, sports competitions, exercise, and in certain indoor settings, among others. Local governments can adjust measures depending on COVID-19 activity. Individuals violating facemask requirements may face fines up to NTD 15,000. The government requires locally acquired COVID-19 cases to self-quarantine for seven days.

Businesses must limit capacity to one person per 2.25 square meters (24 square feet) indoors and one person per square meter (10 square feet) outdoors. Companies must continue to permit employees to work from home when possible and stagger working hours. Visitors to entertainment venues, like bars and nightclubs, must present a COVID-19 vaccine pass proving they are fully vaccinated to enter the premises. Individuals and organizations that violate business closure orders and gatherings rules face fines of up to NTD 300,000.

The government requires locally acquired COVID-19 cases to self-quarantine for seven days, followed by seven days of self-health monitoring. Household contacts of COVID-19 cases must self-isolate for three days, followed by four days of self-health monitoring if they have not received at least three COVID-19 vaccine doses. Household members who have received three COVID-19 vaccine doses are exempt from quarantine but must carry out health monitoring for seven days, during which they may leave home if they test negative in a RAT taken within the past two days.

International Travel Restrictions
Taiwan permits entry for all passengers without quarantine. However, officials require entrants to conduct self-health monitoring for seven days; travelers should wear facemasks in public and take a RAT every 48 hours. Recent arrivals must limit exposure to high-risk people and cannot visit medical facilities for non-urgent care, with exceptions.

Officials permit cruise ships. The government restricts international arrivals to 150,000 people weekly. However, flights to mainland China remain restricted indefinitely; airlines can only fly to airports in Beijing (PEK), Shanghai (SHA, PVG), Xiamen (XMN), and Chengdu (CTU).

Advice

Follow all official instructions. Allow additional time for health screenings when arriving in or traveling across Taiwan.

Resources

Taiwan Centers for Disease Control