TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — In a further move to stop the advance of the Delta variant of COVID-19, all arrivals from overseas will be subjected to at least three tests during the first 14 days of their stay, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced Thursday (July 1).
While the overall daily number of new local coronavirus cases has been falling steadily, an outbreak of the Delta variant in Pingtung County has caused concern.
As a result, new measures will be introduced beginning Friday (July 2), CNA reported. PCR tests will be required before the travelers arrive at their quarantine location and before the end of their stay, while one quick home test should be conducted 10 to 12 days after their arrival.
Travelers testing positive for COVID would then be subjected to genome sequencing to help the health authorities trace the origin and nature of their infection, CECC chief Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) told reporters.
He added that the new measures had been decided during a meeting with experts Thursday morning. Until Friday, travelers arriving from seven high-risk countries had to undergo one PCR test before moving to their quarantine site and another one before the end of the quarantine period, while other travelers only needed one PCR test just before the end of the 14 days.
