TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The number of countries and areas from which foreign students will be allowed entry into Taiwan has been increased to 18, according to the Ministry of Education.

Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and Sri Lanka, which are deemed medium-low risk by the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), have been added to the list of granted places, MOE said Wednesday (July 8).

Prior to the announcement, Taiwan had opened its borders to international students from 13 low-risk areas. These are Vietnam, Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, Palau, New Zealand, Brunei, Fiji, Australia, Mongolia, Bhutan, Laos, and Cambodia.

Graduating seniors will be given priority over freshmen, said the MOE. Since June 17, a total of 304 college students have been granted entry, 260 of whom have entered the country and have been placed in isolation at designated quarantine centers.

In response to complaints by universities and student associations about unaffordable quarantine costs at designated hotels, education authorities have promised to give the green light to campus dormitories for quarantine purposes during the summer break, wrote UDN.