TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As the COVID-19 pandemic surges again in China following the loosening of restrictions, experts in Taiwan warned Wednesday (Dec. 14) against a rise in imported cases.

During the Jan. 20-30 Lunar New Year holiday, many Taiwanese living and working in China were expected to head home for family visits, while politicians on outlying islands have been calling for the resumption of direct ferry links with the Chinese province of Fujian.

National Taiwan University (NTU) College of Public Health Professor Tony Chen (陳秀熙) warned that by early January, China could see 14 million new COVID infections, Radio Taiwan International (RTI) reported. He called for special measures, including the requirement that travelers from China present proof of a negative test conducted within two days before their trip. He said a resumption of tests at the airport and of home quarantine was not necessary.

However, Hwang Kao-pin (黃高彬), a professor at China Medical University in Taichung City, advocated rapid tests at the airport of arrival for travelers from China, Hong Kong, and Macau, if information from China proved that the latest wave of the pandemic was not too serious. If the situation was grave though, a resumption of five-day quarantine should be recommended, Hwang said.

He also expressed concern about the ferry links between China and the island of Kinmen, as its hospital only has about 50 beds for eventual COVID cases.