TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Travelers who show no symptoms of the Ebola virus but who visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Uganda will receive free testing at Taiwan’s four international airports, Health and Welfare Minister Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said Wednesday.
The program will be valid from Wednesday until June 30, the minister said during a visit to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. Taiwan has already banned the entry of residents from the two African nations for 90 days from June 2, with four exceptions on humanitarian grounds.
The exceptions cover visitors arriving in Taiwan for emergencies including funerals or visits to ill relatives, spouses or children of Taiwanese nationals, official visitors, and students already registered for degree programs.
Shih told reporters that arrivals at Taoyuan, Taipei Songshan, Taichung, and Kaohsiung would be offered a free Ebola test and a health management notice, per CNA.
Travelers who have visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Uganda are advised to self-monitor their health for 21 days, the maximum incubation period for the Ebola virus. Airport testing will be conducted voluntarily and focus on a 5-milliliter blood draw.
If a passenger shows symptoms of the virus, airports and immigration services have already established a system to transfer the cases to designated hospitals as rapidly as possible, officials said.
