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Government bans entry to foreign nationals
The government has now banned entry to all foreign nationals into Taiwan, with some exceptions, as it seeks to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
Foreign nationals who hold Alien Resident Certificates or documents proving they are in Taiwan for diplomatic or other official purposes or to fulfill business contracts, as well as those who have received special permits, can enter the country and are not subject to the ban.
Foreign Minister Joseph Wu says the restrictions on entry into Taiwan for foreign nationals will be subject to change based on directives from the Central Epidemic Command Center.
The move comes as the epidemic command centre has been reporting an increasing number of imported coronavirus cases among Taiwanese nationals who had travelled abroad recently.
All Taiwanese citizens and foreign nationals with the necessary documentation who arrive in Taiwan from overseas will be required to be quarantined at home for 14 days, regardless of where they have come from.
People already in Taiwan who have been in or transited through Europe, Turkey, Egypt or Dubai between March 5 and 14 are now required to quarantine themselves at home for 14 days, effective immediately.
Government data shows that some 16,000 people arrived in Taiwan from those high-risk areas from between 5 and 14 March.
Those required to undergo quarantine will receive NT$1,000 in compensation per day from the government and health officials are urging people who travelled to those destinations to contact their local township offices and report their travel history to authorities.
As of Wednesday, 71 of the 100 confirmed cases here in Taiwan have been classified as 'imported.'
The Central Epidemic Command Center says three of the latest 23 confirmed coronavirus cases have been identified as being of potential high risk for further community spread of the virus.
Twenty one of the new cases originated overseas, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases here in Taiwan since the outbreak began to 100.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the three cases that pose a risk to community infections are a 20 year French tourist, a Taiwanese woman who returned from Indonesia and a Taiwanese female who is believed to have contracted the virus locally.
Level 3 travel warnings are being imposed on the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand from today.
The Central Epidemic Command Center says that the effects of the move will be largely superseded by a separate policy mandating 14-day home quarantine for all arriving travellers.
The Level 3 warning urges people to avoid non-essential travel to the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, due to increased risks posed by the coronavirus, which has spread at a community level in all four countries.
People arriving from travel to, or airport transit through, the countries will be required to home quarantine for 14 days.
The move means the epidemic command center's Level 3 travel warnings will apply to 101 countries and one region, including virtually all of Asia and Europe from today.
Those required to undergo quarantine will receive NT$1,000 in compensation per day from the government and health officials are urging people who travelled to those destinations to contact their local township offices and report their travel history to authorities.
As of Wednesday, 71 of the 100 confirmed cases here in Taiwan have been classified as 'imported.'
The Central Epidemic Command Center says three of the latest 23 confirmed coronavirus cases have been identified as being of potential high risk for further community spread of the virus.
Twenty one of the new cases originated overseas, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases here in Taiwan since the outbreak began to 100.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the three cases that pose a risk to community infections are a 20 year French tourist, a Taiwanese woman who returned from Indonesia and a Taiwanese female who is believed to have contracted the virus locally.
Level 3 travel warnings are being imposed on the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand from today.
The Central Epidemic Command Center says that the effects of the move will be largely superseded by a separate policy mandating 14-day home quarantine for all arriving travellers.
The Level 3 warning urges people to avoid non-essential travel to the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, due to increased risks posed by the coronavirus, which has spread at a community level in all four countries.
People arriving from travel to, or airport transit through, the countries will be required to home quarantine for 14 days.
The move means the epidemic command center's Level 3 travel warnings will apply to 101 countries and one region, including virtually all of Asia and Europe from today.
