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CECC says border opening possible in October
Courtesy of ICRT
The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) says the government could re-open Taiwan's borders quarantine-free for arrivals in October. However, center spokesman Zhuang Ren-xiang says that will not likely in the early part of the month.
According to Zhuang, opening Taiwan's borders under a "0 7" coronavirus prevention regulation could be possible after the current outbreak has peaked and the daily caseload has significantly reduced.
The spokesman says opening the borders will also involve "extensive analysis" of the state of the pandemic, which means the sooner infection rates are lowered significantly, the earlier borders can open.
The CECC has said it will also consider the possibility of having to deal with both the coronavirus outbreak and the upcoming flu season before making any final decision on the matter.
Arrivals will not be subject to quarantine requirements under the "0 7" regulation, but they must observe seven days of self-conducted epidemic prevention measures.
This comes as the CECC reported 45,470 new coronavirus cases on Thursday. Of that number, all but 201 were domestic infections.
It was the third consecutive day that the daily caseload has exceeded 40,000 due to a surge in infections linked to the Omicron BA.5 variant.
Health officials say 51 previously reported cases have now been listed as severe, while 135 others have developed moderate symptoms. Fifty-seven new deaths were reported. The deceased ranged in age from their teens to their 90s. All but four had underlying health issues and 27 of the deceased were unvaccinated.
