Arrivals From Taiwan Face Tougher Quarantine Measures

The government has further tightened quarantine and testing requirements for arrivals from Taiwan, after the island recorded 206 new Covid cases on Sunday. It follows the removal of home quarantine for Taiwanese arrivals on Saturday, which had been announced the day before.

The move basically means an extra week of quarantine and more testing, while non-Hong Kong residents will, in most cases, no longer be allowed entry from the island. Taiwan had been previously been exempted from the entry restriction on non-Hong Kong residents, along with the mainland and Macau.

A fully-vaccinated person will have to spend 14 days in quarantine up from seven, followed by a week of self-monitoring. Others will have to do 21 days, up from 14.

Passengers will also have to show a recent negative Covid test and confirmation of a reservation at a Hong Kong quarantine hotel prior to boarding.

Over the weekend, authorities in Taiwan raised the Covid alert level for Taipei and nearby New Taipei. The move has led to panic buying in some shops, even though the stricter anti-Covid measures are relatively mild by international standards.

The island has seen very few coronavirus cases, recording about 1,600 since the pandemic began. However, a surge in community transmissions has alarmed the population.