On December 27, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced that it has adjusted visitation restrictions and strengthened COVID-19 vaccination rules for people accompanying hospitalized patients. Related details are listed below.

1. The number of individuals accompanying patients:
(1) In principle, one individual is allowed for one hospitalized patient (unchanged).
(2) A maximum of two individuals may be allowed if the patient is a child under the age of 12, an elderly person aged 65 or older, or a person with physical or mental disabilities or in other conditions assessed to be necessary by the healthcare facility; however, only the testing fee of one individual accompanying the patient is paid by the government.

2. Screening rules:
(1) Individuals accompanying hospitalized patients can be exempted from screening upon entry into a hospital and routine screening each week if they have completed their vaccine series for 14 days or more.
(2) Individuals accompanying hospitalized patients who have not been fully vaccinated for 14 days or more will be required to take a government-funded screening test (For each patient, only one of the individuals accompanying him or her) when entering a hospital and take self-paid screening tests every week starting January 1, 2022. Such individuals will begin to take a self-paid screening test when entering a hospital and take self-paid screening tests every week starting February 1.

3. Screening:
(1) The government-funded screening is either rapid antigen testing or PCR testing, or both types of testing, whereas self-paid testing is rapid antigen testing (at-home test) or PCR testing.
(2) Individuals accompanying hospitalized patients can be exempted from the said screening measures if they were confirmed to have COVID-19, met the conditions for release from isolation, and experienced onset of symptoms less than three months ago.