Starting December 1, Malawi, Mozambique, Egypt, and Nigeria to be put on CECC's list of key high-risk countries; travelers from those four countries to be required to quarantine in group quarantine facility


PublishTime:2021-11-29
On November 29, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) reported that the new coronavirus variant Omicron is spreading globally and is highly transmissible and that cases of Omicron have been detected in some countries among individuals arriving from Malawi, Mozambique, Egypt, and Nigeria, where there are signs of the virus spreading and thus there is a higher risk of transmission based on related assessments. The CECC announced that beginning 00:00 on December 1 (arrival time), travelers who have visited the four countries in the last 14 days (transits included) will be required to quarantine in group quarantine facilities for 14 days after arrival and to undergo PCR tests (upon checking in and at the end of quarantine) for COVID-19; they will also be required to practice an additional 7-day self-health management (a COVID-19 rapid test using a home test kit on the sixth or seventh day). Such travelers will not be required to pay group quarantine facility accommodation and testing fees, and the 7+7+7 and 10+4+7 quarantine programs for the Lunar New Year don't apply. Furthermore, flight crew members of Taiwanese airlines returning to Taiwan from "key high-risk countries"(transits included) will be required to undergo quarantine in a quarantine hotel or a company dormitory that meets related regulations for 14 days and take PCR tests upon arrival in Taiwan and at the end of their quarantine period. Such crew members will also be required to practice an additional 7-day self-health management.

The CECC pointed out that the list of "key high-risk countries" currently includes the following ten countries: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Egypt, and Nigeria (the last four countries are newly added).