Taiwan Bans Foreigners Following News of New COVID-19 Strain Case

New COVID-19 Strain Emerges in Taiwan, Foreigners Barred Entry

Taiwan receives its first reported case of new COVID-19 strain, measures taken to restrict foreigners from entering the country.

Taiwan has announced on 30 Dec 2020 that non-residential foreigners will be barred from entering the country. This followed after news of the new COVID-19 strain originating from the UK was detected in Taiwan. 

Health Minister Chen Shih-chung announced that the patient is in stable condition after arriving back from Britain on Sunday, 27 Dec 2020. 

new covid-19 strain

Precautionary measures 

From 1 Jan 2021, the Taiwanese government will tighten entry curbs and suspend arrivals of all foreigners without residence permits. In addition, transit flights will not be allowed through its airports starting this Friday. Earlier reports state that the new COVID-19 variant is 70% more transmissible than the first variant discovered in 2019. 

Taiwan reported its first COVID-19 case on Tuesday, 22 Dec after experiencing its 253-day COVID-19-free streak this year. 

Subsequent adjustments will be rolled out after a month of observing these measures.  

Also read: Philippines Bans Travellers From Singapore Amidst Rising New COVID-19 Strain Cases

What are some exceptions?

Foreign spouses of Taiwanese nationals and their children, as well as individuals holding special entry permits and resident visas, are excluded from these measures. Furthermore, Mr Chen stated that exceptions will be made on humanitarian grounds. 

These same rules apply to individuals from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau too. 

An exponential increase in new COVID-19 strain cases 

The B117 strain has triggered an exponential increase in COVID-19 cases across countries as infection rates climb. It’s not easy watching more countries close their borders just as countries began discussions of travel arrangements in 2021. Nonetheless, let’s look forward to countries getting the situation under control in hopes of returning to a new normal.  

 

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Sarah Jane Lee
Sarah Jane Lee

Sarah strongly believes that much like sunflowers, she draws her energy from basking in the sunshine. She believes that detours, chance encounters and stories shared by strangers at a bus stop are part of what makes adventure beautiful. Apart from being a sports enthusiast (current fix: Muay Thai), Sarah enjoys soaking up the afternoon sun with a book in hand.

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