New Quarantine Policy '3+4' to Start June 15 6/15起入境檢疫「3+4」 自主防疫須同地點

Starting June 15, mandatory quarantine for all arrivals will be cut from seven to three days. There will be a mandatory three-day home quarantine and four-day self-initiated epidemic prevention following the end of quarantine will still be required. If the principle of one person per residence cannot be followed, one will have to complete the 7-day quarantine at a quarantine hotel. Hoteliers are worried that this new policy could open up opportunity for cross-infection within the hotel.

Starting June 15, Taiwan will cut mandatory quarantine for all arrivals to three days from seven. A mandatory three-day home quarantine and four-day self-initiated epidemic prevention following the end of quarantine will still be required. However, if the principle of one person per residence cannot be followed, the arrival should complete the 7-day quarantine at a quarantine hotel. This also means one would stay eight days in an epidemic prevention hotel, since the day of arrival does not count as the first day of quarantine. With the new policy in place, quarantine hotel owners believe relevant regulations are difficult to implement.

Tseng Mei-juan, Chairperson, New Taipei City Hotel Association: “If the person in quarantine is allowed to go out in the latter 4 days, then we might as well let the person go home because if the person is in the hotel, it increases the hotel's risks as well as the risk to hotel personnel.”

Hoteliers further note that the current regulations may result in travelers' movement overlapping, leading to cross-infection problems. They hope that the government will expedite the 4th booster vaccination for quarantine hotel personnel as well as implement a curfew for hotel guests. With the new shortened 3+4 day quarantine policy, many people who have been longing to travel out of the country are all stirring. Some travel agencies believe the national border should be completely opened up to save tourism.

Lin Zhao-jun, Public Relations, EZtravel: “So traveling out of Taiwan is just around the corner. The biggest benefit is the sale of long flight tickets as well as mid to long-term flight ticket purchases. In fact recently our single day flight ticket revenue broke 8 digits.”

Wang Kwo-tsai, Minister of Transportation and Communications: “I support getting the 3rd booster shot, especially for those coming into the country; if they have already gotten three vaccine shots with proof of a two-day PCR test negative result, this will lower the risks of infection for our nationals.”

Wang Kwo-tsai notes that with respect to tour groups arriving and departing Taiwan, the guidelines are still in deliberation. The goal is to have completed three vaccine shots, coupled with PCR-negative proof two days before traveling. Pursuant to the CECC's guidelines, the Department of Transportation will implement relevant supporting measures, including guidelines for arrivals and departures, and the current economic revitalization plan to ease tourism back on track. 

入境檢疫縮短為3加4，將在15日上路，不過如果無法1人1戶，仍需在防疫旅館住滿8天，也被質疑是在玩文字遊戲。雖然，指揮中心發言人莊人祥解釋，主要就是以1人1戶，希望在同一地點完成檢疫為原則，一直以來都是這樣的規定，但防疫旅館業者認為相關規定在管理上窒礙難行。

新北市旅館公會理事長曾美絹表示：「我覺得如果說後面4天要可以外出，與其這樣子不如就讓他回家，因為你在旅館增加旅館的風險，增加工作人員的風險。」

業者進一步表示，現行規定可能會讓旅客的動線有重疊，出現交叉感染問題，希望能盡快讓防疫旅館工作人員施打第4劑，也應該要規定旅客進出門禁時間，否則消毒耗材或是人工管理都會出現問題。隨著入境檢疫天數放寬為3加4，民眾盼了好久的出國夢也蠢蠢欲動，有旅行業者認為國境應該全面開放救觀光。

易遊網公關林昭君說：「所以（台灣）可以出國的日子其實是指日可待的，受惠於就是長程機票的訂購，以及中遠期的機票訂購來看，我們最近單日機票營收也突破了8位數。」

交通部長王國材表示：「所以我個人也支持說打3劑，打3劑尤其他們入境的部分這個打3劑再進來，然後PCR 2天的陰性證明，我覺得是確保國人在這個染疫的風險降低。」

王國材表示，針對旅行團出入國境部分，指引還在討論中，初步希望打滿3劑，加上出團前2天陰性證明，依照指揮中心規範，交通部會做出相關配套措施，包括出入境指引及現行的的振興方案，讓觀光業者慢慢步上軌道。