Quarantine Upon Arrival to End on Oct. 10? 傳10/10起檢疫試辦0+7? 指揮中心:評估中

Taiwan in October is likely to lift the quarantine requirement for arrivals in favor of seven days of self-surveillance, according to some speculations. The Central Epidemic Command Center remains tight-lipped, saying it is considering all possibilities.

The Central Epidemic Command Center is expected to announce a "0+7" policy for incoming travelers starting Oct. 10. This means the end of quarantine and access to public transportation. The ban on incoming tour groups could be lifted at the same time. The CECC says nothing has been confirmed yet. One doctor says Taiwan's BA.5 infection rate is higher than other countries so incoming travelers pose no threat to Taiwan.

Hung Tzu-jen, Vice Superintendent, Shin Kong Hospital: “We're seeing the number of BA.5 cases going down in Japan, South Korea and Singapore. Another way of putting it is that the percentage of tourists testing positive upon arrival has fallen below 3 percent. Taiwan's infection rate is much higher than other countries.”

According to reports, the government will also relax the incoming traveler quota to 20,000 per day. Is Taiwan prepared for an influx of international tourists? Transportation and Communications Minister Wang Kwo-tsai says the Tourism Bureau is perfectly prepared and tour group guidelines will be followed. Wang also addressed the tourism industry's severe manpower shortage.

Wang Kwo-tsai, Transportation and Communications Minister: “This seems to be the general consensus of the tourism industry, especially that there's a shortage of tour guides because many former tour guides changed industries during the epidemic. We have asked the Tourism Bureau to, first of all, provide matchmaking services. Language training is also very important.”

The ministry says Taiwan has a severe shortage of tour guides and the Tourism Bureau is working with industry groups to recruit. Language training programs will also be launched.

傳出指揮中心將在10月3日公布調整邊境措施，自10月10日起試辦0+7檢疫政策，入境免隔離，可搭乘大眾運輸工具，同步取消不得組團出入境的規定。對此，指揮中心表示，這是評估方案中的一項，目前就是持續觀察疫情。有醫師分析，目前我國BA.5疫情相對國外是在高點，因此10月開邊境對台灣社區疫情發展的影響不會太大。

新光醫院副院長洪子仁指出：「國外目前包含像日本、韓國、新加坡，其實最近的BA.5疫情已經開始在下降，換言之，入境旅客的陽性率現在都在3%以下，那在這個情況之下，我們本國的流行的盛行率，事實上可能還高於國外。」

根據外流的評估方案，配合0+7檢疫上路，入境人數也會放寬到單日兩萬人，意味大批國際旅客即將入境，交通部是否已經收到相關訊息來因應準備？交通部長王國材回應，觀光局相關作業都完備，若是重啟團客來台，就按照團體旅客操作指引來運行，不過目前旅遊業確實有人力荒的問題。

交通部長王國材表示：「觀光業裡面是普遍有反應，尤其國內導遊不足的部分，那因為他們很多都已經在疫情期間轉業了，現在我也請我們觀光局，第1個就是人才的媒合，尤其是語言的訓練，這是裡面最重要的。」

交通部表示，旅遊業經歷兩年多疫情，導遊是目前最缺的人才，目前請觀光局透過公協會找人，加強語言培訓，準備迎接入境觀光旅客。