Taiwan welcomes back visitors after ending COVID quarantine rules

EVA Airways

13/10/2022 02:09

By Ann Wang
       TAOYUAN, Taiwan, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Taiwan began
welcoming back visitors on Thursday after finally ending
mandatory quarantines to control the spread of COVID-19, with
gifts of cuddly toy black bears for the first tour group that
stepped off the plane shortly after midnight.
    Taiwan had kept some of its entry and quarantine rules in
place as large parts of the rest of Asia relaxed or lifted them
completely, although in June it cut the number of days required
in isolation for arrivals to three from seven previously.
    While Taiwan has reported almost seven million domestic
cases since the start of this year, the government has pressed
on with its re-opening, saying life has to return to normal,
especially given high vaccination rates.
    The government welcomed the first arrivals benefiting from
the end of quarantine on a flight from Bangkok at Taiwan's main
international airport at Taoyuan, outside Taipei.
    Excited tourists posed for pictures amid a throng of media
and officials, and were met off the plane by Tourism Bureau
Director-General Chang Shi-chung.
    "This is an opportunity to bring back to life and rebuild
cross-border tourism," Chang told reporters.
    Some rules remain, including a requirement for people to
monitor their health for seven days after arrival and perform
rapid tests on themselves.
    Taiwan's two main carriers, China Airlines Ltd  2610.TW  and
Eva Airways Corp  2618.TW , have ramped up flights, returning
capacity on routes that were slashed during the pandemic and
planning new services to cities like Da Nang in Vietnam. 
    Taiwanese citizens and foreign residents have not been
prohibited from leaving and then re-entering during the
pandemic, but had to quarantine at home or in hotels for up to
two weeks.
    Prior to the pandemic, Taiwan was a popular tourist
destination, mostly for travellers from Japan, South Korea and
Southeast Asia, attracted by the island's cuisine and natural
beauty.
 (Reporting by Ann Wang; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by
Raju Gopalakrishnan)
 ((ben.blanchard@thomsonreuters.com;))