The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday thanked the US for donating another 1.5 million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, while announcing new rules that would allow inbound travelers to spend the first day 10 days of their 14-day quarantine period at a centralized facility or hotel and the remaining four days at home.
Together with the 2.5 million doses that arrived in June, the US has donated a total of 4 million doses of the Moderna vaccine to Taiwan, Deputy Minister of the Interior Chen Tsung-yen (陳宗彥), the deputy head of the center, told a daily news briefing.
American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Sandra Oudkirk, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the CECC, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Harry Tseng (曾厚仁) were at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to welcome the arrival of the vaccines at 1:43pm.
Photo: CNA
“These donations reflect our commitment to Taiwan, a vibrant democracy, valued partner and trusted friend.” Oudkirk said at the airport. “Partners support each other, especially under tough circumstances, and our support for Taiwan, through vaccines or otherwise, is rock solid.”
“The United States and Taiwan are proving what we can do when we collaborate to address shared challenges,” she said, adding that the vaccine delivery is another great example of the AIT’s and Taiwan’s close friendship as “real friends, real progress.”
Chen Shih-chung said that when a local COVID-19 outbreak occurred in May, the US government quickly donated 2.5 million doses of vaccines on June 20, allowing Taiwan to start its vaccination program when it lacked critical supplies.
Photo: CNA
The latest delivery can be used to vaccinate people waiting for their second dose of the Moderna vaccine, as a first dose for some “Moderna-only fans” or even included in a mix-and-match regimen, he said, adding that Taiwan is very grateful to US President Joe Biden’s administration for being a “real friend.”
The CECC yesterday reported five imported cases of COVID-19, but no local infections or deaths.
The five arrived from Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal and Ukraine, Chen Tsung-yen said.
As many Taiwanese are expected to return to the country during the Lunar New Year holiday in January next year, the CECC and other government agencies have discussed the issue and made preparations, he said.
The Lunar New Year holiday quarantine measures are to be implemented from Dec. 14 to Feb. 14 next year, he said.
“First of all, the mandatory 14-day quarantine followed by seven days of self-health management for inbound travelers will remain in place,” he said.
Inbound travelers who have traveled to “key high-infection risk countries” 14 days prior to arriving in Taiwan will have to stay in a centralized quarantine facility for 14 days, he said.
Countries on this list include India, Myanmar and the UK, he said, adding that the list would be modified depending on COVID-19 developments worldwide.
As for inbound travelers arriving from other countries, they will still be required to stay in a quarantine hotel or self-paid centralized quarantine facility for the first 10 days of quarantine, and an additional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test would be required on the ninth or 10th day of quarantine, he said.
If they tested negative, they could choose to spend the remaining four days of quarantine at home, he said.
They have to take a disease prevention taxi or vehicle to return home and must follow the rule of “only one person per household,” or “one person per room” if all household members have been fully vaccinated, he added.
Family members or coresidents who arrived in Taiwan together on the same day would also be allowed to stay in the same hotel room during quarantine, he added.
As inbound travelers are subject to three PCR tests during quarantine — upon arrival, on the ninth or 10th day and upon ending it — they do not need to take a COVID-19 rapid test at home before ending self-health management, he said.
‘DANGEROUS GAME’: Legislative Yuan budget cuts have already become a point of discussion for Democrats and Republicans in Washington, Elbridge Colby said Taiwan’s fall to China “would be a disaster for American interests” and Taipei must raise defense spending to deter Beijing, US President Donald Trump’s pick to lead Pentagon policy, Elbridge Colby, said on Tuesday during his US Senate confirmation hearing. The nominee for US undersecretary of defense for policy told the Armed Services Committee that Washington needs to motivate Taiwan to avoid a conflict with China and that he is “profoundly disturbed” about its perceived reluctance to raise defense spending closer to 10 percent of GDP. Colby, a China hawk who also served in the Pentagon in Trump’s first team,
SEPARATE: The MAC rebutted Beijing’s claim that Taiwan is China’s province, asserting that UN Resolution 2758 neither mentions Taiwan nor grants the PRC authority over it The “status quo” of democratic Taiwan and autocratic China not belonging to each other has long been recognized by the international community, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday in its rebuttal of Beijing’s claim that Taiwan can only be represented in the UN as “Taiwan, Province of China.” Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) yesterday at a news conference of the third session at the 14th National People’s Congress said that Taiwan can only be referred to as “Taiwan, Province of China” at the UN. Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory, which is not only history but
CROSSED A LINE: While entertainers working in China have made pro-China statements before, this time it seriously affected the nation’s security and interests, a source said The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) late on Saturday night condemned the comments of Taiwanese entertainers who reposted Chinese statements denigrating Taiwan’s sovereignty. The nation’s cross-strait affairs authority issued the statement after several Taiwanese entertainers, including Patty Hou (侯佩岑), Ouyang Nana (歐陽娜娜) and Michelle Chen (陳妍希), on Friday and Saturday shared on their respective Sina Weibo (微博) accounts a post by state broadcaster China Central Television. The post showed an image of a map of Taiwan along with the five stars of the Chinese flag, and the message: “Taiwan is never a country. It never was and never will be.” The post followed remarks
INVESTMENT WATCH: The US activity would not affect the firm’s investment in Taiwan, where 11 production lines would likely be completed this year, C.C. Wei said Investments by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in the US should not be a cause for concern, but rather seen as the moment that the company and Taiwan stepped into the global spotlight, President William Lai (賴清德) told a news conference at the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday alongside TSMC chairman and chief executive officer C.C. Wei (魏哲家). Wei and US President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday announced plans to invest US$100 billion in the US to build three advanced foundries, two packaging plants, and a research and development center, after Trump threatened to slap tariffs on chips made
RSS