Foreigners seeking to come to Taiwan for fertility treatments are to be allowed entry from tomorrow, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said on Saturday.
The restriction is to be lifted due to the time-sensitive nature of reproduction treatment, he said, as the government gradually eases border restrictions following the stabilization of the COVID-19 situation in the country.
From Aug. 1, 2020, during the early stages of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan allowed foreign nationals to enter the country for medical treatment other than non-urgent medical needs, such as medical examinations and aesthetic medicine.
However, on May 16 last year, following a spike in domestic COVID-19 cases, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) suspended entry applications for international medical services, with the exception of special or emergency cases, to prioritize access to medical resources for Taiwan nationals, Shih said.
As the COVID-19 situation is improving in Taiwan and the country is gradually returning to normal, it has sufficient medical care capacity, so the CECC has reopened the country to international visitors seeking fertility treatments, he said.
Whether to open the border to foreigners with non-urgent medical needs, as well as tourists, would be assessed later on, he said.
Asked why the new policy takes effect tomorrow, and not on Monday next week, when foreign business travelers are to be allowed entry into Taiwan, Shih said that the applications can be submitted earlier because making arrangements with hospitals, applying for visas and reserving quarantine hotels all take time.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, assisted reproduction accounted for about one-quarter of the international medical services provided in Taiwan, Shih said, adding that such treatment often requires multiple sessions over a long period.
Data released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare showed that in 2020, the number of international visitors seeking medical services fell 41 percent to 2.23 million people from a year earlier.
The services in 2020 generated NT$9.5 billion (US$339.03 million at the current exchange rate), with 41 percent from ASEAN member states and 18.4 percent from China, ministry data showed.
Additional reporting by CNA
Civil society groups yesterday protested outside the Legislative Yuan, decrying Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) efforts to pass three major bills that they said would seriously harm Taiwan’s democracy, and called to oust KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁). It was the second night of the three-day “Bluebird wintertime action” protests in Taipei, with organizers announcing that 8,000 people attended. Organized by Taiwan Citizen Front, the Economic Democracy Union (EDU) and a coalition of civil groups, about 6,000 people began a demonstration in front of KMT party headquarters in Taipei on Wednesday, organizers said. For the third day, the organizers asked people to assemble
Taipei is participating in Osaka’s Festival of Lights this year, with a 3m-tall bubble tea light installation symbolizing Taiwan’s bubble tea culture. The installation is designed as a bubble tea cup and features illustrations of Taipei’s iconic landmarks, such as Taipei 101, the Red House and North Gate, as well as soup dumplings and the matchmaking deity the Old Man Under the Moon (月下老人), affectionately known as Yue Lao (月老). Taipei and Osaka have collaborated closely on tourism and culture since Taipei first participated in the festival in 2018, the Taipei City Department of Information and Tourism said. In February, Osaka represented
POOR IMPLEMENTATION: Teachers welcomed the suspension, saying that the scheme disrupted school schedules, quality of learning and the milk market A policy to offer free milk to all school-age children nationwide is to be suspended next year due to multiple problems arising from implementation of the policy, the Executive Yuan announced yesterday. The policy was designed to increase the calcium intake of school-age children in Taiwan by drinking milk, as more than 80 percent drink less than 240ml per day. The recommended amount is 480ml. It was also implemented to help Taiwanese dairy farmers counter competition from fresh milk produced in New Zealand, which is to be imported to Taiwan tariff-free next year when the Agreement Between New Zealand and
Taiwanese professional baseball should update sports stadiums and boost engagement to enhance fans’ experience, Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) commissioner Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) told the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) in an interview on Friday. The league has urged Farglory Group and the Taipei City Government to improve the Taipei Dome’s outdated equipment, including relatively rudimentary television and sound systems, and poor technology, he said. The Tokyo Dome has markedly better television and sound systems, despite being 30 years old, because its managers continually upgraded its equipment, Tsai said. In contrast, the Taipei Dome lacked even a room for referees
RSS