TAIPEI – Taiwan on Tuesday (May 3) announced to reduce mandatory quarantine for all arrivals from 10 days to seven days.

Taiwan has kept its quarantine rules in place as large parts of the rest of Asia have relaxed or lifted them completely, though it had already reduced the time spent in isolation from two weeks to 10 days in March.

Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Centre said the easing of the quarantine rule, which comes into effect next Monday, was made due to Omicron’s short incubation period and to take into account “the maintenance of domestic pandemic prevention capacity, socio-economic activities and effective risk control”.

All arrivals will still have to take PCR tests upon reaching Taiwan, and on the seventh day of quarantine will be released as long as they are negative from a rapid test, it said.

The requirement for pre-departure negative PCR tests remains in place.

Quarantine for close contacts of infected patients is now three days, as the government seeks to lessen the burden on officials keeping tabs on those in isolation while the number of domestic infections keeps going up.

The government has not given a timetable for completely re-opening its borders, and restrictions remain in place for those who can visit. Citizens and foreign residents are free to come and go but most other visitors need special permission.