CORONAVIRUS/Chinese tertiary students now allowed to enter Taiwan: ministry

Taipei, Aug. 24 (CNA) The Ministry of Education (MOE) announced on Monday that Chinese students, both new and those currently enrolled in tertiary-level schools in Taiwan, will be allowed to enter the country with immediate effect.

According to the MOE, roughly 10,000 international students, of which 5,000 are from China, are expected to apply for entry to Taiwan amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, due to the limited availability of international flights into the country, the ministry said, the number of students arriving from overseas may not be able to get here for anywhere between two to three months or even later after the new semester has started.

On arrival in Taiwan, the students will be required to undergo quarantine for 14 days, either in a facility arranged by their school or in a government-designated facility, it added.

Taiwan first relaxed its rules on June 17 to allow the re-entry of final year international tertiary students from 19 countries and territories classified as low-risk or low-to-moderate risk for COVID-19, which included Vietnam, Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, Palau, Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, Fiji, Mongolia, Bhutan, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.

Almost five weeks later on July 22, the entry ban was further eased to allow the entry of final year students from all other countries, including China.

On Aug. 5, students in their first three years of university study (freshman to junior) from all countries, excluding China, were also allowed to enter Taiwan.