CORONAVIRUS/Taiwan to end reporting, quarantine requirement for mild COVID cases

Taipei, March 9 (CNA) Taiwan will end mandatory reporting and quarantine for mild COVID-19 infections with effect from March 20, according to a policy approved by Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) at a Cabinet meeting on Thursday.

At a press conference, acting Cabinet spokesman Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成) cited Chen as saying the policy change was based on declining COVID-19 numbers worldwide, the easing of control policies across Asia, and the fact that Taiwan has not seen a jump in cases since lifting its mask mandate.

As a result, he approved a plan to change the "case definition" for COVID-19 from March 20, under which people with mild or asymptomatic cases will no longer need to report them or quarantine for five days, Chen said, according to Lo.

Further details of the policy will be announced at the Central Epidemic Command Center press conference at 2 p.m. Thursday.

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Recent cases

March 8: Taiwan reports 11,060 new COVID-19 cases, 40 deaths

March 7: Taiwan reports 11,038 new COVID-19 cases, 34 deaths

March 6: Taiwan reports 7,080 new COVID-19 cases, 45 deaths

March 5: Taiwan reports 10,307 new COVID-19 cases, 60 deaths

March 4: Taiwan reports 11,397 new COVID-19 cases, 71 deaths

March 3: Taiwan reports 13,813 new COVID-19 cases, 62 deaths

March 2: Taiwan reports 12,032 new COVID-19 cases, 43 deaths

March 1: Taiwan reports 12,212 new COVID cases; isolation rules to ease

Latest COVID-19 rules

● Taiwan to loosen COVID-19 protocols for migrant worker entry

● Taiwan's eased indoor mask mandate takes effect Feb. 20

● COVID-19 testing for overseas arrivals dropped from Feb. 7 (2023)

● Revised protocol for hospital visits from Dec. 10

● Taiwan to stop paying COVID medical fees for certain foreign nationals

● Taiwan to remove weekly arrival cap on Dec. 10

● Taiwan cuts COVID isolation to 5 days, lifts workplace vaccine mandates (Nov. 14)

● Taiwan to further ease border rules for China, Hong Kong, Macau residents

● Taiwan's new COVID-19 regulations taking effect Nov. 7