CORONAVIRUS/Taiwan to end mandatory COVID quarantine on March 20

Taipei, March 9 (CNA) People in Taiwan with mild COVID-19 infections will no longer have to quarantine, with effect from March 20, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Thursday, rolling back a policy that has been in place for more than three years.

Mandatory quarantine for people with COVID-19 has been in effect in Taiwan since Jan. 15, 2020, when COVID was designated as a category 3 communicable disease.

At a press briefing on Thursday, the CECC said that as the COVID-19 situation in Taiwan has been easing, the reporting of mild or asymptomatic infections, as well as the current mandatory five-day quarantine for infected individuals, will be phased out from March 20.

When the new regulations take effect, people who obtain a positive rapid test will no longer have to confirm their results via a telemedicine appointment, and instead, they will simply be asked to monitor their health for a period of 10 days, CECC spokesman Lo Yi-chun (羅一鈞) said.

People with symptomatic COVID-19 infections will be encouraged -- but not required -- to stay at home until their symptoms ease or to wear a mask at all times if they do go out, Lo said.

Despite the policy change, the Ministry of Education said Thursday that it will continue to advise students and teachers not to attend classes in person for five days after testing positive for COVID-19.

In terms of reporting, Lo said that only moderate to severe COVID-19 cases -- defined as those that require hospitalization -- will be reported to the government, after March 20.

Also from that date, the current rules that require the special handling and expedited cremation of deceased COVID-19 patients will also be lifted, the CECC said.

COVID-19 cases in Taiwan have been dropping steadily over the past five weeks and currently average around 10,600 per day, according to CECC data.

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Recent cases

March 9: Taiwan reports 9,584 new COVID-19 cases, 49 deaths

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

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