Taiwan removes South Korea from COVID-19 'low-to-moderate' risk list

ROC Central News Agency

08/26/2020 06:18 PM

Taipei, Aug. 26 (CNA) The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Wednesday removed South Korea from its list of countries from which business travelers can apply for shorter quarantine periods upon arrival in Taiwan, citing a recent surge in cases there over the past two weeks.

A wave of COVID-19 cases began recently in Seoul and has since spread across South Korea, and the authorities there have said that they have not passed the peak of the outbreak, the CECC said.

South Korea was originally deemed of low-to-moderate risk for the disease, which allowed business travelers from the country to apply to have their quarantine shortened from the normal 14 days to seven days, as long as they take a self-paid COVID-19 test on the seventh day after arrival.

Other changes made to the COVID-19 risk list on Wednesday included the addition of Nauru, Timor-Leste and Mauritius to the list of countries classified as low risk for the disease.

The CECC also changed Sri Lanka's designation from low-to-moderate to low in terms of risk of COVID-19.

Business travelers from countries deemed of low risk for COVID-19 can apply to have their quarantine lifted by taking a self-paid COVID-19 test on the fifth day after their arrival.

The updated list published by the CECC on Wednesday classified 15 countries and zones as low risk -- New Zealand, Macau, Palau, Fiji, Brunei, Thailand, Mongolia, Bhutan, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Nauru, Timor-Leste and Mauritius.

It listed Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam as low-to-moderate risk.

(By Chiang Yi-ching)

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