Hong Kong removed from COVID-19 'low-to-moderate' risk list

ROC Central News Agency

12/02/2020 05:21 PM

Taipei, Dec. 2 (CNA) The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Wednesday removed Hong Kong from its list of countries and regions from which business travelers can apply for shorter quarantine periods upon arrival in Taiwan, citing a recent surge in cases there.

According to the CECC, Hong Kong has reported over 700 locally transmitted cases in the past two weeks, of which 144 have an unclear source of infection. This represents a big increase compared to case numbers in prior months, which is why Hong Kong has been removed from the list.

In Taiwan, business travelers from countries deemed to be at low-to-moderate or low risk for COVID-19 can apply to be quarantined for fewer than the normal 14 days, as long as they take a self-paid COVID-19 test at the end of the quarantine period and it comes back negative.

Those from low-risk countries can apply to have their quarantines lifted on the fifth day after their arrival, while those from low-to-moderate risk countries can do so after seven days.

When the list was first published in June, Hong Kong was deemed of low-to-moderate risk for the disease, but was removed in July due to rising case numbers.

It was added to the list again as a low-to-moderate risk country on Sept. 9, before being removed a second time on Wednesday.

The updated list published by the CECC on Wednesday classified 15 countries and regions as low risk -- New Zealand, Macau, Palau, Fiji, Brunei, Thailand, Bhutan, Laos, Nauru, Timor-Leste, Mauritius, Vietnam, the Marshall Islands, Singapore and Cambodia.

It listed Australia as being of low-to-moderate risk.

(By Chiang Yi-ching)

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