Taiwan will maintain its existing mask mandate through the month of June, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced Monday, but consideration is being given to adjusting the country’s strict COVID-19 border restrictions.
The current mask mandate requires people to wear a mask at all times when they are outside of their homes, with some exceptions.
People are exempt from wearing masks when eating or participating in water-related activities, when in outdoor spaces with very few people, such as forests and fields, or when taking individual or group photos indoors or outdoors, and when driving alone or with family members in a car.
People are also exempt from wearing masks when exercising, unless they are in a gym.
According to a Sports Administration announcement Friday, only individuals who have received three vaccine shots can exercise in a gym mask-free, while those who have not yet gotten three shots have to wear a mask.
In June, people will also still be allowed to eat on trains, intercity buses, ferries, and on domestic flights, while food sampling will continue to be permitted at markets, the CECC said.
Masks will remain mandatory while singing karaoke, and individuals attending banquets will continue to be banned from going from table to table and toasting guests, according to the CECC.
Also on Monday, Premier Su Tseng-chang (???) said he has authorized the CECC to adjust the number of days that travelers to Taiwan have to quarantine upon arrival, and that relevant details would be announced after the CECC discusses the issue with other government agencies.
When asked about the new policies, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (???), who heads the CECC, said travelers will be required to quarantine for fewer days, but the quarantine measure will not be canceled entirely.
The CECC is also considering eliminating the requirement that travelers arriving from Southeast Asia, India, South Korea, the Middle East, and Europe stay at the airport after arriving until the results of their polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test come out.
Chen has said previously that details on the relaxation of border policies would be announced some time in June.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel