CORONAVIRUS/CECC suggests limiting foreign worker entry around Lunar New Year

The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) has approved the lifting of an entry ban on foreign contract workers -- but its head suggested Wednesday the ban be reintroduced during a two-month period from Dec. 14 to Feb. 14.

With quarantine rules set to be relaxed for Taiwanese arrivals over next year's Lunar New Year, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (???) has suggested reimplementing the current restrictions on overseas contract workers for the period surrounding the holiday.

Plans to ease quarantine measures for the large number of Taiwanese expected to return between Dec. 14 and Feb. 14 have already been announced, and Chen suggested that Ministry of Labor scale back entry for foreign workers during this time period.

Chen made the remarks while addressing members of the Legislature's Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee in his capacity as head of the CECC.

With the country facing a pressing labor shortage, Labor Minister Hsu Ming-chun (???) on Tuesday said her ministry planned to reopen entry for foreign contract workers by the end of this month at the latest, and that the plan had already been approved by the CECC.

The Ministry of Labor has not yet commented on Chen's suggestion.

Taiwan first banned the entry of Indonesian contract workers in December 2020 due to the COVID-19 situation in that country.

The government further barred all new overseas contract workers from entering the country from May 19 this year, following an unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19 cases in Taiwan that dealt another heavy blow to the labor market.

Figures compiled by government agencies estimate that around 40,000 Taiwanese are expected to return home for the weeklong Lunar New Year holiday from Jan. 31 to Feb. 6, with the returnees expected to generate higher than normal demand for quarantine accommodation.

However, there are expectations that this figure might be exceeded, so the government is seeking to increase the supply of quarantine facilities to meet demand, Chen said on Wednesday.

According to the CECC, most people entering Taiwan between Dec. 14 and Feb. 14 will be subject to relaxed quarantine rules.

While all arrivals still need to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine, the majority of those entering during this period will only be required to spend 10 days at a designated quarantine hotel or government facility, after which they can spend the remaining four days at home.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel