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進入《TAIPEI TIMES》 Two cases in Palau put quarantine-free travel under scrutiny
Islands in Palau’s Southern Lagoon are pictured from above in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of Cola Tour
By Lin Chia-nan / Staff reporter
The government would review safety measures of the Taiwan-Palau “travel bubble” should the COVID-19 situation change in Palau, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, after Palau reported two confirmed cases of COVID-19 from Guam.
The cases arrived on Sunday last week, the Palauan Ministry of Health and Human Services said in a statement, adding that their close contacts have so far tested negative for COVID-19.
The confirmed cases were reported just one week after Taiwan and Palau resumed quarantine-free travel, which was suspended in May due to a local outbreak in Taiwan. The travel scheme was first launched on April 1.
Before the bubble was resumed on Saturday last week, local media reported that many Taiwanese hoped to receive COVID-19 vaccines in Palau, as Taiwan has a shortage of vaccines.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs cited information collected by the Taiwanese embassy in Palau as saying that the two arrivals from Guam had been vaccinated at least 14 days earlier and presented negative test reports before returning to Palau.
To protect Taiwanese and Palauans, Taiwan would review the travel bubble measures should the situation change, the ministry said, reminding people who plan to visit Palau to check for updates to the Central Epidemic Command Center’s （CECC） guidelines.
Meanwhile, the CECC yesterday said that travelers would need to undergo polymerase chain reaction （PCR） tests 12 to 14 days after returning from Palau, in addition to a deep-throat saliva test upon arrival at the airport and a PCR test on the fifth day after returning.
Additional reporting by Lee I-chia
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
