gengar

Just as an update, shortened quarantine for vaccinated officially shelved by CECC: https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4224145

For the wrong reasons, to be fair - but IMO it was always unlikely, especially in the time frame suggested. I agree that with the absurd level of current fear I don't think any easing of quarantine restrictions is going to occur anytime soon.

strife

Heads-up - Taiwan has ended the home quarantine option which could have knock-on effects if this winds up crowding the designated quarantine hotels.

https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202106260015

ithinkurdumb

Not if. Almost all quarantine hotels that are 2-star or better are fully booked through end of July, and many have jacked up price by 2-3x comparing to pre-pandemic standard.

Apparently the local government believes it's better for travelers to share central AC in a 300-room hotel than isolating at their homes. Taiwan's COVID response has always been motivated by politics, but now this is just comical.

uanj

The recent Delta Variant breakout in Pingtung was caused by a grandmother who knowingly violated her quarantine three times. If people cannot be trusted to follow the rules for home quarantine, it is logical that they suspend it rather than risk more Delta Variant breakouts. How is this political?

ithinkurdumb

Because the TW government knows only one trick - closing the boarder. Given how crappy they have done regarding everything else (still no mandatory testing, $200 per test, limited and chaotic vaccination with politicians getting vaccines ahead of high risk population), the mandatory self-paid hotel quarantine only serves two purposes: showing the citizens that the government is doing something, and giving the hotel industry a break. Indigo Taipei used to charge $2200 for 15-day of quarantine just last week, and now charges $4000.

The regulations regarding quarantine at home and quarantine at hotel are very similar. If you decide to wander out of your hotel room and go on the street, the hotel staff cannot stop you. Obviously you'll get fined, but that's the same as at-home quarantine. Given that every inbound passenger has to have a cellphone that are tracked by the government, it is far more effective to actively prevent people from leaving their quarantine, than forcing people to quarantine together in places with shared air-conditioning and questionable sanitizing.

percysmith

Requiring hotel quarantine is an effective deterrent, at least to some people.
YVR Uncle commuted from HK to Vancouver and back when only home quarantine was required on both ends.
He won't when hotel quarantine is required.

No but they will report you as an abscondee. Unlike some other places like Australia (Melbourne hotel quarantine...), Taiwan businesses don't ignore government directives so flagrantly. Nor understaff reception areas as much.

gengar

But it's not supposed to be a deterrent. Either quarantine works or it doesn't, either it's good public policy or it's not; otherwise they should just end the quarantine program altogether. The rising cost (and now, even more limited availability) of quarantine housing contribute to this being a deterrent, but that shouldn't be the purpose of quarantine policy.

ithinkurdumb

No it's not. The new policy only affects residents as they won't be able to safely and freely (as in beer not as in speech) isolate in their home. Visitors need to quarantine in a hotel anyway.

That's what the cellphone tracking and TW$ 1M fine are for. Quite a few of the quarantine hotels actually don't have 24-hour front desk either, as it is not a requirement for becoming a quarantine hotel.

Exactly. I called 1922 (the CDC hotline) complaining about the mandatory and expensive cost of hotel quarantine, and I was suggested to either 1) borrow money from family or 2) pay with a credit card with installments so that I can return to Taiwan. If the government genuinely believes that central quarantine can stop the delta variant, then it should make it free and accessible.

percysmith

It's always an admin policy, not science.

He's a dual citizen/resident.

strife

So it is politics then... got it.

AZ112

Taiwan opposes easing restrictions on vaccinated travelers arriving from overseas

Nine COVID cases in Taiwan were infected after receiving two vaccine shots, says CECC

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4261827

FlyingSloth

Come on, people, COVID is a new virus we need to learn to manage like any seasonal virus.. you shouldn't just keep your country closed indefinitely.. people die from depression, loneliness, and lose of business / jobs as well. I hope these countries will start to open their eyes. The vaccine has been here for over 6 months.. and this is the best we're going to be able to do.

gengar

If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it's that fear is the biggest motivator. They just closed Taipei 101 (the entire building) for 2 days because of one positive test. The fear isn't going to get better in Taiwan anytime soon - I'm starting to think I'll be lucky to return even in 2022.

BR787

Considering Taiwan had a slower start to vaccinations and less than 2% of the Taiwanese population is fully vaccinated as of today, it seems prudent to keep the country closed until a much higher percent is fully vaccinated. A vaccinated person can still carry the virus and infect an unvaccinated person. This isn't about the US being vaccinated, it's about Taiwanese citizens being unvaccinated. We've been very fortunate in the US to have a head start on vaccines compared to the rest of the world.

uanj

I think with time things will open up gradually. Too many people still think 0 cases should be the goal AND the responsibility of the government. I 100% agree with you that everywhere we must learn to live with this and mitigate to the maximum while leading our lives. But only 35% of the population have gotten the first vaccine, nearly all very recently, and very few have had their second shots.