COVID-19: Taiwan bans foreign arrivals from India

COVID-19: Taiwan bans foreign arrivals from India
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Taipei, Taiwan: Taiwan has decided to temporarily ban the entry of foreign nationals who have been to India over the previous 14 days, said the Health Ministry on Monday, adding that the restrictions will come into effect from tomorrow. Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) head Chen Shih-chung on Monday announced that the ban will apply to all foreign nationals with an exception to Taiwanese residence permit holders, Taiwan News reported. Although Taiwanese residents are exempt from the policy, they must undergo 14 days of quarantine at a centralized facility before taking a coronavirus test. When asked whether Taiwan will suspend flights to India, Chen said there are currently no direct flights between the two countries. This comes as India is witnessing a record-breaking and unprecedented COVID-19 surge.

The country on Monday reported 3,68,147 new coronavirus infections and 3,417 related deaths in the last 24 hours, informed the union health ministry on Monday morning. With this, the cumulative count of the cases has gone up to 1,99,25,604. The second wave of the pandemic has overwhelmed the health care system in the country. Taiwan has reaffirmed its commitment to providing necessary assistance to the people of India in difficult times of COVID-19 and the country sent the first batch of 150 oxygen concentrators and 500 oxygen cylinders to New Delhi on Sunday.