[ad_1]
TAIPEI – A day after confirming the launch of a travel bubble with Palau, Taiwan’s health minister said the next on the island’s list for a travel bubble is likely to be Singapore.
Last December, Singapore announced a unilateral lifting of restrictions for travelers entering the country from Taiwan, exempting them from the mandatory two-week quarantine and only requiring them to take a Covid-19 test upon arrival.
On Thursday (March 18), Taiwanese Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said that discussions between Taiwan and Singapore had begun, as the latter expected Taiwan to match its unilateral move.
Chen also heads the Epidemic Central Command Center, which coordinates all strategies related to the coronavirus pandemic.
Transport Minister Lin Chia-lung said Thursday that while Japan, South Korea and Vietnam are discussing the possibilities of travel bubbles with Taiwan, “Singapore is by far the most proactive.”
However, Lin declined to reveal more, saying that details are still under discussion.
Taiwan’s travel bubble with diplomatic ally Palau will begin on April 1, allowing two flights of 110 passengers each to fly to Palau. Travelers from both sides must be part of the tour groups and must visit each site and its hotels as a group.
“Taiwan has chosen to open a travel bubble with Palau first because Palau has maintained its record of zero confirmed Covid-19 cases, so this made political decisions easier to make,” Chen said.
But he admitted the challenge would be how Taiwan can make sure its travelers don’t bring the virus to Palau.
“Fortunately, Palau was finally confident that Taiwan’s screening tests are valid and caused the travel bubble to occur,” the health minister said.
[ad_2]
