Taiwan officials said people returning from overseas should quarantine for 14 days in centers or hotels, instead of at home, as the island nation tries to stiff-arm the dangerous delta variant of the coronavirus.
Arrivals from seven high-risk countries — Bangladesh, Brazil, Britain, India, Indonesia, Israel and Peru — cannot use a hotel and must stay at a “centralized quarantine station.”
The rules take effect Sunday.
Taiwan is among many nations trying to avoid a worsening crisis amid fears around the delta variant that was discovered in India and is blanketing other places. It is highly transmissible and appears to be more deadly.
The Asian island was viewed as a model for virus prevention at the start of the pandemic, but its situation worsened in recent weeks.
Taiwan has reported more than 14,000 infections and 600 deaths from COVID-19 overall, but the vast share has occurred since mid-May.
Another leading virus fight, Israel, reported clusters of dozens of cases around schools in the cities of Modiin and Binyamina, raising eyebrows.
Israel was a leader in vaccinating its population, though residents ages 12 to 15 are only starting to get the shots.
Some officials believe the delta variant and international travelers might be to blame for the new outbreaks, according to The New York Times.
The nation’s picture remains positive overall, with a small caseload and COVID-19 deaths virtually nonexistent.
