Offshore Control Division
I. The "Type B Home Quarantine Measures" and the "Immigration Cutback Measures," first proclaimed on April 27 for a period of two weeks, and then extended for another two weeks on May 11, will expire in two days, on May 25. During this period, the Offshore Control Division has established effective control schemes and has reduced the number of travelers (incl. ROC nationals, foreign passport holders, Hong Kong residents and the Mainland people) entering/returning to Taiwan from SARS-affected areas by 95% or more as compared with that in normal times. No incidence of imported SARS cases triggering local outbreaks of the disease is reported for this period of time. Since April 27, strict quarantine measures have been in place at all commercial/transportation harbors and airports. All these measures, together with the fact that ROC nationals and foreigners alike have respected our government's approach and displayed remarkable self-control thus considerably reducing the amount of "unnecessary travel" between Taiwan and SARS-infected areas, have comprehensively shown very tangible results.
II. Through clinical studies and mounting empirical evidence, a number of new discoveries have recently been made about how and via what routes the SARS virus is transmitted. In view of these findings, and based on the advice from our consultants and independent experts, the Offshore Control Division has come to the conclusion that there is an urgent need to review and reevaluate the "Type B Home Quarantine Measures." On May 22, the Offshore Control Division completed a preliminary evaluation of "Measures for Monitoring the Behavior and the Health Care of People Who Entered Taiwan from SARS-Infected Areas," but the accompanying regulations and procedures have still to be drawn up by the competent health authorities. Also, it is not clear at this point what the appropriate timing should be for concrete policies to be adopted. So at the moment it is too early to replace the current "Type B Home Quarantine Measures."
III. The "Type B Home Quarantine Measures" now in place will terminate on May 25. On the question of whether to prolong the measures for another period of time, the Offshore Control Division will follow the decision made by the convener of the Executive Yuan's SARS Epidemic Prevention, Control and Relief Committee on May 19 on the Committee's third general meeting, stating that the Offshore Control Division will speedily evaluate the situation and then report to the Committee for a final decision. The Offshore Control Division has consulted with related departments and pooled the gathered information for a detailed assessment of the five major aspects involved, including quarantine and prevention requirements, international interactions, cross-Strait relations, relations between Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as economy and industry and labor force supply and demand. In trade and commerce, the following opinions have been voiced:
A. View of Industrial and Commercial Associations and Enterprises: "Type B Home Quarantine Measures" have already been in place for almost a month. Business and industry have complied with government policy and significantly reduced the amount of business travel and face-to-face exchanges. Should the implementation of quarantine measures be further extended, it will have a deepening negative impact on the industry on a number of levels. Therefore industry and commerce are not in favor of another extension, but suggest termination of the current measures to replace them with a scheme of "enhanced follow-up surveillance" whenever necessary. Otherwise, domestic industries could suffer irrevocable damage.
B. Competent Authorities' Assessment: The relevant government departments agree that the implementation of "Type B Home Quarantine Procedures" for almost one month has had a serious impact on business activities, and that cross-Strait trade and operations of Taiwan businesses in the Mainland in particular are increasingly affected by the current quarantine measures. The scope of this negative impact has widened and will hamper the domestic industry's development, thus affecting business operations.
IV. After considering the above evaluation and opinions, and to strike a balance between adequate quarantine/prevention measures and the protection of industrial interest, the Offshore Control Division has drafted the following adjustment outline for "Type B Home Quarantine Measures."
A. Since "Type B Home Quarantine Measures" came into force on April 28, a total of 26, 461 people were placed under home quarantine. Temperature checks at airports and harbors had found abnormal body temperature in 179 of these, and 11 of them were admitted to a hospital, where four were diagnosed as suspected SARS cases. This indicates that the implementation of quarantine measures has indeed been effective in discovering suspected SARS patients, and has helped to prevent import of the virus from aboard. On the other hand, since patients in the early stages of the disease do not display abnormal body temperature, temperature checks at airports and harbors cannot be 100% effective in preventing carriers of the virus from entering Taiwan and spreading the virus here (recently there was the case of a foreign laborer from Vietnam who developed SARS symptoms only after entering Taiwan). Therefore, the Offshore Control Division has decided that in the interest of effectively preventing the import of the SARS virus and avoiding its local transmission, and to reach the policy goal of supporting domestic SARS prevention efforts, the "Type B Home Quarantine Measures" should be extended for the period of another two weeks.
B. To prevent creating a strong negative impact on domestic economic activities and the operations of local industries, the Offshore Control Division advises to relax the current regulations on immigration control and quarantine, and to adopt a set of "Flexible Quarantine Measures" to facilitate the normal business and trade activities. What follows is a detailed account of the new regulations for flexible implementation of quarantine measures:
1. Relaxing the Scope of Entry Control and Implementing "Flexible Quarantine Measures" to Facilitate Normal Business Activities. Provide reasonable space for businesspeople coming to Taiwan from "areas with recent local transmission of SARS" (hereafter referred to as "SARS transmission areas") to conduct commercial activities:
a. Foreign Passport Holders:
i. Restrictions on visa-exempt entries and landing visas remain in place, but those entering Taiwan on business affairs and/or holding a letter of employment by a competent authority, and those who are coming to Taiwan for a family visit, visiting a sick person or attending a funeral, and have obtained a boarding permit from an ROC representative office abroad (incl. a certificate stating that the person is without SARS symptoms), may be issued a tourist or a resident visa.
ii. Mode of Quarantine Implementation:
(a) In case the quarantine subject has an employer, or is in Taiwan for a family visit, visiting a sick person or attending a funeral, the employer or the relatives shall be legally bound to guarantee the proper implementation of all required quarantine measures.
(b) In case the quarantine subject has no employer or relative in Taiwan, but does have a business partner/client, that business partner/client shall guarantee and be responsible for the proper implementation of all quarantine measures.
(c) Those without any guarantor in Taiwan shall be set up at an airport transit hotel. The Civil Aeronautics Administration will upgrade the business facilities at transit hotels.
iii. Those in Taiwan for a family visit, visiting a sick person, or attending a funeral, are still required to undergo a 10-day home quarantine.
b. Hong Kong Residents: The temporary suspension of landing visas remains in place, but Hong Kong residents entering Taiwan on business affairs, or are coming to Taiwan for a family visit, visiting a sick person or attending a funeral shall receive the same treatment as foreign passport holders entering on the same errands.
c. The Mainland People:
i. In accordance with the "Permit Guidelines Governing the Entry to Taiwan by the People of the Mainland Area Invited by A Multinational Corporation to Conduct Commercial Activities" and the "Permit Guidelines Governing Industrial Technology Import from the Mainland Area," travel permits will be issued to all those meeting the relevant requirements. The Mainland people coming to Taiwan to provide technical assistance, or to examine or purchase goods, may, on a case-by-case basis, and in accordance with the "Guidelines for Permitting Mainland Experts to Visit Taiwan and Engage in Professional Activities," apply for a visa.
ii. Mode of Quarantine Implementation
(1) In case the quarantine subject is affiliated with an enterprise in Taiwan (parent company, subsidiary or branch), the responsible person of that enterprise shall be legally bound to guarantee the proper implementation of all required quarantine measures.
(2) In case the quarantine subject is not connected with any enterprise in Taiwan, but does have a business partner/client, that business partner/client shall guarantee and be responsible for the proper implementation of all quarantine measures.
iii. The Mainland People coming to Taiwan for a family visit, visiting a sick person, or attending a funeral, are still required to undergo a 10-day home quarantine.
2. Implementing the "Guidelines for Entrants to Conduct Business Activities During the Period of Home Quarantine Measures." To ensure compliance with the "Guidelines for Entrants to Conduct Business Activities During the Period of Home Quarantine Measures," employers or business partners/clients are legally bound to guarantee the following items:
a. In case the person is in Taiwan for a long-term work assignment or to provide technical assistance, the employer or business partner/client has to guarantee that the person undergoes a 10-day home quarantine.
b. In case the visitor is in Taiwan for short-term business activities, the employer or business partner/client has to guarantee compliance with the following regulations:
i. The visitor should wear a mask whenever going out.
ii. The employer or business partner/client should provide a special means of transport to ensure that the visitor does not use any form of public transportation vehicles.
iii. A temperature check should be performed on the visitor twice a day (morning and evening), and the measurements should be recorded in detail for reference.
iv. The visitor's entire itinerary during his/her stay in Taiwan should be recorded in detail for reference.
v. The visitor should avoid going out, except for activities and errands pertaining to the purposes for which his visa or permit was issued. The visitor should avoid crowded public places such as banks, libraries, hypermarkets, department stores, gyms, movie theaters, KTV parlors, Internet cafes etc.
vi. If the visitor develops any symptoms, he/she should immediately be admitted to a hospital, and the local health authorities should be notified.
V. Supervision and Random Checks/Procedural Details
A. Supervision and Random Checks
1. Responsible Governmental Agencies (Authority). The governmental agencies/authorities in charge of monitoring the implementation of the above measures shall conduct random checks to see whether or not employers/business partners are following procedures in accordance with the guarantee statement they have signed. The results of these checks are reported back to the Ministry of Economic Affair's (MOEA) Investment Commission, which will then forward them to the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC). The details of the division of labor for responsible governmental agencies are in the following:
a. For companies in science-based industrial parks, the Science-Based Industrial Park Administration shall be the competent authority.
b. For companies in other industrial parks, the MOEA Industrial Development Bureau shall be the competent authority.
c. For companies located in export processing zones, the MOEA Economic Processing Zone Administration shall be the competent authority.
d. For all other companies not located in any kind of industrial park/export processing zone, the MOEA Investment Commission shall be the competent authority.
2. Supervision and Random Checks Procedures
a. Method: Mainly via telephone. In case of problems or doubts, on-the-spot examinations should be performed.
b. Key Issues of Checks:
i. In case of employees entering Taiwan for work, the responsible governmental agencies should check if the employer has already forwarded the relevant data about the employee's stay in Taiwan to the local health authority.
ii. In case of business trips to Taiwan, the responsible governmental agencies should check if and how the business partner/company is enforcing the related regulations, and ask the company to fax back a chart stating the visitor's health situation and itinerary. Should a company be found to report any relevant details untruthfully, the responsible governmental agencies can call in investigation units/prosecutors to examine the case in accordance with the law.
3. Random Check Ratio: Generally, 1:10.
4. To facilitate speedy and efficient management procedures and follow-up checks, the competent authorities/park administrations should provide a list of service windows.
B. Procedural Details
1. Before issuing visas, entry permits or boarding permits, ROC representative offices/the Hong Kong Affairs Office shall first check the applicant's medical certificate stating that he/she is without SARS symptoms, as well as the guarantee statement issued by the applicant's employer/business partner in Taiwan. The ROC representative offices/HK Affairs Office shall put their stamp in the guarantee statement and keep the third copy for reference.
2. Every issuance of a visa, entry permit or boarding permit is to be recorded in a list, which shall be forwarded to the competent Aviation Police Bureau on a daily basis.
3. After entering Taiwan, visitors on business trips should produce their guarantee statement for inspection by the Aviation Police staff, who will check for the ROC representative offices/HK Affairs Office stamp and keep the second copy for reference.
4. After inspecting all relevant documents upon the visitor's entry, the Aviation Police Bureau shall record the relevant data in a list. This list shall be forwarded to the MOEA Investment Commission for reference.
5. After receiving the Aviation Police Bureau's list, the MOEA Investment Commission shall distribute the visitor data per fax or e-mail to the relevant departments for double-checking and confirmation.
6. The responsible governmental agencies shall then perform random checks (at a 1:10 ratio), and via e-mail report back the results to the MOEA Investment Commission. The Investment Commission will forward to the Mainland Affairs Councils all the results after having complied them.
7. The employer/business partner shall keep the first copy of the guarantee statement and all relevant data/documents on the visitor and his trip for future reference.