Inaugural ‘travel bubble’ tour teams return from Palau

• By Lee I-chia / Employees reporter

The initially batch of travelers to visit Palau underneath a COVID-19 “travel bubble” returned to Taiwan at about 10:30pm on Sunday, with several travellers saying they felt blessed to be capable to vacation abroad safely and securely through the pandemic.&#13

The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), along with the Ministry of Overseas Affairs and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, final month declared the opening of a “travel bubble” in between Taiwan and its ally Palau, exempting the tourists from quarantine following arrival in either country. &#13

The 1st flight to Palau took off from Taiwan Taoyuan Worldwide Airport on Thursday afternoon, following the passengers analyzed damaging for COVID-19 in a polymerase chain reaction check taken at the airport in the early morning. The 100 travellers ended up divided into seven tour teams.&#13

The returning passengers received a smartphone message from the Ministry of Wellbeing and Welfare asking them to fill in a passenger health and fitness declaration form and been given a self-health administration observe upon arrival at the airport.&#13

Taoyuan Worldwide Airport Corp (TIAC, 桃園國際機場) experienced arranged a unique entry route for the returning travellers, with a designated duty-no cost searching space, restrooms and immigration counter individual from other passengers.&#13

A person, surnamed Chen (陳), who joined the tour, reported that tour group members adopted polices, like staying with the group and practising condition prevention steps during the journey, so he felt blessed that Taiwanese had been able to journey overseas properly throughout the pandemic.&#13

TIAC chief government Jerry Dann (但昭璧) claimed the entry method went easily, as the business, the CECC, the Tourism Bureau and other authorities companies labored alongside one another in coming up with the exclusive route and creating the preparations.&#13

As it was the first trip, the tour guides and holidaymakers could possibly have been unfamiliar with some techniques, so there is home for improvement, he reported.&#13

However, total, the operation went easily, with all passengers completing customs checks right before 11:17pm on Sunday, he additional.&#13

Independently, Centers for Sickness Handle Deputy Director-Common Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), who is also the CECC spokesman, yesterday reported one new imported situation of COVID-19: an Indonesian student.&#13

The pupil, who is in her 20s, arrived in Taiwan on March 21, and did not display any signs at the time, but documented that she experienced near speak to with a confirmed situation in Indonesia.&#13

The university student examined beneficial on Saturday upon ending centralized quarantine, Chuang said.&#13

Extra reporting by CNA