Taipei, Nov. 2 (CNA) Taiwan will engage in talks with Japan so that the COVID-19 vaccines approved by Taiwan's government including domestically developed ones will also be recognized by Japan to facilitate travel between both countries, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) official said Tuesday.
Taiwan-Japan Relations Association Secretary-General Chou Shyue-yow (周學佑) made the remarks when asked to comment on Japanese media reports indicating that Tokyo is planning to soon reduce the quarantine period to three days for fully vaccinated people arriving in the country for business purposes or for studying.
Currently, the Japanese government has stipulated that people who have been fully inoculated with the Pfizer, Moderna, or AstraZeneca vaccines will have to undergo 10-day quarantine upon arrival in Japan.
Multiple Japanese media reported early Tuesday that under the new rules, businesspeople and students arriving in Japan will be asked to self-quarantine for three days if they have been fully inoculated with the Pfizer, Moderna, or AstraZeneca vaccines.
From day four onwards, they will be allowed to use public transportation and dine out, once they test negative for the virus. But the companies they are doing business with or schools they are studying at will need to keep track of them.
The new rules will come into effect as early as Monday next week but tourists are not included in this round, reports quoted unnamed sources as saying.
Taiwan also recognizes the Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca vaccines, which are internationally recognized, as well as the locally-developed Medigen brand coronavirus vaccine.
Asked to comment, Chiu said the Japanese government has not yet publicly announced the reported new rules and MOFA will keep in close contact with the Japanese side about the latest information regarding the policy.
Once the Japanese government has officially announced the new policy, Chiu said MOFA will help both countries' health authorities establish official contacts and actively ask the Japanese side to recognize those vaccine brands that have been recognized in Taiwan, and vice versa, to facilitate two-way travel.
