At the Cabinet's weekly meeting Thursday, Premier Su Tseng-chang received a Ministry of Health and Welfare briefing on the status of the COVID-19 pandemic and preparations for the opening of Taiwan's borders, as well as a Ministry of Transportation and Communications briefing on Taiwan's state of readiness for the border opening. Thursday is the first day of the border reopening, the premier said, but this does not mean the pandemic is over. The government will continue to implement suitable public health measures and adopt a highly rigorous approach to readying its resources.
The first tour group welcomed back to Taiwan arrived at 12:16 a.m., the premier said, and a total of 20 tour groups from six countries including Thailand, Japan, South Korea and Singapore will touch down by the end of Thursday. About 230 tour groups are scheduled to visit by the end of October, marking the start of a new chapter for Taiwan.
Premier Su emphasized that opening Taiwan's borders is the result of a collective effort by Taiwan's people to defend against successive waves of COVID-19. Taiwan has not only received praise from the global community for successfully guarding against the pandemic, but also achieved its highest economic growth rate in 11 years.
The premier also directed the relevant ministries and agencies to respond to the new post-opening circumstances through appropriate publicity, communication, and guidance efforts, and ensure full implementation on the front lines, including the processing of entry and customs clearance procedures for foreign visitors, foreign businesspeople, and foreign nationals coming to Taiwan as students.