Should the Visit to China Be Postponed? ... 28-Day Quarantine After COVID-19 Positive Result on Hotel Door Handle

Taiwanese Visitor to China Classified as Infected Despite Negative PCR Test
Self-Pays Total 1.6 Million Won for Quarantine Costs at Hotel and Hospital

A screening clinic in Beijing, China. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Lee Gyehwa] The daily new COVID-19 cases in China (as of the 10th) have surpassed 14,000. In some regions, high-intensity quarantine measures are being implemented, such as extending the quarantine period for overseas arrivals to ten days. On the 10th, Taiwan's Central News Agency reported that a Taiwanese visitor to China was quarantined for 28 days in hospitals and hotels after testing positive for COVID-19 on a hotel room door handle.

Currently, upon entering China, individuals must quarantine for a total of 10 days: 7 days in a quarantine facility and 3 days at their residence. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests are conducted daily. As the quarantine release date approaches, PCR tests are also performed on the quarantined person's belongings and the places they stayed. The so-called 'environmental sampling tests' (including mobile phones, wallets, furniture, etc.) must also return negative results for the quarantine to be lifted.

In early last month, a Taiwanese individual, Mr. A, who entered Miamen, Fujian Province, China, was placed in a quarantine hotel under the '7+3' regulation. Mr. A tested negative in all PCR tests during the hotel quarantine period. However, on the seventh day, COVID-19 virus was detected from a sample taken from the door handle of the room, resulting in an additional 3 days of quarantine. Although Mr. A continued to test negative in daily PCR tests afterward, the virus was again detected on the door handle. After being quarantined for 3 more days, he was transferred to a hospital in the early morning of the 14th day. After being hospitalized for 7 days and receiving a recovery diagnosis, he was moved to a hospital-designated hotel for continued quarantine.

After entering China, Mr. A was quarantined for a total of 28 days, moving between hospitals and hotels. He paid 8,500 yuan (approximately 1.6 million KRW) for hospital and hotel fees. He said, "All items in the room tested negative each time, but I was classified as an infected person because of the door handle." He added, "Apart from blood collection, PCR tests, and medication administration, the hospital did nothing for me." He also stated, "I raised issues and protested through various channels, but nothing was resolved," adding, "I just lie in bed all day." Having traveled frequently between China and Taiwan for a long time, Mr. A advised, "Although China maintained zero COVID for three years, the current quarantine controls are the strictest. It is better to postpone visiting China unless absolutely necessary."

Amid the spread of COVID-19, Chinese authorities have reiterated their commitment to maintaining zero COVID. Chinese quarantine authorities emphasized, "The trend of infection spread in some domestic regions is clear," and stated, "We will optimize control measures and enhance precision, but the zero COVID policy will not waver."