Reports that a traveler under quarantine at a designated hotel breached quarantine by leaving the premises and going to town were dismissed by MOH EOC in the press release yesterday.
MOH EOC did confirm that violation did occur when a person under quarantine tossed down items to a person outside the hotel which is against quarantine protocols which prohibits quarantined individuals from giving items to family or friends or anyone outside of the quarantine processes. Quarantine Instructions states that “No items will be allowed to go out of the quarantine site.”
Ministry of Health’s Rules & Regulations for Isolation and Quarantine of Contagious Diseases states that violation of Quarantine Order is a misdemeanor offense and can be fined up to $500 if found in violation of order. MOH COVID situation report stated that as of February 3, 35 people were in quarantine in a designated quarantine facility and 9 were self-monitoring.
MOH EOC did not reveal who the alleged violators were requesting that specifics of the incident not be shared.
Palau continues to maintain the strict screening protocols for all incoming passengers, requiring testing prior to coming to Palau, testing upon arrival, 14 days quarantine and another PCR test before leaving quarantine.
Palau is one of the few countries in the world that remains COVID free.