Keelung City Launches Safe Epidemic Prevention for Hotels and Lodging, Building a Safe Accommodation Environment

Keelung City - Through measures such as tax reductions, subsidies, and guidance, assist hotel and lodging operators through the industry downturn and build a safe and secure accommodation environment in Keelung City.

In accordance with the Ministry of Finance's "Regulations Governing Taxpayers' Applications for Deferred or Installment Payment of Taxes," tax reduction measures related to the hotel and lodging industry have been established. The Keelung City Department of Tourism and City Marketing will set up a notification and proactive guidance mechanism. For the portions of hotels and lodging businesses whose operating area has been reduced or whose floors have been suspended due to the pneumonia epidemic, the house tax rate will be reduced from the original 3% to 2%, to assist Keelung City's hotel and lodging operators through the industry downturn.

To encourage legal hotel and lodging operators in each county and city to join the "Safe Epidemic Prevention Accommodation" program, the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications will subsidize each county and city for legal epidemic prevention accommodations that provide lodging for persons under home quarantine, at NT$1,000 per room per day starting from April 1. Legal hotel and lodging operators can become safe epidemic prevention accommodations after approval by the county or city under whose jurisdiction they fall, and shall comply with the relevant regulations of the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the county or city, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare. In addition, for co-residing family members of persons requiring home isolation or home quarantine, the city government will provide an additional fixed subsidy for staying at Keelung City's "Safe Care Accommodation." Eligible hotel and lodging operators may apply to the city government with relevant supporting documents for a subsidy of NT$5,000 per room for 14 consecutive nights. It is hoped that direct subsidies to hotel and lodging operators will achieve substantive benefits. The relevant regulations will be announced in the near future.

In addition, to increase the capacity and response capability of Keelung City's epidemic prevention hotels, the city government is actively cooperating with central government policy to carry out guidance measures for epidemic prevention accommodations, covering three major aspects: guidance for epidemic prevention hotels, environmental safety disinfection, and the purchase of epidemic prevention equipment. It is hoped that through the dissemination of epidemic prevention information, the public and operators will better understand the implementation details of epidemic prevention hotels.