Health officials say that Taiwan's number of COVID-19 cases has already peaked, and the count should slowly decrease over the coming months. Now that Taiwan has made it through the latest surge in cases, government officials are looking to make big changes to Taiwan's travel regulations.
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Taiwan has officially released a plan to open its borders to tourists and end quarantine requirements on October 13. Quarantine has been a mandatory part of traveling to Taiwan since February 2020.
Cabinet spokesperson Lo Ping-cheng says the cap on international arrivals will be set to 150,000 people per week. Taiwan will also open visa-free entry to visitors from eligible countries and remove the ban on travel group tours.
International airports will start returning to normal operations and stop requiring passengers to take a PCR test upon arrival. Visitors without any COVID symptoms will also be allowed to take public transportation.
Top epidemic official Victor Wang says airport, transportation, and health workers are fully prepared to handle the expected wave of tourists. Wang says designated quarantine hotels can now offer accommodation to all travelers again.
Quarantine and border controls have been part of Taiwan's travel policies for over two years, but the country is finally ready to welcome tourists once again.