But the Mainland Affairs Council said it will gradually adjust the policy for people from Hong Kong, Macau and the mainland to visit Taiwan.

At a press conference yesterday, cabinet spokesman Lo Ping-cheng said it was time for Taiwan to reopen its border, considering the vaccination rate and the easy access to test kits and anti-Covid medicine. Severe Covid cases had not gone up and the death rate had fallen lately, he added.

"Starting from October 13, we will further reopen our border and implement the '0+7' policy, with 150,000 people being allowed to enter Taiwan per week," Lo said.

"We will also allow people from non-visa-free access countries to come to Taiwan."

The ban on travel agency group tours has also been lifted.

However, the new quarantine-free policy does not include tourists from Hong Kong, Macau and the mainland. Only those who are visiting their families, attending a funeral or for business purposes can apply for entry.

From October 13, overseas arrivals will not need to undergo quarantine at hotels or at home, but they are still subject to "self-initiated epidemic prevention" for seven days.

During this period, people have to stay in a room with a bathroom and cannot share the room with others, unless they are in the same group tour.

They are forbidden to visit patients in hospital, and are advised to postpone their non-urgent medical treatment.

Since yesterday, people no longer need to take a PCR test at the airport upon their arrival. Instead, they will be given four rapid test kits. They will need to take a rapid test on the first day, and whenever they go out, they need to have a negative test result taken within two days.

They are also allowed to dine in restaurants alone or with "designated people."

When they show Covid symptoms, they should stay at home or hotel, and take the rapid Covid test. If people have been infected with Covid but with mild symptoms, they can quarantine at epidemic hotels or go into home isolation.