TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) is expected to launch the "0+7" on Oct. 13, eliminating the need for quarantine hotels and Taiwan's Tourism Bureau is exploring ways on assisting these hotels in making the transition to normal operations.

Taiwan is tentatively scheduled to launch its "0+7" plan on Oct. 13, which eliminates quarantine in favor of seven days of self-health monitoring. This will end the need for epidemic prevention hotels, which have been operating for over two and half years since the start of strict border controls imposed due to the pandemic in early 2020.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the current number of quarantine vehicles at the Taoyuan Airport stands at 1,146. The Directorate General of Highway stated that the suspension of epidemic prevention vehicles, including buses, quarantine taxis, and rental cars will be handled by the Taoyuan International Airport Corporation.

The Tourism Bureau stated that the during this year's Lunar New Year, quarantine hotels provided 32,000 rooms per day, with an average occupancy rate of 80%. Recently, that number has dropped to 24,000 rooms per day, representing an average occupancy rate of about 60%.

The bureau pointed out that the travel and lodging industry has voluntarily invested in epidemic prevention accommodations and the government has provided "full support." From 2020 to the present, 860,000 people have stayed in quarantine hotels and the Tourism Bureau has provided more than NT$6 billion (US$188 million) to these facilities.

It lauded the quarantine hotels for their contribution to Taiwan's epidemic prevention efforts. The bureau stated that as normal operations of general hotels resume, the government will provide assistance in preparing the hotels to accommodate domestic and foreign tourists as the country opens up to tourism.

After the outbreak of the COVID pandemic, the Tourism Bureau on April 1, 2020, announced city and county governments would promote the implementation of epidemic prevention accommodations for people undergoing quarantine after arriving from overseas and would provide a subsidy of NT$1,000 per room per day.