TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Around 1,500 overseas Taiwanese are expected to participate in events marking the National Day of Taiwan on Oct. 10.

The number of newly returned expats taking part in relevant events has drastically declined due to the coronavirus. The country used to see around 5,000 to 6,000 register for the Double Ten Day celebrations, according to the Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC).

This year, those planning to celebrate the occasion are required to have entered Taiwan by Sept. 17 to ensure they abide by quarantine and other disease-control protocols before attending the gala on the eve of the National Day and the main ceremony on Oct. 10, wrote Liberty Times.

The returnees, most of whom have come back from North America and Asia, will on the night of Oct. 9 be treated to a seafood feast in Keelung and a concert featuring the winners of a singing competition dedicated to deceased Taiwanese singer Teresa Teng (鄧麗君). They are invited to the Office of the President for the main event on the morning of Oct. 10 as well as a fireworks display in Tainan, reported CNA.

According to OCAC Minister Tung Chen-yuan (童振源), overseas Taiwanese are eligible for a subsidy of NT$3,000 (US$104) for a three-day trip within Taiwan between Sept. 20 and Oct. 31. The incentive is one of the government’s measures to stimulate the economy through domestic tourism.