TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An average daily arrival of 7,000-8,000 tourists in Taiwan’s outlying Penghu archipelago during peak season shrank to only 300 on Wednesday (May 19), CNA reported, citing the Penghu County Tourism Department.

Since the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in Taiwan and heightened pandemic alerts, many tourists with plans to visit the archipelago in the middle of the Taiwan Strait have canceled their trips, according to the department. A total of 1,023 people entered Penghu on Wednesday, but 70 percent of them were Penghu citizens, with only 300 being tourists, the department added.

The department went on to say that most local travel agencies and lodging operators were willing to accept full refunds or just deduct operating costs for reservations set for between May 15 and 28.