TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Individual travelers from Hong Kong and Macau will be allowed to apply for a visit to Taiwan again beginning Feb. 20, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Tuesday (Feb. 14).

With the COVID-19 situation in Taiwan stabilizing, restrictions on travel by residents of the two Chinese territories, including a requirement that groups needed to consist of at least five people, could be lifted, the Liberty Times reported. The MAC said it had been considering reopening the border for individual travelers from Hong Kong for some time, but China’s sudden decision to scrap all travel restrictions on its citizens had caused concern.

According to MAC Deputy Minister Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑), COVID developments in Hong Kong and Macau were relatively easy to monitor, though the situation in China was more complex. Any changes to rules for Chinese travelers would follow advice from the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), he said.

The residents of Hong Kong and Macau would be able to start applying online for travel permits for Taiwan at 9 a.m. on Feb. 20, according to the regulations set out by the National Immigration Agency (NIA), the MAC said.