Taiwan will no longer require travelers from China to undergo a saliva COVID-19 test when they arrive in the country from Feb. 7, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Tuesday.

The policy change will apply to those on flights from the four Chinese cities -- Beijing, Shanghai Chengdu and Xiamen -- that currently have direct flights to Taiwan, as well as Taiwan citizens arriving from the outlying Kinmen and Matsu Islands, the CECC said.

The testing, which was introduced on Jan. 1, is no longer necessary as the COVID-19 positivity rate of travelers arriving from China had dropped from an initial high of around 25 percent to 2 percent as of last week, according to CECC head Victor Wang (王必勝) in a press briefing.