Taipei, Jan. 27 (CNA) A government policy launched in January requiring travelers from China to undergo a saliva COVID-19 test when they arrive in Taiwan will be extended through Feb. 6, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Friday.

The policy, which was originally set to run from Jan. 1 to Jan. 31, applies to those arriving on direct flights from China to Taiwan, as well as to citizens arriving from Taiwan's outlying Kinmen and Matsu Islands.

While the COVID-19 positivity rates of travelers from China have dropped from an initial high of around 25 percent, the policy was extended due to China's continuing severe COVID-19 situation and its potential to impact public health in Taiwan, the CECC said in a statement.

The CECC will also extend to Feb. 6 a rule requiring travelers from China who transfer through Hong Kong or Macau to present a negative COVID-19 PCR test result from within 48 hours of their first departure, or a rapid test from within 24 hours of departure.

The CECC's testing policy primarily targets returning Taiwanese citizens and Chinese traveling to Taiwan on business, for study or to visit their families, as Chinese tourists are still banned from entering Taiwan.