Taiwan reported another 142 deaths from Covid-19 and more than 76,000 new cases of the disease on Friday as authorities weigh up whether to further ease entry restrictions. The death toll was close to the record 145 daily fatalities reported on May 29. The island reported 76,517 new locally transmitted cases, of which 409 were severe. Among the fatalities reported on friday, the youngest was a 20-year-old unvaccinated male who was immunocompromised, and the eldest was 90. Taiwan has been battling a surge in Covid-19 cases since the end of April , testing the island’s “living with Covid” policy. Chuang Jen-hsiang, spokesman of the Central Epidemic Command Centre, said on Friday that the government was considering shortening quarantine for some visitors. At the moment, people arriving in Taiwan must quarantine for seven days and monitor their health for a further seven days after that. Authorities were also considering scrapping the Covid-19 taxi requirement, where arriving passengers must leave the airport in designated taxis. But he said the changes would not mean reopening the island to tourists. The Taiwanese Ministry of Economic Affairs said on Thursday that the government would monitor conditions and decide at the end of this month whether to loosen entry controls. Covid-19 – including mainland restrictions to prevent its spread – has taken its toll on the island’s economy, with its purchasing manager’s index falling to 50 in May, the lowest level in 23 months. Output has shrunk for two consecutive months in the fastest decline since June 2020. Epidemiologists said they expected infections in Taiwan to fall gradually over the next three to four weeks. Respiratory expert Leung Chi-chiu said Taiwan should have passed its peak now, and its infection numbers should fall over the coming weeks. “However, unlike a city, the numbers may remain at peak level for a while as the virus spreads in different cities. The overall number will drop as cities which saw an outbreak later than others also see a drop in cases,” Leung said. “Whether Taiwan could open its borders depends on whether there’s a sign of local natural immunity with a rapid decline in the number of cases as the susceptible population becomes smaller. “In that case, unless there is a new variant from imported cases, new cases won’t affect the overall infection situation. However, infection numbers may decline at a slower rate after borders reopen.” Ivan Hung Fan-ngai, head of the infectious diseases division of the University of Hong Kong, said cases should halve over the next two weeks as a result of natural immunity within the population. “The most important thing right now is to protect the elderly and to prevent severe cases and deaths. Infection control and social distancing measures should be maintained until there are fewer than 1,000 cases a day,” Hung said. Taiwan’s insurers brace for Covid-related claims amid outbreak Taiwan has had more than 2 million cases and 2,663 deaths from Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic. The island’s recent surge contrasts with the fall in the number of Covid-19 cases in mainland China. Mainland health authorities reported 20 new locally transmitted cases and 54 local asymptomatic carriers on Friday. The mainland has pursued a zero-Covid policy, suppressing outbreaks through tough lockdowns and mass testing.