The Palau-Taiwan bubble was hailed as a “ray of light” when it opened on April 1 but was closed on Wednesday until at least the middle of June as Taiwan battles a coronavirus outbreak.

Although the two flights a week attracted fewer than 300 tourists from Taiwan in their seven-week existence, Palau President Surangel Whipps maintained it was a success.

“The purpose of the bubble was, of course, to help get our economy get back,” he said.

“I believe it was a success because any tourist, more than one is a success.”

Palau, a nation of about 18,000 people that lies some 1,000km east of the Philippines, is one of the few countries never to have recorded a Covid-19 case, but its economy was hard-hit over the 12 months its borders were closed by the pandemic.

“When they (Taiwan) move up to low risk again, then we go back to a travel, sterile corridor,” Whipps said.

He added opening the border meant there was always the risk of Covid-19 cases, but Palau’s high vaccination rate – covering 93% of the adult population – provided enough protection to reopen the border safely.

“We knew that going into it. We don’t know what’s going to happen with Covid tomorrow, we know that there will be a possibility that things will be shut down,” he said.

“Our policy has always been, we open with care. When a country moves from low risk to high risk, then we go to quarantine.”