Taipei, May 25 (CNA) The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Monday loosened restrictions on visits to psychiatric wards as Taiwan has gone 43 straight days without any confirmed domestically transmitted COVID-19 infections.

During a daily press briefing, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung, who also heads the CECC, said people who want to visit relatives in psychiatric wards may now do so, as long as they make an appointment.

Visitors will also need to provide their real names, contact details and travel histories, and have their temperatures checked and hands sanitized when they enter a psychiatric ward, the CECC said in a statement.

Each patient can only have one group of visitors per day, with a maximum of two visitors per group, the CECC said, and patients and visitors will need to wear face masks at all times.

During the visit, all of those involved will also need to follow social distancing protocols and stay 1.5 meters apart indoors and 1 meter apart outdoors, the CECC said.

The CECC decided to loosen restrictions because no domestically transmitted cases of COVID-19 have been reported since April 12.

The easing of restrictions on visiting psychiatric wards comes after restrictions to visit nursing homes were loosened on May 1.

Nursing homes and hospital wards in Taiwan have placed restrictions on visitors in recent months to prevent the spread of COVID-19, as nursing homes overseas have become hotbeds of the virus.

The elderly and those with underlying health concerns have been identified by health experts and doctors as among the most vulnerable to the disease because of the heightened risk of complications if infected with COVID-19.

To date, Taiwan has recorded 441 cases of the disease, with seven deaths, according to CECC statistics.