Taipei, May 29 (CNA) Both the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) and Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. announced Friday that they will lift the ban on eating on board starting June 1, as the COVID-19 threat eases.

Passengers can take off their masks briefly to eat as long as social distancing is observed, but they are still required to wear masks at all other times on the trains, the operators said.

Though people can eat on board, the TRA said its policy of not selling food and beverages in their train cars would continue.

Restrictions on the number of people who gather in one place and rules on social distancing in public transportation and other venues may be lifted on June 7, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said earlier this week.

The June 7 target was set because if there are no new domestically transmitted infections by then, it would mean 56 straight days, or four times the disease's 14-day incubation period, without such an infection, which would justify lifting the restrictions, the CECC said.