Taipei, May 17 (CNA) Taiwan will close its borders with effect from Wednesday to all arrivals, except citizens and legal residents, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Monday, as the number of domestic COVID-19 infections continued to climb.

The ban will remain in place for a month, from May 19 to June 18, and exceptions will only be made in cases of emergency or for humanitarian reasons, but in such circumstances, the persons will be required to apply in advance for special permission to enter the country, the CECC said.

The entry ban on all travelers except for citizens and residency holders also applies to transit travelers, the CECC said, after it reported 333 new domestic cases of COVID-19 Monday, a number that broke Taiwan daily record of local cases for the fourth consecutive day.

Taiwan is grappling with its worst domestic outbreak, with around 780 domestic cases confirmed over the past week.

To date, a total of 2,017 COVID-19 cases have been reported in the country, with 12 fatalities.