Environmental staffs wearing face masks spread disinfectant at train station during an event to clean public zones in Taoyuan on April 1, 2020. (SAM YEH/AFP)

TAIPEI - The total number of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in Taiwan has increased by seven to 329, the island's epidemic monitoring agency said Wednesday.

READ MORE: Mainland steps up services for Taiwan people amid outbreak

All the new patients, three men and four women, were believed to have contracted the virus during their trips to Britain and the United States, the agency said in a press release.

The island's railways, high-speed railways, airports and service areas of major highways started to take the temperature of passengers and ask them to wear face masks on Wednesday

Among the island's confirmed COVID-19 cases, 283 were imported. A total of 45 confirmed patients have recovered, and five died.

Ahead of the four-day tomb-sweeping holiday that will start Thursday and lead to an increasing flow of travelers, the island's authorities have stepped up disease control measures.

The island's railways, high-speed railways, airports, service areas of major highways and post offices started to take the temperature of passengers and ask them to wear face masks on Wednesday.

The disease control agency urged the public to maintain a distance of 1.5 meters between each other indoors and 1 meter outdoors.

ALSO READ: Over 200 to return to Taiwan from epidemic-hit Wuhan

It also warned that people who are quarantined at home would face a fine between 200,000 to 1 million New Taiwan dollars (about US$6,600 to US$33,000) for breaking the rules.

According to the agency, 318 people have been fined a total of 27 million New Taiwan dollars.