RECOMMENDATIONS technological infrastructure, and support from technology literate persons. 7. It is highly recommended to provide persons concerned with detailed and inclusive information. Doing so ensures that they can protect their health and understand and accept the sometimes drastic regulations better. The information should be available in accessible formats and in foreign languages. In addition, the information should be provided orally, especially if persons are illiterate, do not adequately speak the official language or might have cognitive difficulties in understanding written information. Also, relatives should be adequately informed. 8. Testing should take place wherever possible to significantly ease restrictions. It is essential that staff gets regularly tested. Additionally, testing persons entering the facility (e.g. relatives, therapist, social workers), in combination with face masks, would enable visits close to the usual setting. It should also be used to shorten the duration of quarantine to the minimum. 9. Access to therapies should also be upheld during the pandemic using adequate safety measures (e.g., tests, face masks, etc.) or by providing online alternatives. Resorting to remote therapy is only recommendable if the person concerned and therapist have already established a personal connection beforehand. 10. Facilities must uphold yard exercises and should ensure outdoor activities, such as walks or sports, wherever possible. To that end, it is recommendable to introduce a group system among persons concerned. Otherwise and/or additionally, the offer of indoor activities should be expanded (e.g. buying more books or board games), and online activities (e.g. training exercises or online courses) can be offered. 11. Due to the heightened risk of human rights violations, if additional restrictions are imposed and institutions are closed off during a pandemic, National Preventive Mechanisms should continue monitoring visits under safety provisions and consider the use of additional monitoring tools. 12. It is further recommended to focus on resources and look into good practices, lessons learned, and possible positive side-effects of the pandemic (e.g., the use of technology, easier and faster relaxation and longer leaves). 19