France has started to allow some family visits to care homes – although tight restrictions will remain in place for relatives, such as no physical contact.

Nursing homes have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic, with nearly half registering positive cases and more than 8,000 deaths so far.

Many older people have underlying medical conditions that make them particularly vulnerable to the disease. They have also been affected psychologically by being cut off from social and family ties.

At the Weiss nursing home in Ammerschwihr in eastern France, lockdown conditions make daily life much harder.

"We spend all our days between these four walls," says resident Henry Bohn. "We are not allowed to go out, not even to the corridor.

"They bring us breakfast, lunch and dinner here in the room. Luckily, the sun shines through the window but we miss the essential things."

Playing games with the residents is one way of entertaining them, keeping their minds active and trying to distract them from the coronavirus.

However, workers have to communicate with the residents while wearing face masks and goggles – distressing barriers for people who rely on human warmth.

Necessary isolation or crippling loneliness?

Marion, a carer for elderly people still able to live in their own home, says it is important to try to calm their worries over the pandemic.

"Some of our patients have a partner but others are alone, no one comes to their house for shopping or cleaning," she tells CGTN.

"They are extremely lonely so we try to chat and talk about things other than the virus, but it's not easy because the news about the disease is on repeat everywhere and so they do get worried."

The government is trying to come up with appropriate policies to protect elderly people and has announced a massive programme of medical screening. It is weighing up the importance on people's mental wellbeing versus looking after their physical health.

Despite the relaxation of the rules, the authorities are concerned about the number of deaths in care homes.

Care staff have to be tested as more than 25,000 cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed in France's nursing homes since the outbreak began.

Lucie, a geriatrics nurse, told CGTN that "in France, I think our elderly aren't top priorities.

"Sadly, maybe we needed something as huge as a global virus that kills people across the world to realize the failings and weaknesses in care homes and the health system," she admits.

This easing of the rules around visits from relatives will hopefully lift the mood among residents – even if the lockdown conditions continue for now.

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