The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday announced 16 new cases of COVID-19, two of which were caused by domestic transmission whose sources are being investigated.
The new cases raised the number of confirmed cases in Taiwan to 283.
Neither people who contracted the virus locally had traveled abroad recently, said Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center.
Photo: Central Epidemic Command Center via CNA
The nation’s 268th case is a man in his 50s who developed a fever and respiratory symptoms from Feb. 28 to Wednesday last week, was hospitalized for a fever and pneumonia on Friday last week and discharged on Monday, Chen said.
However, he again sought medical treatment on Wednesday and was reported for testing, he said.
“The local health department has so far listed 102 people, including family members, coworkers and healthcare professionals, who had close contact with the man, and is carrying out an investigation to clarify the possible source of infection,” Chen said.
“As there was a long time between the onset of symptoms and confirmed diagnosis, the case might be more complicated,” he said.
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said that the other domestic case, the 269th, is a man in his 20s who on Monday developed symptoms including diarrhea and sought treatment at a clinic, where he was diagnosed with stomach flu.
On Tuesday, he sought treatment at a hospital for symptoms including a fever and was prescribed antiviral influenza drugs. He was reported for testing when he sought treatment again at the same hospital the next day, Chuang said.
Contact investigations are being carried out for the two patients, who are both residents of northern Taiwan, he said.
Chen said the criteria for reporting suspected cases in the initial stage include overseas travel history, but as there have been a few sporadic locally acquired cases, the criteria have been expanded, and the center encourages physicians to report any suspected cases with an unknown source of infection for COVID-19 testing.
The other cases who were confirmed yesterday are nine males and five females aged between 10 and 70 who returned to Taiwan between March 6 and Friday, and include two clusters of cases among Taiwanese studying in the UK and Spain, Chen said.
The imported cases had been to the US, Canada, the UK, Spain, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Australia and the Philippines mainly to work or study, he added.
Asked about the potential of aerosol transmission of COVID-19, CECC advisory specialist panel convener Chang Shan-chwen (張上淳) said that aerosols are a suspension of tiny particles finer than droplets that can remain airborne for longer periods, so the risk of contracting the virus by staying in the same place as an infected person is higher than droplet transmission.
The CECC’s guidelines for medical professionals who treat infected people include avoiding aerosol-generating procedures to prevent the possibility of transmission, he added.
While 14 percent of COVID-19 patients in China reportedly tested positive after recovery, the CECC allows a patient to be discharged only after testing negative in three consecutive examinations, adding that none of the 30 patients who have been discharged in Taiwan have tested positive again.
Meanwhile, as some flight crew members have tested positive for COVID-19, the center now requires all flight crew members to wear protective clothing, goggles, gloves and a mask during flights, and use separate restrooms from passengers, CDC physician Su Chia-ping (蘇家彬) said.
The disease prevention gear would be provided to airlines by next month, he said, adding that the center is also drafting guidelines for flight passengers.
NO HUMAN ERROR: After the incident, the Coast Guard Administration said it would obtain uncrewed aerial vehicles and vessels to boost its detection capacity Authorities would improve border control to prevent unlawful entry into Taiwan’s waters and safeguard national security, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday after a Chinese man reached the nation’s coast on an inflatable boat, saying he “defected to freedom.” The man was found on a rubber boat when he was about to set foot on Taiwan at the estuary of Houkeng River (後坑溪) near Taiping Borough (太平) in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), authorities said. The Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) northern branch said it received a report at 6:30am yesterday morning from the New Taipei City Fire Department about a
IN BEIJING’S FAVOR: A China Coast Guard spokesperson said that the Chinese maritime police would continue to carry out law enforcement activities in waters it claims The Philippines withdrew its coast guard vessel from a South China Sea shoal that has recently been at the center of tensions with Beijing. BRP Teresa Magbanua “was compelled to return to port” from Sabina Shoal (Xianbin Shoal, 仙濱暗沙) due to bad weather, depleted supplies and the need to evacuate personnel requiring medical care, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Jay Tarriela said yesterday in a post on X. The Philippine vessel “will be in tiptop shape to resume her mission” after it has been resupplied and repaired, Philippine Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who heads the nation’s maritime council, said
REGIONAL STABILITY: Taipei thanked the Biden administration for authorizing its 16th sale of military goods and services to uphold Taiwan’s defense and safety The US Department of State has approved the sale of US$228 million of military goods and services to Taiwan, the US Department of Defense said on Monday. The state department “made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale” to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US for “return, repair and reshipment of spare parts and related equipment,” the defense department’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a news release. Taiwan had requested the purchase of items and services which include the “return, repair and reshipment of classified and unclassified spare parts for aircraft and related equipment; US Government
More than 500 people on Saturday marched in New York in support of Taiwan’s entry to the UN, significantly more people than previous years. The march, coinciding with the ongoing 79th session of the UN General Assembly, comes close on the heels of growing international discourse regarding the meaning of UN Resolution 2758. Resolution 2758, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971, recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the “only lawful representative of China.” It resulted in the Republic of China (ROC) losing its seat at the UN to the PRC. Taiwan has since been excluded from
RSS