The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported one additional COVID-19 case related to the navy’s “Friendship Flotilla,” bringing the infection cluster to 30 cases.
All 30 cases served on the Panshih (磐石), one of the three vessels in the flotilla, which visited Palau from March 12 to 15. The crews of the ships disembarked in Kaohsiung on Wednesday last week.
The Ministry of National Defense on Thursday released documents showing that the flotilla had sailed through the South China Sea on its return to Taiwan.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
The center has not confirmed the source of the infection cluster, while the Palauan Ministry of Health yesterday said that there were no suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country.
The new case is a man in his 30s who served on the Panshih and tested negative for the novel coronavirus on Saturday last week, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said at the center’s daily briefing in Taipei yesterday.
The man on Wednesday began experiencing symptoms such as an abnormal sense of smell, a runny nose and nasal congestion, and tested positive on Thursday, said Chen, who heads the center.
Authorities have identified 1,843 people who had contact with the 30 cases from the ship, center data showed.
Among the 1,843 people, 530 have been placed in home isolation, including 91 who tested negative for the disease, while the remaining 1,313 are required to conduct self-health management, the data showed.
As of Tuesday, 24 Taiwanese at the nation’s embassy and technical mission in Palau, as well as 24 Palauans, including seven who boarded the Panshih, had tested negative for the disease, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
As the embassy personnel are healthy, they would not receive further tests, it said, adding that Palau has arranged for other Taiwanese in the country who had contact with the flotilla’s crew to receive tests.
As of yesterday, there were 428 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including six fatalities, in Taiwan — 343 imported cases and 55 local infections, as well as the navy’s 30 cases, which have been listed as an independent infection cluster, center data showed.
CECC advisory specialist panel convener Chang Shan-chwen (張上淳) said that clinical trials of drugs should be comprised of a series of rigorous steps and that any conclusions reached before pharmaceutical companies issue an evaluation report would be incomplete.
Chang made the remarks when asked to comment on a Financial Times report on Thursday saying that the experimental antiviral drug remdesivir — considered a potential treatment for COVID-19 — failed its first randomized clinical trial in China.
Taiwan is also participating in the drug’s ongoing multinational trials, Chang said, adding that participating nations are required to abide by confidentiality agreements.
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