A cluster of COVID-19 infections involving a preschool and a housing complex in New Taipei City has grown to 27 cases, after the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported four locally transmitted infections and two imported cases.
Two local cases each were recorded in Taipei and New Taipei City, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, told a daily briefing in Taipei.
The Taipei cases were an employee of a remodeling firm who was working at the New Taipei City housing complex and his wife, Chen said.
Photo: Wong Yu-huang, Taipei Times
The cases are likely linked to the cluster, he said, adding that the center is working on clarifying the sources of infection.
The other two local cases were people living in the same household in New Taipei City, Chen said, adding that a connection with the cluster is unlikely.
Three of the domestic cases were asymptomatic, while the fourth infected person has had symptoms since Sunday, CECC data showed.
The imported cases were two Egyptian men in their 30s or 40s, the data showed.
The men arrived together from Egypt on Aug. 4, along with another previously confirmed case — the father of an infected student linked to the preschool cluster, Chen said.
The two tested negative for COVID-19 upon arrival and during quarantine, the CECC said, adding that the results of tests taken on Tuesday, after they were identified as contacts of the father, also came back negative.
However, they were tested again yesterday, and the results came back positive, the center said, adding that contact tracing is underway.
The COVID-19 situation does not meet the center’s criteria for raising the nation’s pandemic alert from level 2 to level 3, Chen said.
Asked whether the center is considering imposing passenger capacity limits on trains during the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, Chen said that no changes would be made as along as the COVID-19 situation remains unchanged.
The center also reported one death from COVID-19, a man in his 70s who had a chronic health condition and had not had contact with other confirmed cases.
He had repeatedly sought medical attention between Friday last week and Monday for reasons unrelated to COVID-19, and tested negative in a rapid screening test on Saturday, the CECC said.
He was admitted to a hospital on Tuesday, as he reported feeling uncomfortable, but had no symptoms typically related to COVID-19, the center said.
He died later in the day and tested positive postmortem, it said.
As of yesterday, the center had reported 16,062 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 1,447 imported and 14,561 domestic infections, as well as 838 deaths.
Additional reporting by CNA
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