The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported two new imported cases of COVID-19, a woman and a man returning from months-long work in the Philippines, bringing the nation’s total number of confirmed cases to 454.
Taiwan has reported a total of 13 imported cases from the Philippines, including the two yesterday and one on Thursday, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) told a news briefing in Taipei.
Case No. 453 is a woman in her 20s who had been working in the Philippines since December last year before returning to Taiwan on Wednesday.
Photo: CNA
The woman reported symptoms such as fatigue, a sore throat with phlegm and nasal congestion upon her arrival at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, said Chuang, who is also the spokesman for the CECC.
Health authorities have identified two people who have had contact with the woman, including her roommate in the Philippines, who was to return later yesterday and would be required to isolate at home, he said.
The other one — a flight passenger seated near her — has also been told to practice home isolation, he said.
Case No. 454, a man in his 40s who also returned to Taiwan on Wednesday after working in the Philippines since January, said that for the past few days he had a fever, an abnormal sense of smell and cold symptoms, according to Chuang.
Authorities have identified 24 people who have had contact with the man, including 12 passengers on the same flight who have been notified to practice home isolation and 12 flight attendants who only need self-health management, he said.
As of yesterday, Taiwan had 363 imported cases of COVID-19, 55 local infections and 36 from the navy supply ship Panshih, and seven fatalities, CECC data showed.
In related news, the Bangkok Post on Thursday reported that 21 of the 506 people who arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Wednesday — including six from Taiwan via EVA Airways Flight BR201 — were found to have high temperatures.
The CECC yesterday said that the Thai government later confirmed that their tests for COVID-19 were negative.
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