The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported three new imported cases of COVID-19 — Taiwanese who had returned from Myanmar, the UK and the Philippines — bringing the nation’s total number of confirmed cases to 503.
All three people had been abroad for work, said Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), who is the center’s spokesman.
Case No. 501 is a woman in her 40s who had not shown any symptoms when she arrived from Myanmar on Sunday, Chuang said.
Photo: CNA
She said that she had dined with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in Myanmar on Aug. 30 and on Sunday last week, and was therefore tested at the airport before being sent to a centralized quarantine facility, he said.
The center has identified 23 people on the same flight who had contact with the woman, including a friend who traveled with her, and 17 passengers who were seated in the two rows in front and behind her, he said, adding that they are in home isolation.
The remaining people were crew members on the flight who are practicing self-health management, he said.
Case No. 502 is a woman in her 20s who arrived from the UK on Sunday last week with no symptoms, he said.
She was staying at a quarantine hotel, when on Thursday last week she reported a mild case of sore throat, and on Tuesday, she developed diarrhea, stomachaches, and nasal congestion, after which health authorities arranged for her to receive medical attention and testing, he said.
Case No. 503, a man in his 30s, was in the Philippines when on Thursday last week he started showing symptoms, including nasal congestion, dry and itchy throat, coughing, a reduced sense of smell, and tightness in the chest, Chuang said.
The man took medicine, but did not seek medical treatment before returning to Taiwan on Sunday on the same flight as Case No. 500, and reported his symptoms upon entry, Chuang said.
The center on Wednesday reported Case No. 500, a Filipino woman in her 30s.
Case No. 503 was sent to a centralized quarantine facility after being tested, Chuang said, adding that his initial test result was negative, but as his symptoms persisted, he was tested again on Wednesday.
Among the nation’s confirmed cases, seven have died and 18 remain hospitalized as of yesterday, center data showed.
Regarding the six people who tested positive for COVID-19 in the Philippines after leaving Taiwan, the center has revised the number of people who had come into close contact with them from 113 to 162, Chuang said.
Asked whether these six cases meant that the risk of infection in Taiwan might increase, Chuang said that when the center receives reports from abroad of such cases, “we investigate them as local cases.”
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