The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported one new imported case of COVID-19, bringing the total of confirmed cases in the country to 515.
The new case involved a Taiwanese man in his 40s who lives long-term with his family in Indonesia, returned to Taiwan with four family members on Tuesday and tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday, the CECC said in a statement.
The man had not shown symptoms of the virus before he boarded his flight for Taiwan, but during the flight he developed a sore throat and a mild cough, it said, adding that he had worn a face shield, a mask and protective gown during the flight.
The man reported his symptoms to quarantine personnel at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, and told them that his father had tested positive for COVID-19 in Indonesia on Friday last week.
He was immediately tested and placed in quarantine, before being sent to a hospital, the CECC said.
His four family members all tested negative and have been placed under home quarantine.
Health authorities have traced nine airline crew members and another passenger with whom he had contact, and while the passenger has also been placed in home quarantine, the crew members, who had taken appropriate protective measures for the flight, were asked to follow self-health management, the center said.
CECC data showed that 24 people, including the latest case, are being treated in hospitals for the virus.
In related news, Beijing on Wednesday announced that starting on Oct. 12, people allowed to travel between Taiwan and Beijing, Shanghai, Xiamen, and Chengdu must show a negative COVID-19 test on arrival and departure.
Passengers departing for the four Chinese cities to which Taiwan currently permits travel must present the results of a nucleic acid COVID-19 test administered no more than 72 hours before their departure, China’s Civil Aviation Administration said.
The same regulation would apply to travelers from China to Taiwan, it said.
If the 72-hour period expires due to flight delays, the issue would be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, it said.
Further details of the new regulation would be announced by China’s Taiwan Affairs Office in the coming days, it added.
Passengers from Taiwan arriving in the four cities are required to quarantine for 14 days at designated locations, except for some categories of travelers to Shanghai.
The announcement of the new regulation means that Taiwan is now included in regulations announced on July 20 requiring arriving passengers to present proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken at least five days prior to their flight, and the test had to be administered by institutions recognized by the Chinese embassy in the nation of departure.
The July announcement excluded people coming from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.
However, the updated regulation for Taiwan does not stipulate which institutions are allowed to administer the test, as is the case for travelers from other nations.
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