The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported four new imported cases of COVID-19, two of them arriving in Taiwan from Indonesia and one each from the Philippines and Turkey, bringing the total number in Taiwan to 548.
The four cases are a Taiwanese man and three foreign women, CECC spokesman Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) told a news briefing in Taipei.
One is an Indonesian woman in her 30s who tested negative for COVID-19 three days before she arrived in Taiwan on Wednesday last week for work, he said.
The woman showed no symptoms on arrival, but on Saturday last week reported dizziness, loss of appetite, vomiting and exhaustion while she was in quarantine, he said.
Health authorities on Tuesday arranged for her to be tested for COVID-19, with a positive result returned yesterday, he said.
The woman had no contact with others because she was in a designated quarantine center two days before she developed symptoms and was hospitalized after testing positive, Chuang said.
Another case is a Taiwanese man in his 30s who went to the Philippines to work in December last year and from Tuesday to Saturday last week experienced joint pains, a cough and loss of smell, but did not seek medical attention, Chuang said.
He flew to Taiwan on Tuesday and was tested after reporting his symptoms to health officials, Chuang said, adding that a positive result was returned yesterday.
Seven people who sat near the man on the flight to Taiwan have been contacted and asked to remain in home isolation, Chuang said.
The third case is an Indonesian woman in her 30s who entered Taiwan on Oct. 8 for work and had no symptoms on arrival, but was tested the day before her 14-day quarantine was to end, in line with regulations for arrivals from her country, Chuang said.
The other case was a Filipina in her 30s who had been working in Turkey for the past two years and arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday last week for work, he said.
She had documentation for a negative COVID-19 test conducted within three days of her flight, he said.
She had no symptoms on arrival, but while in quarantine tested positive for the virus after reporting a runny nose, exhaustion and loss of smell from Saturday last week to Tuesday, Chuang said, adding that a positive result was returned yesterday.
Taiwan has reported 548 cases of COVID-19, with 456 imported, CECC data showed.
Of the total, 497 have recovered, seven have died and 44 are in hospital, the data showed.
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