The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported four imported cases of COVID-19, bringing the nation’s total to 780.
The new cases involve people arriving from Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines and the US, who all presented a negative COVID-19 test result issued within 72 hours of boarding their flight, the center said in a statement.
The case from the Philippines is a woman in her 30s who arrived in Taiwan to work on Dec. 10 and was quarantined at a government-designated center, the center said.
Photo: CNA
The woman on Wednesday was tested prior to leaving mandatory 14-day quarantine and the result came back positive yesterday, although she has so far shown no symptoms, it said.
There was no need for contact tracing, as the woman did not encounter anyone else during quarantine, it added.
An Indonesian woman in her 40s came to Taiwan for “personal reasons” on Wednesday last week, the center said.
On the same day, she had a runny nose, but did not report it to airport health authorities because the symptoms were mild, it said.
During quarantine, she developed nasal congestion and a cough on Friday and Saturday last week, but the symptoms eased after she took medicine, it said.
On Wednesday, she was tested for COVID-19 after reporting her cough to health authorities, and her results came back positive yesterday, the CECC said, adding that 11 people who had come into contact with her have been quarantined.
A Taiwanese man in his 50s who visited Pakistan on Nov. 18, transited through Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday before arriving on Wednesday, the center said.
The man developed a cough on Monday last week, while abroad, and sought local treatment, it said, adding that he was tested after reporting to health authorities with unspecified symptoms.
The results came back positive yesterday, it said.
As no one was seated in the two rows immediately in front of and behind the man on his flight to Taiwan, and as crew on the flight are abroad, there was no need for contact tracing, it said.
The fourth case involves a Taiwanese man in his 40s who has long lived in the US for work, but returned to Taiwan with his family on Sunday, the center said.
During quarantine, the man had fatigue, a runny nose, fever and sore throat and was tested on Wednesday, with the result coming back positive yesterday, it said.
Of the 15 people who had contact with the man on the flight, three have been quarantined and 12 have been instructed to follow self-health management protocols, meaning they must wear a mask at all times in public and have their temperature taken twice per day, the center said.
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