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.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group