The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported three imported cases of COVID-19, all migrant fishery workers, bringing the nation’s total to 783.
Two Filipino fishers, who arrived with 28 other migrant workers on Dec. 9, had presented negative COVID-19 test results issued within 72 hours of boarding their flights, the center said.
Although neither had symptoms of the disease during their mandatory 14-day quarantine, they were tested again on Thursday, and the results came back positive, the center said.
Photo: CNA
The workers who arrived with the two cases have all been placed in seven-day self-management, it said.
After the end of self-management, they would be tested again, it said, adding that they would only be allowed to work if their results come back negative.
The third case involves a fisher from Indonesia who arrived on Dec. 10, with a negative test result issued three days before he boarded his flight, the CECC said.
The Indonesian worker had no symptoms during his quarantine, but on Friday — the day before his quarantine was to end — he underwent another test, which came back yesterday indicating he was infected, it said.
The CECC has traced 24 people who had come into contact with the man, and as they had been well-protected while traveling with him, they have been placed in self-health management, it said.
Meanwhile, the contacts traced to an EVA Airways pilot, who was confirmed positive on Sunday last week as an imported case, tested negative for COVID-19, said Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center.
The negative results of the contacts of the New Zealander, who is suspected of spreading the virus to two pilots who were also categorized as imported cases, and to a Taiwanese woman categorized as a local case, were good news, Chen said.
The woman, who had close contact with the pilot, tested positive on Tuesday, breaking the nation’s 253-day streak of no local COVID-19 infections, and raising concerns about the disease’s potential spread, which caused a drop in the local equity market.
The CECC on Tuesday fined the pilot NT$300,000 and EVA Airways fired him the next day.
Regarding potential further legal action against the New Zealander, Chen said that the center would study the matter and proceed in line with the regulations.
As of yesterday, 688 of the nation’s cases have been classified as imported, CECC data showed.
Of those cases, 647 have recovered, 129 are hospitalized and seven have died, it showed.
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