The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported one domestic and seven imported cases of COVID-19, involving people arriving from the Philippines, Indonesia, the US, South Africa and Russia.
At an impromptu press conference at 10pm, the CECC said in its testing of another 452 workers at a hospital in northern Taiwan where two domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases involving a doctor and a nurse were reported earlier this week, one tested positive.
Two cases are workers from the Philippines in their 20s who arrived in Taiwan on Dec. 24 last year and presented negative test reports taken within three days of boarding their flight to Taiwan, the CECC said.
They were tested on Wednesday last week before the end of their mandatory quarantine, and the results returned negative, the center said.
However, they were tested again on Thursday during their mandatory self-health management periods, and the results returned positive, it said.
Another COVID-19 case imported from the Philippines is a man in his 40s who arrived in Taiwan on Dec. 30 to work on a fishing boat, the center said.
He was tested on Thursday during his quarantine, and the result returned positive yesterday, it said.
A Russian man in his 50s, who arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday last week for work was tested on Wednesday, and the result returned positive yesterday, the CECC said.
The man had presented a negative test report upon arrival, but developed an abnormal sense of smell during his quarantine at a hotel, where he was given a test, the CECC said.
An Indonesian worker in his 20s who arrived in Taiwan on Dec. 27 also presented a negative test report upon arrival and was tested on Monday after his mandatory quarantine, the center said.
His result, which returned on Wednesday, was inconclusive, it said.
He was tested again on Thursday, and the result returned positive yesterday, it said.
Two Taiwanese, a woman in her 70s and a relative in her 40s, who returned from the US on Jan. 3, were tested on Tuesday last week, and the test result for the woman in her 70s returned positive and that for the woman in her 40s returned negative, the CECC said.
During her home quarantine, the 40-something woman developed an abnormal sense of smell and was tested on Wednesday, and the result returned positive yesterday, it said.
A Taiwanese in his 30s, who had been a resident of South Africa, returned to Taiwan on Dec. 16, the center said.
He developed diarrhea on Wednesday last week during his self-health management period and was tested on Thursday, and the result returned positive yesterday, the CECC said.
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