The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported one new imported case of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in Taiwan to 1,013.
The new case is a migrant worker from the Philippines in his 30s who arrived in Taiwan on Feb. 28 with proof of a negative COVID-19 test issued within three days of his flight, Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), who is CECC spokesman, told a news briefing.
On March 13, near the end of his mandatory 14-day quarantine at a government-run facility, the man was tested for COVID-19 and the result again came back negative, Chuang said.
After completing his quarantine, the man moved into a residence provided by his employer, he said.
On Thursday, he was taken to a hospital for a self-paid COVID-19 test before starting his new job, Chuang said.
That test came back positive yesterday, although the man was asymptomatic, he said.
Meanwhile, the CECC has identified 30 people who had contact with case No. 1,012, up from 10 who were initially identified, Chuang said.
The case — a Taiwanese man in his 20s who on Nov. 19 last year went to the US for work and returned to Taiwan via South Korea in November last year — tested positive on Tuesday in a self-paid test to travel abroad again, the CECC said on Thursday.
If test results of the contacts come back negative, it would be difficult to describe the case as a domestic infection, Chuang said.
In other developments, 1,862 people received the AstraZeneca vaccine on Thursday, bringing the total number of people who have received the jab to 7,053 since Monday, Chuang said.
Of those who have been inoculated, 14 have reported adverse reactions, all but one of which were classified as “minor,” such as a fever, muscle soreness, or swelling at the site of the injection, he said.
Additional reporting by Wu Liang-yi
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