The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported seven imported COVID-19 cases, but no locally transmitted infections or deaths.
The cases were Taiwanese, Burmese and Indonesian nationals, who arrived from Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore between Sept. 27 and Friday, the CECC said in a news release.
It did not hold its daily news conference due to Double Ten National Day celebrations.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
Meanwhile, there have been discussions about whether contact tracing should be conducted for cases with low viral loads and high levels of antibodies, which indicate that the infected person did not contract the disease recently.
Experts say that these cases are unlikely to be contagious.
The discussions emerged after the center on Saturday reported the first local COVID-19 case this month — a one-year-old girl who had COVID-19 antibodies and a cycle threshold value of 38, indicating that the child was not infected recently.
However, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital deputy superintendent Chiu Cheng-hsun (邱政洵) said that contract tracing should be conducted for such cases.
While there have been fewer domestic cases, regular testing is important to closely monitor the COVID-19 situation in communities, especially as the center gradually eases disease prevention rules, said Chiu, who also works as a physician in the hospital’s pediatric infection division.
The hospital tests about 600 to 700 people for COVID-19 every day, and occasionally as many as 1,000 people, Chiu said, adding that cases such as the infant’s are sometimes detected.
Contact tracing would also help confirm that the cases have not recently had contact with an infected person, he added.
Cases with low viral loads and high antibody levels pose a very low risk of spreading the virus, but people with compromised immune systems might still be at risk if they are in close contact with such a case, Chiu said.
Separately, Kaohsiung Municipal United Hospital on Saturday said that its deputy superintendent had been reprimanded after COVID-19 vaccines were given to 42 ineligible people who work for Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC).
The superintendent has also asked the hospital to punish his deputy for failing to fulfill his supervisory responsibilities, it said, adding that the request would have to be approved by the Kaohsiung Department of Health.
Local media reported that the 42 THSRC employees on Sept. 22 asked to get inoculated with Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, claiming that they were in priority group 3 — frontline workers with a high contact risk — even though they were in group 7.
After hospital staff initially refused to vaccinate them, there was a dispute.
To end the standoff, the deputy superintendent reportedly ordered staff to vaccinate the 42.
THSRC on Oct. 1 said in a statement that employees who make false statements to get vaccinated would be punished.
Additional reporting by CNA
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as