The first case of the COVID-19 subvariant dubbed “Delta plus” has been recorded in Taiwan, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) told a news briefing yesterday.
AY.4.2, which is a mutation of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, was discovered in April last year through gene sequencing and was believed to have triggered an increase in COVID-19 cases in the UK.
Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞), deputy head of the CECC’s medical response division, said that the imported case is a male British citizen who arrived in Taiwan from the UK on Friday last week.
Photo courtesy of the Central Epidemic Command Center
The man, who is in his 50s, checked in at a government-run quarantine center and was immediately tested upon arrival, per Taiwanese regulations pertaining to the UK’s status as a “high risk” area, Lo said.
The test results came back positive with a cycle threshold (CT) value of 19, indicating a high viral load, with the virus later determined via gene sequencing to be AY.4.2, Lo said.
The man had received two shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine before coming to Taiwan.
Displaying atypical presentation, the man is isolating at a hospital and poses no threat to the local community, he added.
The AY.4.2 variant has been detected in 42 countries, including the UK, the US, Canada and Australia, he said.
Israel and Thailand have also reported their first AY.4.2 cases, Lo said.
There is little information on the virus strain, other than it is 10 percent more transmissible than the original Delta variant, he added.
The CECC yesterday reported five imported COVID-19 cases, and no local infections or deaths.
It further eased mask requirements imposed to combat COVID-19, but with certain preconditions.
Television talk show commentators, program show hosts, lecturers at schools, and people delivering speeches at events will no longer have to wear masks if social distancing is observed or plastic dividers are available, said Deputy Minister of the Interior Chen Tsung-yen (陳宗彥), deputy head of the center.
However, temperature checks and identification requirements at the entrances of venues will remain in place, he said.
Asked whether food sampling at malls, department stores and night markets would be allowed, Lo said the CECC supports the idea, but a final decision will be made by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
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