Fourteen imported cases of COVID-19, including a pilot of a Taiwan-based airline, were reported by the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday, as the center’s head, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), said that Taiwan would not follow the US’ policy of shortening isolation and quarantine periods at this time.
The 14 imported cases are 10 people who traveled from the US, and one each from Hong Kong, Germany, Thailand and Vietnam, Chen said.
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞), deputy head of the CECC’s medical response division, said that one of the cases — a Taiwanese man in his 30s who returned from the US — is a Taiwan-based commercial airline pilot.
Photo: CNA
The pilot flew to and from Chicago between Dec. 10 and Dec. 13, and to and from New York between Dec. 17 and Wednesday last week, Lo said.
The pilot stayed in a quarantine hotel between the two flight periods, and he was in a mandatory five-day quarantine at a hotel since Wednesday last week, which was to be followed by nine days of enhanced self-health management, Lo said.
He tested positive upon ending quarantine on Monday, Lo said.
The pilot received a second dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in late July, so he was not yet eligible for a booster shot, Lo said.
So far 99.7 percent of Taiwan-based airline pilots and 99.8 percent of flight attendants have been fully vaccinated, he said.
As the recommended interval between the second shot and a booster shot is at least five months, the current booster vaccination rate is 18.5 percent among pilots and 24.5 percent among flight attendants, he said.
Among previous cases, two more people have been identified as having been infected with the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 — both of whom arrived from the US and were fully vaccinated, he said.
Fifty cases of Omicron have been identified, all within six days after arriving in Taiwan, including 42 people who tested positive for COVID-19 in the first test upon arrival, Lo said, adding that 47 were vaccine breakthrough infections, while three had received one vaccine dose.
He said 21 cases were asymptomatic and 29 had mild symptoms.
Asked about former minister of health and welfare Yaung Chih-liang (楊志良) yesterday filing a petition at the Control Yuan that says people’s constitutional rights would be harmed by the CECC’s policy to ask those in 24 types of work to be fully vaccinated by Saturday, Chen said that the CECC performs its administrative duties according to the law.
Citing the Constitution’s Article 23, which states that freedoms and rights shall not be restricted by law except by such as may be necessary to avert an imminent crisis, to maintain social order or to advance public welfare, Chen said that the policy is necessary for the good of public health and the CECC “is not forcing them, but asking them” to get vaccinated.
“The current global COVID-19 situation is very serious, so do not assume it has nothing to do with us just because Taiwan has not reported local infections recently,” he said. “We have to be careful at all times, as the pandemic can change rapidly, and it would be too late to start practicing preventive measures if a local outbreak occurs.”
Asked if Taiwan might follow the US’ policy of shortening isolation and quarantine time to five days, Chen said that Taiwan would not at this time.
However, Omicron might have a shorter incubation period, he said.
The quarantine option of “7+7 (+7)” for the Lunar New Year holiday is the most tolerant of its restrictions for inbound travelers — allowing flexibility in quarantine locations, but a 14-day quarantine remains in place for all, he said.
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