Fourteen new domestic cases of COVID-19 reported yesterday are all linked to previously reported infection clusters, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said.
The new cases were “relatively simple,” as all but one tested positive during quarantine, said Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), who is the CECC’s spokesman.
The 14 local cases are seven Taoyuan residents, four Kaohsiung residents and three New Taipei City residents, Chuang said.
Photo: CNA
The Taoyuan cases are workers at Askey Computer Corp in Taoyuan’s Farglory Free Trade Zone (遠雄自由貿易港區) who tested positive upon ending isolation, he said.
The New Taipei City cases tested positive during quarantine, with one case linked to the Yilan County hotel cluster, one to the Re-Yi Distribution Service Co cluster in Taoyuan and the third to a cluster involving a realtor in Taipei, he added.
Three of the four Kaohsiung cases are linked to the harbor cluster and tested positive during isolation, while the fourth is a man who works at the harbor and failed to receive regular COVID-19 tests as instructed, he said.
The man tested negative in a rapid COVID-19 test on Monday last week, but had a runny nose on Friday, and his positive result in a rapid test on Saturday was later confirmed with a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, Chuang said, adding that the infection source remains unclear.
Separately yesterday, Kaohsiung Department of Health specialist Pan Chao-ying (潘炤穎) said that the man is a barge pilot identified late last month as having a high risk of infection, so he was supposed to receive two PCR tests three days apart, as well as extra rapid tests.
However, the man failed to receive PCR tests after Jan. 23, despite having been reminded on more than five occasions, he said, adding that the department would fine him NT$60,000 to NT$300,000 for contravening the rules.
Pan said that the man boarded 40 ships as they entered or exited the harbor between Jan. 23 and Tuesday, so the department would request the Maritime Port Bureau to help trace his contacts on the ships, although 174 close contacts had so far been identified for testing.
Yesterday’s 29 imported cases are 12 travelers who tested positive upon arrival and 17 who tested positive during quarantine, CECC data showed.
Additional reporting by CNA
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