Taiwan confirms 15 new cases of COVID-19, bringing total to 267

ROC Central News Agency

03/27/2020 04:18 PM

Taipei, March 27 (CNA) Fifteen new cases of the coronavirus disease COVID-19 were confirmed in Taiwan on Friday, bringing the total to 267 since the outbreak began, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said.

The new patients -- nine males and six females -- ranging in age from a teenager to two in their 60s -- are all Taiwan nationals, said Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who also heads the CECC.

The 15 new cases had all been visiting, sightseeing, working or studying overseas and returned to Taiwan from March 15-25, Chen said.

The countries and regions they visited or stayed in were the United States, the United Kingdom, Central and South America, Australia, and the Philippines, according to the CECC.

Three cases that resemble cluster infections include the 254th case who was in the U.S. from Aug. 25, 2019 to March 24 and visited a fellow compatriot there from March 5-19, who later became Taiwan's 218th case, the CECC said.

The 218th case is a 20-something female student who was confirmed as infected on March 25 after returning from the U.S.

Her friend, the 254th case, a male student in his 20s, developed symptoms on March 20 and was tested after he returned to Taiwan on March 24, the CECC said.

The 257th and 258th cases, male and female students in their 20s who developed symptoms on March 10 and March 23, respectively, studied in the same department at an educational institution in the U.K.

The 257th case was tested after he entered Taiwan on March 24, while the 258th case was tested on March 23 after she showed symptoms during home quarantine, which began March 22, the CECC said.

Other cases include a married couple, case numbers 264 and 267, both in their 50s, who travelled to the U.K. for work and developed symptoms on March 20 and March 23, respectively. They were tested after returning to Taiwan on March 25.

As of Friday, 227 of Taiwan's 267 cases had been classified as imported, while the other 40 are believed to be local infections, the CECC said.

Thirty of Taiwan's COVID-19 patients have been released from quarantine, while two have died. The others are still in hospital quarantine but are all relatively stable, the CECC said.

Globally, COVID-19 has infected 517,139 patients in 177 countries and regions, including 83,836 in the U.S., 81,340 in China, 80,539 in Italy, 56,188 in Spain, and 36,508 in Germany, with 23,426 fatalities to date, according to the CECC.

(By William Yen)

Enditem/AW