No new COVID-19 cases in Taiwan for 12 consecutive days

ROC Central News Agency

05/19/2020 03:31 PM

Taipei, May 19 (CNA) Taiwan confirmed no new cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus for the 12th consecutive day on Tuesday, keeping the total at 440 since the pandemic began late last year, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).

It was also the 37th straight day with no domestically transmitted infections, according to CECC statistics. The last time Taiwan recorded a domestic infection was on April 12.

However, people are still reminded to stay vigilant and practice good personal hygiene, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who also heads the CECC, said at a daily press briefing.

"Before we have a vaccine, we still need to practice good hygiene to ensure our safety," Chen said, pointing out that the pandemic is still raging around the world.

Out of the over 100 vaccines against the virus that are currently being developed around the world, 10 have already entered clinical trials, CECC advisor Chang Shan-chwen (張上淳) said.

There is a possibility that there may be promising results in the near future, according to Chang.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 late last year, Taiwan has recorded 440 cases, 349 of which have been classified as imported and 55 as local infections, according to CECC statistics.

The other 36 cases are a cluster infection on a Navy vessel that returned April 9 from a Pacific goodwill mission. Those cases have not yet been classified as either local or imported.

To date, 401 COVID-19 patients in Taiwan have recovered, seven have died, with the remainder still hospitalized, the CECC said in a statement.

Globally, COVID-19 has infected 4,830,923 people in 187 countries and regions, including 1,530,477 in the United States, 290,678 in Russia, 246,406 in the United Kingdom, 241,080 in Brazil and 231,606 in Spain, with a total of 317,894 fatalities, according to CECC statistics as of Tuesday.

(By William Yen)

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