Taiwan records one new imported case of COVID-19

ROC Central News Agency

10/05/2020 05:05 PM

Taipei, Oct. 5 (CNA) Taiwan recorded one new imported case of COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 518 since the outbreak of the disease at the end of last year, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said that day.

The case was that of a Taiwanese woman in her 30s who returned to Taiwan Sept. 18 after traveling to the Philippines to work in January, CECC spokesman Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said at a press conference in Taipei.

The woman tested positive for the virus on June 26 while in the Philippines.

She sought medical treatment while still in the Philippines after developing symptoms June 19-27, Chuang added.

She was believed to have recovered toward the end of July after being treated in the Philippines, Chuang said, adding that she tested negative twice on July 27 and July 30.

The patient was not showing any symptoms when she arrived in Taiwan and tested negative upon arrival at the airport, Chen said.

However, after being tested again following her mandatory 14-day quarantine period in Taiwan, she was found to be positive for COVID-19.

She was concerned about her health, so she went to a hospital for a self-paid test, which returned a weak positive result, Chuang said.

The latest finding is likely to be the same infection she originally had in the Philippines, because there have been previous examples where test results have alternated between negative and positive in some patients, Chuang said.

"However, we can say that she was most infectious around the time that she displayed symptoms, but after all this time, she is most likely not infectious," Chuang went on.

To give medical staff a better understanding of her situation, her test results for antibodies will be released Tuesday, Chang added.

She is currently quarantined in a hospital, Chuang said.

A total of two people have been traced to have had close contact with the patient, including a family member who has been asked to undergo self-isolation, Chuang said. The other is a hair stylist who has been asked to observe self-health management, which essentially means wearing a mask at all times and taking her temperature twice a day.

To date, Taiwan has recorded 518 cases of COVID-19, with 426 classified as imported. Of the total, 485 have recovered, seven have died and 26 are being treated in hospital, according to CECC data.

(By William Yen)

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