Taiwan reports 3 new imported COVID-19 cases
ROC Central News Agency
11/01/2020 05:01 PM
Taipei, Nov. 1 (CNA) Taiwan confirmed three new imported cases of COVID-19 Sunday, two of them from Indonesia and one from the United States, bringing the total number in the country to 558, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
The three new patients are two Indonesians and a Taiwanese man, CECC spokesman Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said at a press briefing.
One of the new patients, an Indonesian woman under the age of 20, entered Taiwan Oct. 29 to study. The woman developed a loss of her sense of smell Oct. 7 but did not seek medical attention in Indonesia. She notified airport health officials of her symptoms on arrival in Taiwan and was tested, with the results coming back positive on Sunday, Chuang said.
Forty-four people who sat near the woman on the flight have been instructed to self-isolate, while 21 cabin crew members were required to practice self-health management, which means wearing a mask at all times and taking their temperature twice a day.
One of the other cases was an Indonesian man in his 30s who arrived in Taiwan Oct. 14 for work, carrying proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken Oct. 10. Upon arrival, he took a taxi with two other migrant workers to a quarantine hotel, where he began experiencing a runny nose. His condition improved after he took some over-the-counter medicine, according to Chuang.
The Indonesian man and the two other migrant workers were tested Oct. 29 at the end of their 14-day quarantine, in line with the regulations for arrivals from that country. His test results came back positive Sunday, while the results of the two others returned negative, although they both developed a cough and a sore throat. The positive patient is being treated in an isolation room at a local hospital.
The CECC has advised five people who have had close contact with the man, including the two migrant workers, an employee at a migrant worker brokerage firm and an employee at the quarantine hotel at which the man stayed, to follow self-health management protocols, Chuang said.
The third case is a Taiwanese man in his 50s who lives in the U.S. and developed a fever, muscle and joint aches and a cough Oct. 26 but did not seek medical treatment there. Upon returning to Taiwan Oct. 30, he reported his symptoms to airport staff and was tested that day before being sent to a designated quarantine center. His results came back positive Sunday, according to Chuang.
Eleven people who sat near the man on the flight have been instructed to self-isolate, while 11 cabin crew members are required to practice self-health management, according to the CECC.
To date, Taiwan has recorded 558 cases of COVID-19, with 466 classified as imported. Of the total, 518 have recovered, seven have died and 33 are in hospital, according to CECC data.
Globally, COVID-19 has infected over 46.06 million people in 189 countries and regions, with 1.19 million fatalities, according to CECC statistics as of Sunday.
(By Chen Wei-ting and Evelyn Kao)
Enditem/J
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
