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Taiwan records four new imported case of COVID-19

ROC Central News Agency

11/06/2020 04:23 PM

Taipei, Nov. 6 (CNA) Taiwan confirmed four new imported cases of COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the total number in the country to 573 since the outbreak began at the end of last year, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said.

Three of the patients were Indonesian women, between the ages of 20 and 50, who arrived in Taiwan on the same flight Oct. 22 for work purposes, CECC spokesman Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said at a press briefing in Taipei.

The women, who had no symptoms, were tested Wednesday, before the end of their mandatory 14-day quarantine, and the results coming back positive Friday, Chuang said.

The three women have now been hospitalized, he said, adding that no contact tracing will be conducted because the women had been in isolation for 14 days during the quarantine period.

On the question of whether Taiwan planned to tighten its COVID-19 protocols for arrivals from Indonesia, Chuang said the CECC would discuss the matter.

"Around 80 percent of arrivals from Indonesia are migrant caregivers and domestic helpers, and they need to undergo centralized quarantine," Chuang said.

"They are also being tested right before their quarantine ends. Furthermore, we have found that around 77 percent of Indonesian migrant workers have to produce a negative COVID-19 test result prior to their departure for Taiwan, because their employers require it," he said.

The fourth COVID-19 case reported Friday was that of a Taiwanese woman in her 20s, who had been working in Mexico since February and returned to Taiwan on Wednesday, Chuang said.

The woman had contact with a confirmed COVID-19 patient while in Mexico and developed symptoms on Oct. 30, Chuang said.

Upon arrival in Taiwan, she notified health officials of her symptoms and was tested at the airport, Chuang said, adding that the patient also reported a loss of taste and smell while she was in quarantine awaiting her results.

Her results came back positive Friday, and she is now in hospital, while 16 people who sat near her on the flight to Taiwan have been asked to self-isolate, he said.

Another 15 cabin crew members have been asked to conduct self-health management and to report any symptoms to health authorities, Chuang said.

To date, Taiwan has recorded 573 cases of COVID-19, with 481 classified as imported. Of the total, 523 have recovered, seven have died, and 43 are in hospital, according to CECC data.

(By William Yen)

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