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Eight new imported COVID-19 cases recorded in Taiwan

ROC Central News Agency

11/13/2020 04:47 PM

Taipei, Nov. 13 (CNA) Taiwan recorded eight new imported cases of COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the total number in the country to 597 since the outbreak began at the end of last year, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said.

Five of the cases, two male fishing boat crew members and three migrant workers, were from the Philippines and Indonesia, aged in their 20s and 30s, said CECC spokesman Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) at a press briefing on Friday.

The four Filipinos and one Indonesian arrived in Taiwan between Oct. 28 and Oct. 29, did not show any symptoms and underwent mandatory quarantine. They were tested on Nov. 11 and Nov. 12 just prior to finishing their quarantine, with the results coming back positive Friday, Chuang said.

No contact tracing will be conducted because the patients were in isolation for 14 days during the quarantine period, he added.

Meanwhile, a Taiwanese woman in her 50s, who returned to Taiwan Oct. 29 after going to the Philippines in July to visit family, developed a runny nose on Nov. 3 during quarantine, but did not seek medical attention because her symptoms subsided the same day, Chuang said.

She was tested on Nov. 11 just prior to finishing her quarantine and the results came back positive Friday, Chuang said, adding that no contact tracing will be conducted because the woman was in quarantine two days prior to developing symptoms.

Another case involved a Taiwanese man in his 20s, who returned to Taiwan Nov. 10, after studying in Poland since mid-August. He developed symptoms in Poland on Nov. 5, which he treated himself with medicine without seeking medical attention. The patient was tested at the airport after notifying health officials of his symptoms and the results came back positive Friday, Chuang said.

A total of 24 people, 23 people who sat near him on the flight to Taiwan and a classmate who traveled with him, have been asked to self-isolate.

The remaining case was that of a Taiwanese man in his 30s, who returned to Taiwan on Nov. 11 after working in Indonesia since September. He was tested at the airport after complaining of a sore throat and the test came back positive Friday, Chuang said, adding that two colleagues who traveled with him have been asked to self-isolate.

"Today we have confirmed eight cases, which is the most number of confirmed infections in a single day since April 19," Chuang noted.

To date, Taiwan has recorded 597 cases of COVID-19, with 505 classified as imported. Of the total, 533 have recovered, seven have died, and 57 are in hospital, according to CECC data.

Taiwan has been praised by the international community for its swift and successful coronavirus prevention efforts and the country has not had a confirmed domestic infection since April 12.

(By William Yen)

Enditem/AW