Taiwan confirms two new imported COVID-19 cases

ROC Central News Agency

12/15/2020 04:34 PM

Taipei, Dec. 15 (CNA) Taiwan recorded two new imported cases of COVID-19 -- two migrant workers from the Philippines and Indonesia, respectively -- on Tuesday, bringing the total number of local cases to 742 since the pandemic began, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).

The two individuals, both in their 30s, arrived in Taiwan on Nov. 30 with proof of a negative COVID-19 test result issued within three days of their flights, the CECC said in a statement, adding that the two have been asymptomatic so far.

The two were put under mandatory 14-day quarantine in a designated center since arrival, as part of the CECC's effort to curb the spread of the virus, and were tested on Dec. 13 -- the last day of their quarantine period -- and the results came back positive Tuesday, according to the center.

The Indonesian national tested negative on Dec. 4, under a CECC initiative to test all incoming Indonesian migrant workers, following a recent spike in the number of imported cases from the Southeast Asian country, the CECC added.

Because the two stayed in their individual rooms by themselves throughout their quarantine period, there is no need for contact tracing in the two cases, according to the CECC.

To date, Taiwan has recorded 742 cases of COVID-19, 650 of which have been classified as imported. Of the total, 611 have recovered, 124 are in hospitals and seven have died, CECC data shows.

As the pandemic continues, COVID-19 has infected over 72 million people in 191 countries and regions around the world, with more than 1.62 million fatalities, according to CECC statistics as of Tuesday.

(By Chung Yu-chen)

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