Taiwan reports 120 imported COVID-19 cases, setting new high

ROC Central News Agency

03/19/2022 03:01 PM

Taipei, March 19 (CNA) Taiwan reported on Saturday six new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases and 120 imported ones, the highest number of cases originating overseas recorded since the pandemic began in early 2020, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).

The six domestic COVID-19 cases involved patients who are aged in their 20s to 70s, of which three are contacts of recently confirmed cases, while authorities were still investigating the sources of three other infections, CECC said.

Meanwhile, the CECC reported that the imported cases consisted of 61 men and 59 women aged from their teens to 70s.

Those individuals entered Taiwan from Feb. 23 to March 18 this year, from a total of 23 countries, including Myanmar, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the United States. Among them, 64 tested positive for the virus upon landing in Taiwan.

The figures do not include imported cases reclassified as domestic ones, nor retroactively removed cases. As of March 19, Taiwan recorded 897 domestic cases in 2022, while the total number of imported cases rose to 6,230 from 2,375 on Dec. 31.

To date, Taiwan has confirmed 21,784 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began in early 2020, including 15,500 domestically transmitted infections.

With no deaths reported on Saturday, the number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths in the country remained at 853.

(By Ko Lin)

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1. More doses of the Moderna and Pfizer-BNT vaccine have been administered in Taiwan than the government has officially received because recipients of the Moderna booster shot are given half the standard dose of the first and second jab, while medical workers can sometimes get more than the standard number of shots from a Pfizer-BNT vial. 2. Information about the booster dose and additional dose can be found at https://t.ly/4ZuW