Taiwan Navy confirms multiple COVID-19 cases on warship
ROC Central News Agency
05/16/2022 07:08 PM
Taipei, May 16 (CNA) Taiwan's Navy said Monday it had ordered one of its warships to return to base and everyone on board to get tested for COVID-19, as several crew members had obtained positive rapid antigen test results.
The Navy, however, did not say how many people were on the Knox-class frigate, nor did it specify the number that had tested positive for COVID-19, saying only that everyone on board the "Fong Yang" had been asked to do rapid tests.
Those who tested positive have been asked to take PCR tests, the Navy Command said in press release.
The frigate, which has a maximum capacity of 250 crew members, had been asked to return to base, the Navy Command said, adding that its warship deployment had been adjusted to ensure that the absence of one vessel would not affect the Navy's overall combat readiness.
The Navy's press release was issued after the Chinese-language United Daily News reported that the warship had docked at a naval base in Kaohsiung early Monday and everyone had disembarked for further COVID-19 screenings.
At a press briefing Monday afternoon, Pan Chao-ying (潘炤穎), a senior technical specialist at the Kaohsiung City Department of Health, said that since the "Fong Yang" had docked, 97 crew members had received COVID-19 PCR tests at a military hospital.
Those who test positive will be quarantined, Pan said, citing information received from the Zuoying Branch of the Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, where the PCR tests were done.
Earlier this month, Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) said 1,000-plus military personnel in Taiwan had tested positive for COVID-19 and fewer than 100 of them had been hospitalized.
Most of those who were infected had either mild or no symptoms and were in home quarantine, Chiu said at the time.
There are some 180,000 troops in Taiwan's Armed Forces.
(By Joseph Yeh)
Enditem/pc
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