Taiwan reports 2 imported coronavirus cases from Myanmar, Indonesia

台灣傳出兩例分別從緬甸與印尼移入的冠狀病毒病例

2 Taiwanese men become infected with coronavirus in Myanmar, Indonesia


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Tuesday (Nov. 17) announced two new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) imported from Myanmar and Indonesia.

During a press conference on Tuesday, CECC Spokesman Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) announced two new imported coronavirus cases, raising the total number of confirmed cases in Taiwan to 606. The latest cases include two Taiwanese men, one in his 30s and another in his 50s, who recently returned to Taiwan from Myanmar and Indonesia, respectively.

Chuang stated that Case No. 605 went to Myanmar for work in March of this year. Since Sept. 6, he began to experience symptoms such as fatigue, fever, and a loss of the sense of smell and taste.

He sought local medical attention and was diagnosed with COVID-19. No further tests were administered on him while he underwent isolation.

Because his symptoms subsided, he was released from isolation in late September. When he returned to Taiwan on Nov. 8, because he proactively informed quarantine staff that he had been diagnosed with the coronavirus in Myanmar and had come in contact with Case No. 501 and Case No. 505, airport quarantine personnel arranged for him to undergo testing for the virus.

He was then dispatched to a quarantine center, where he awaited the results of the test. That same day, the patient began to experience an itchy throat and a mild cough.

Since the results of the test were negative, he was transferred to an anti-epidemic hotel to undergo quarantine. However, on Nov. 13 his cough worsened and he took the initiative to report his symptoms to the health department, which arranged to have him tested again for the virus.

On Nov. 17, he was diagnosed with COVID-19 and was found to have a Ct value of 33. The health department has identified a total of four persons who came in contact with the man, including four fellow airline passengers who sat in the two rows of seats directly in front of and behind him.

Three have been told to begin home isolation, while one had not entered the country. In addition, five crew members have been asked to begin self-health monitoring, as it was believed that they wore adequate protective equipment.

Chuang pointed out that Case No. 606 went to Indonesia in September this year due to work-related reasons. Starting on Nov. 9, he began to suffer symptoms such as cough, abnormal sense of taste, difficulty breathing, fever, diarrhea, and muscle aches.

While in Indonesia, Case No. 606 did not seek medical attention and only took over-the-counter medication. When he arrived in Taiwan on Nov. 15, he presented quarantine officers with the negative results of a coronavirus test taken within three days before boarding the flight for Taiwan.

Because he proactively informed quarantine officers that he had symptoms and had come in contact with a confirmed case, he underwent a test for the disease at the airport. On Nov. 17, he was diagnosed with COVID-19 and was placed in a hospital isolation ward.

The health department has identified one passenger who sat in the two rows of seats immediately behind and in front of the patient. As the plane's 21 crew members did not exit the airport before departing the country and because they were wearing adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), they have only been asked to commence self-health management.

The CECC on Tuesday did not announce any new reports of people with suspected symptoms. Since the outbreak began, Taiwan has carried out 106,080 COVID-19 tests, with 104,528 coming back negative.

Out of the 605 officially confirmed cases, 513 were imported, 55 were local, 36 came from the Navy's "Goodwill Fleet," one is an unresolved case, and one (Case No. 530) was removed as a confirmed case. Up until now, seven individuals have succumbed to the disease, while 539 have been released from hospital isolation, leaving 59 patients still undergoing treatment in Taiwan.

Myanmar reports 70,161 COVID-19 cases and 1,599 deaths. Indonesia has recorded 470,648 coronavirus cases and 15,296 deaths.