Novotel contractor among Taiwan's 2 new local COVID cases

台灣諾富特外包商新增2起冠狀病毒本土病例

Taiwan reports 2 local, 6 imported COVID cases


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Monday (May 3) announced two local COVID-19 cases and six imported cases.

During a press conference on Monday, Health and Welfare Minister and CECC head Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) announced that of the two new local coronavirus cases, one came from the Novotel hotel cluster infection, while the other is tied to the China Airlines pilot cluster. Meanwhile, the imported cases included two Dutch sailors, three Indonesian fishery workers, and a Taiwanese citizen who recently returned from Uzbekistan.

Chen said that case No. 1,145 is a male contractor in his 40s who has been working for the Novotel Taipei Taoyuan International Airport hotel for nearly a month. He had been working at the hotel from early April to April 28, with the exception of days off.

On April 28, he began to experience a cough and went to a clinic for medical treatment on April 30. The health department then arranged for him to undergo a coronavirus test on May 1, and he tested positive for COVID-19 on May 3, with a Ct value of 13.

The health department has identified 23 contacts in his case, of whom 20 have entered home isolation, while three are undergoing self-health monitoring. The CECC is currently carrying out an epidemiological investigation into his recent movements and contacts.

Chen pointed out that a total of 74 people, associated with the Novotel cluster infection, including contractors, interns, and employees, have been told to enter home isolation. Of these persons, 43 have tested negative, one tested positive (case No. 1,145), 13 are still undergoing testing, while 17 are still waiting to be tested. A total of 33 have been tested for serum antibodies and are awaiting results, while 41 have yet to be tested.

Chen stated that case No. 1,146 is an Indonesian woman in her teens who is a family member of an Indonesian cargo pilot in his 40s who was diagnosed in Australia, case No. 1,090, as well as case No. 1,111. As she was listed as a contact of these cases, she was tested for the coronavirus on April 21, but the results came back negative.

She began to develop a mild fever, runny nose, and sore throat on April 30 but did not report them because they were mild. Because more of her family members began to test positive for the virus, the health department arranged for her to undergo another coronavirus test as a precaution on May 2.

The result came back positive for COVID-19 on May 3, with a Ct value of 19. As she had been in home isolation for at least two days before the onset of symptoms, no contacts have been listed in her case.

As for the imported infections, case Nos. 1,139 and 1,140 are Dutchmen ranging in age from their 30s to their 40s who came to work as ship crewmembers on April 8 and 10. After their quarantines ended on April 23 and 25, they were transported to another residence to undergo self-health monitoring.

As required by their company, both men took self-paid coronavirus tests on May 1, and both tested positive for COVID-19 on May 3, with case No. 1,139 having a Ct value of 29 and case No. 1,140 having a Ct value of 33.

Case Nos. 1,141, 1,142, and 1,143 are Indonesian male fishery workers ranging in age from their teens to 40s. When they completed their stay in a quarantine center on May 2, they were tested for the coronavirus and diagnosed with COVID-19 on May 3.

According to Chen, case No. 1,144 is a Taiwanese woman in her 20s who went to Uzbekistan on April 21 for work and returned to Taiwan on April 27. While undergoing quarantine at home, she began to suffer from a headache, fever, and nausea on April 28.

Because her symptoms did not improve on April 30, the health department arranged for her to undergo a coronavirus test that day. On May 3, she was diagnosed with COVID-19, with a Ct value of 28.

Since the outbreak began, Taiwan has carried out 209,150 COVID-19 tests, with 207,197 coming back negative. Out of the 1,145 confirmed cases, 1,003 were imported, 94 were local, 36 came from the Navy's "Goodwill Fleet," two were from a cargo pilot cluster, and one was an unresolved case.

One person (case No. 530) was removed as a confirmed case. The status of one recent case has yet to be determined, and nine cases are currently under investigation.

Up until now, 12 individuals have succumbed to the disease in the country, while 1,058 have been released from hospital isolation, leaving 75 patients still undergoing treatment.