The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) of Taiwan reported Thursday, July 16, one new case of COVID-19 imported from the Philippines.
The CECC said the imported cased increased the total number of coronavirus cases in Taiwan to 452. The 452nd case is a Taiwanese woman in her 30s who had left Taiwan to work in the Philippines last January.
The patient’s company had her undergo a coronavirus antibody test on June 30, and the results were negative. However, on the day of her flight back to Taiwan (Tuesday, July 14), she experienced a loss of smell, which is a crucial symptom of COVID-19.
She informed quarantine officers of her suspicious symptom when she arrived in Taiwan. The authorities then administered another coronavirus test and sent her to a quarantine facility while waiting for the results.
Her results were released Thursday, and she was immediately transferred to a hospital isolation ward. According to the CECC, the patient had worn a mask throughout the flight and only came in close contact with one passenger, who had sat near her on the plane, and 11 crew members.
CECC on Thursday did not report any new individual with suspected symptoms. Since the virus outbreak began, Taiwan has conducted 78,897 COVID-19 tests, with 77,948 coming back negative.
Taiwan has not reported new local transmission in 99 days, with the last local case reported on April 8. Out of the 452 total confirmed cases, 361 were imported, 55 were local, and 36 came from the Navy’s “Goodwill Fleet.”
The country had seven individuals who have succumbed to the disease, while 440 have been released from hospital isolation. Only five are still undergoing treatment in Taiwan.
Also read: DOST coordinates with Chinese, Taiwanese research groups for COVID-19 vaccine trials
In March, a 30-year-old male also tested positive of the new coronavirus after traveling to the Philippines from February 28 to March 3.