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5 local COVID cases reported in Taiwan's Yilan County

Taiwan reports 11 new COVID cases, including 7 local and 4 imported

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Milky Way Baccarat. (Luodong Township photo)

Milky Way Baccarat. (Luodong Township photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Tuesday (May 11) announced 11 new COVID-19 cases, including seven local and four imported cases.

During a press conference on Tuesday (May 11), Health and Welfare Minister and CECC head Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) announced 11 new coronavirus cases, including five infections from a new local cluster, one from the China Airlines pilot cluster, one from an unknown source, and four imported cases.

According to Chen, case No. 1,201 is a Taiwanese woman in her 40s. She is a family member of case No. 1,187, a China Airlines pilot.

She has no recent history of traveling abroad and is asymptomatic. After being identified as a contact of case No. 1,187, she was tested for the virus by the health department on May 9 and diagnosed with COVID-19 on May 11, with a Ct value* of 22.

Chen said that case No. 1,202 is a Taiwanese woman in her 30s who works at the Galaxy Baccarat (銀河百家樂) arcade on Zhongzheng North Road in Yilan County's Luodong Township. On May 9, she began experiencing chills, general weakness, fever, a cough, and other symptoms.

On May 9, she went to a hospital for treatment and to be tested for the virus. On May 11, she was diagnosed, with a Ct value of 20.

Given the fact that she works in an indoor, crowded place where customers stay for long periods, the CECC deemed the risk of transmission high. After being notified of her case, the health department immediately identified 35 contacts, including family members, colleagues, and frequent visitors.

These contacts have been told to enter home isolation and are being tested for the disease. As of May 11, four contacts have tested positive for the virus: cases 1,208, 1,209, 1,210, and 1,211.

Another 17 have tested negative, and 10 are being tested. The health department will continue to investigate all those who have recently entered the arcade.

Chen said that cases 1,208, 1,209, and 1,211 are colleagues of case No. 1,202. Case No. 1,208 has a Ct value of 11, case No. 1,209 has a Ct value of 20, and case No. 1,211 has a Ct value of 25. All are female, and they range in age from their teens to their 40s.

Two of these contacts ae asymptomatic, while case No. 1,211 had symptoms on May 8. Case No. 1,210 is a man in his 30s who is a regular customer of the arcade. He experienced a cough and diarrhea on May 9.

During what the CECC believes was an infectious stage, case No. 1,202 worked at the arcade from 12 a.m. to 8 a.m. May 7 through 9. The arcade is located at No. 42 Zhongzheng North Road on the second floor of a complex of shops and a five-minute walk from the Luodong train station and a Christian church.

Chen said case No. 1,203 is a Taiwanese man in his 60s who has no recent history of traveling abroad. On May 7, he began to experience fatigue, a cough, and chills.

He was admitted to a hospital on May 9 for treatment after he developed a fever. On May 11, he tested positive for COVID-19, with a Ct value of 18.

His source of infection is currently under investigation. The health department has identified a total of 115 contacts in his case, all of whom have entered home isolation, and the search for additional contacts is currently underway.

*The cycle threshold (Ct) value refers to how many cycles at which fluorescence of the PCR test is detectable. The higher the number of cycles, the longer the virus has gone undetected. The lower the number, the more recent the infection and the higher the viral load.