TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Thursday (Feb. 18) confirmed two imported Wuhan coronavirus cases, both of whom tested positive after their quarantines had ended.

Health Minister and CECC head Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) announced two imported infections Thursday, raising the total number of cases in the country so far to 940. The latest imported cases came to Taiwan from the Philippines and Malaysia for work.

Each had submitted the negative results of a test taken within three days of their flight, and each was sent directly to an epidemic hotel upon arrival in Taiwan.

Chen said that case No. 940 is a Filipina migrant worker in her 20s who arrived on Feb. 3. When her quarantine ended on Feb. 16, she underwent a test for the coronavirus.

On Feb. 18, she was confirmed with COVID-19. The health department then launched an epidemiological investigation and found that the woman had begun experiencing an abnormal sense of taste and smell on Feb. 13.

Because she had been staying at a quarantine center for two days before the onset of the disease and the quarantine personnel who came in contact with the women had worn proper protective gear, no contacts have been listed in her case.

Case No. 941 is a Malaysian male in his 30s who came to Taiwan on Jan. 31. He has not reported experiencing any symptoms of the virus since arriving in Taiwan.

After his quarantine expired on Feb. 15, he transferred to another hotel to commence self-health monitoring. On Feb. 16, his company arranged for him to take a coronavirus test at his own expense.

He was diagnosed with on Feb. 18. The health department has identified eight contacts in his case, including company colleagues and hotel staff.

As all eight were deemed to have worn adequate protective equipment, they are only being asked to undergo self-health monitoring.

Since the outbreak began, Taiwan has carried out 169,615 COVID-19 tests, with 166,989 coming back negative. Out of the 940 officially confirmed cases, 824 were imported, 77 were local, 36 came from the Navy's "Goodwill Fleet," two were from a cargo pilot cluster, one is an unresolved case, and one (case No. 530) was removed as a confirmed case.

Up until now, nine individuals have succumbed to the disease, while 886 have been released from hospital isolation, leaving 45 patients still undergoing treatment in Taiwan.