TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Friday (May 14) reported 29 local COVID-19 infections, a new single-day record since the start of the pandemic.
Health Minister and CECC head Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) announced 34 new coronavirus cases, including five imported cases and 29 local infections — a record one-day high for Taiwan since the pandemic began. All of the new local cases are Taiwanese who reside in north Taiwan, with the exception of one woman who lives in the south.
The local infections are listed as cases No. 1,263 through No. 1,291, and include 16 females and 13 males between the ages of 10 and 70. Four of these confirmed cases are asymptomatic, while 25 began experiencing symptoms between May 2 and 12.
Chen said a preliminary investigation has found a correlation between the new local cases and previously confirmed cases, with 16 related to the tea parlor cluster infection and surrounding area in Taipei's Wanhua District. Five cases are related to the former president of the Lions Club International in New Taipei (case No. 1,203), and one case is related to the Galaxy Baccarat arcade cluster infection in the Yilan County township of Luodong.
Seven cases are still under investigation.
Two cases announced at the Taipei City Hospital Heping Branch on Thursday evening (May 13) were identified as cases 1,272 and 1,273. No. 1,272 is a male in his 60s and No. 1,273 is a female in her 60s. Both were associated with the Wanhua tea parlor cluster infection.
The latest infections tied to the former president of a New Taipei Lions Club chapter include his wife (No. 1,275), his daughter (No. 1,276), a man in his 60s (No. 1,271), and a woman in her 30s (No. 1,289), who is the daughter of a previous case ( No. 1,229) tied to the cluster.
As for Friday's imported cases, two were from Indonesia (cases 1,258 and 1,259), two were from Paraguay (cases 1,260 and 1,261), and one was from Albania (case 1,262).
Since the outbreak began, Taiwan has carried out 224,617 COVID-19 tests, with 217,290 coming back negative. Out of the 1,290 confirmed cases, 1,073 were imported, 164 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 14 cases are still under investigation.
Up until now, 12 individuals have succumbed to the disease in the country, while 1,107 have been released from hospital isolation, leaving 171 patients still undergoing treatment.
List of 29 confirmed local COVID-19 cases reported on May 14. (CECC image)
