TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A COVID-19 cluster infection at a residential complex in the heart of Taipei has risen to 16 cases as mass testing continues.
During a press conference on Monday (July 5), Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) announced that the number of cases in a public housing complex reported from May 18 to July 1 has risen to 16. The complex contains six buildings, 714 households, and over 2,000 residents and is located in Zhongzheng District's Zhongqin Community, home to many government institutions.
Ko said that the source of three infections reported last week is currently unknown. When asked why mass screening in the community had not been carried out sooner, Ko said that although there were cases in mid-May, the focus at the time was on dealing with the massive outbreak in Wanhua District.
He said that by June 3, the community was not reporting any new cases. However, on June 30, three new cases surfaced, prompting the city government to dub it a hotspot.
In response, the capital has launched the "Zhongqin Special Project" (忠勤專案), which includes large-scale disinfection efforts and the dispatch of epidemic prevention vehicles to transport residents to the Taipei City Hospital Heping Branch for testing in order to isolate the chain of transmission as soon as possible. Thus far, more than 300 residents have stepped forward to be tested.
Taipei Deputy Mayor Huang Shan-shan (黃珊珊) said that if more than 1,000 of the residents register for testing, a mass screening station will be set up in the community. If the number remains below 1,000, they will continue to be transported to Taipei City Hospital Heping Branch as well as six other hospitals in the city.
Ko pointed out that in the past, rapid antigen screening was the main method to detect infections, but he pledged that the city will now rely more on PCR testing, which he called "the gold standard," now that the city is capable of carrying out mass testing with the method.
