TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan reported one death, eight new local COVID-19 cases, and four imported cases, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced Saturday (July 17) — new lows since the start of a Level 3 alert in mid-May.

The numbers also amounted to sharp declines from the 29 local cases and four deaths recorded the previous day. Five of the new cases were recorded in New Taipei City, with Taipei City, Taoyuan City and Taichung City confirming one new case each.

Of the eight new cases, six were men and two were women, with ages ranging from 20 to 69, according to the CECC. The only fatality was a man in his 60s with a history of chronic illness. On May 22, he was confirmed as an asymptomatic case, and he passed away on July 15.

The four new imported cases were a Taiwanese man in his 20s returning from the United Arab Emirates on July 14, a Taiwanese woman in her 50s who arrived from the United States on May 13, a Hong Kong man in his 40s traveling from Nigeria on May 7, and a Taiwanese man in his 50s arriving from Indonesia on July 8.

Of the 14,148 cases confirmed between May 11 and July 15, a total of 12,207 had been released from medical care, or 8.3%.

Taiwan’s latest total number of 15,390 coronavirus cases included 14,111 domestic cases, 1,226 imported ones, and 764 deaths. One case originally listed as a local infection had been reclassified as a case imported from the United States, the CECC said.

A total of 36 cases originated from last year’s voyage by the Taiwan Navy’s "Goodwill Fleet," two were infected on board a flight, one case was classified as unresolved, and 14 cases were still under investigation. A total of 106 earlier patients were removed from the list of confirmed cases.

Saturday's latest data confirmed earlier CECC statements that the COVID situation in Taiwan was improving.

After the number of new confirmed domestic infections suddenly ballooned to 180 on May 15, Taipei City and New Taipei City, and later the whole country, issued a level 3 COVID alert, which has since been extended several times, up until July 26. However, on July 13, a loosening of some restrictions was introduced, with movie theaters and museums among the establishments allowed to reopen for business but with preventive restrictions in place.