The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday announced the nation’s 23th confirmed case of COVID-19 and said that Taiwanese passengers on the virus-stricken Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama, Japan, would likely return home on a charter flight tomorrow.
The new case is the 60-year-old sister of the nation’s 19th case — a 61-year-old taxi driver who on Saturday last week became the first in Taiwan to die from COVID-19, shortly after testing positive, said Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center.
The driver’s 51-year-old brother and 81-year-old mother, who lived with him, have also tested positive, while the driver’s nephew-in-law, who joined them at a family reunion lunch on Jan. 27, was on Monday confirmed to be infected.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
The driver’s sister also joined the family reunion and sat close to him, Chen said, adding that she has experienced respiratory symptoms and was hospitalized on Monday.
The center is investigating who she has had contact with, he added.
Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said that by Feb. 5, the sister had developed a fever, a cough and a sore throat, but only sought treatment later for chronic heart arrhythmia.
Photo: Su Meng-chuan, Taipei Times
Her first test for COVID-19 was negative, while second and third tests showed weak positives, he said, adding that a fourth test yesterday returned a clear positive result.
Chen said that 217 people who had close contact with the family have been tested for COVID-19, with 189 people testing negative and 24 people still waiting for results.
Diamond Princess passengers, who were quarantined in their cabins for 14 days, were allowed to disembark from the ship yesterday, the center said, adding that the Taiwanese passengers would likely return on a charter flight tomorrow.
There were 24 Taiwanese passengers and crew on board, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Ho Chi-kung (何啟功) said.
Four of the 24 were infected with COVID-19 and hospitalized in Japan, while another of the group reportedly tested positive in the first test, so there might be about 19 people returning on the charter flight, Ho said.
Few of the 24 have dual citizenship, but as long as they hold a Republic of China (ROC) passport or nationality, they would be allowed to board the flight back to Taiwan, he added.
China Airlines (CAL, 華航) is to operate the charter flight, which is to have one doctor and three nurses on board, Ho said, adding that the passengers would be provided with protective clothing and masks.
The group would be taken to two or three hospitals to undergo two tests and a quarantine period after their arrival, Ho said.
If both tests are negative, they would be moved to a quarantine station for a compulsory 14-day quarantine, he added.
Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) yesterday confirmed that CAL is ready to dispatch a charter flight to Yokohama to bring back Taiwanese from the Diamond Princess.
“It has been confirmed that the charter flight will depart from Tokyo Haneda International Airport. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is negotiating with Tokyo on a possible time on Friday for takeoff. The charter flight can land either at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport or Taipei International Airport [Songshan airport],” he said.
“The Civil Aeronautics Administration and CAL will work out the arrangements,” Lin said, adding that the ministry would be following instructions from the center.
Lin made the statement after making an inspection with Vice Premier Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) of a delivery of disinfectant alcohol by Chunghwa Post.
As high schools and elementary schools open next week, Chen said that the center dropped its initial plan to suspend classes for the period used during enterovirus outbreaks and has adopted a period proposed by the Ministry of Education, which is to be discussed and finalized at a meeting of experts.
Students should take sick leave if they feel ill and should not worry about absences, he said, adding that the center would not require students to wear masks to school, but that it urges everyone to wash their hands frequently with soap, practice good cough etiquette, keep indoor spaces well-ventilated and disinfect living spaces frequently
Additional reporting by Shelley Shan
SEPARATE: The MAC rebutted Beijing’s claim that Taiwan is China’s province, asserting that UN Resolution 2758 neither mentions Taiwan nor grants the PRC authority over it The “status quo” of democratic Taiwan and autocratic China not belonging to each other has long been recognized by the international community, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday in its rebuttal of Beijing’s claim that Taiwan can only be represented in the UN as “Taiwan, Province of China.” Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) yesterday at a news conference of the third session at the 14th National People’s Congress said that Taiwan can only be referred to as “Taiwan, Province of China” at the UN. Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory, which is not only history but
CROSSED A LINE: While entertainers working in China have made pro-China statements before, this time it seriously affected the nation’s security and interests, a source said The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) late on Saturday night condemned the comments of Taiwanese entertainers who reposted Chinese statements denigrating Taiwan’s sovereignty. The nation’s cross-strait affairs authority issued the statement after several Taiwanese entertainers, including Patty Hou (侯佩岑), Ouyang Nana (歐陽娜娜) and Michelle Chen (陳妍希), on Friday and Saturday shared on their respective Sina Weibo (微博) accounts a post by state broadcaster China Central Television. The post showed an image of a map of Taiwan along with the five stars of the Chinese flag, and the message: “Taiwan is never a country. It never was and never will be.” The post followed remarks
INVESTMENT WATCH: The US activity would not affect the firm’s investment in Taiwan, where 11 production lines would likely be completed this year, C.C. Wei said Investments by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in the US should not be a cause for concern, but rather seen as the moment that the company and Taiwan stepped into the global spotlight, President William Lai (賴清德) told a news conference at the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday alongside TSMC chairman and chief executive officer C.C. Wei (魏哲家). Wei and US President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday announced plans to invest US$100 billion in the US to build three advanced foundries, two packaging plants, and a research and development center, after Trump threatened to slap tariffs on chips made
CONSISTENT COMMITMENT: The American Institute in Taiwan director said that the US would expand investment and trade relationships to make both nations more prosperous The US would not abandon its commitment to Taiwan, and would make Taiwan safer, stronger and more prosperous, American Institute in Taiwan Director Raymond Greene said. “The US’ commitment to Taiwan has been consistent over many administrations and over many years, and we will not abandon our commitment to Taiwan, including our opposition to any attempt to use force or coercion to change Taiwan’s status,” he said in an exclusive interview with the Liberty Times (the sister newspaper of the Taipei Times) on Friday last week, which was published in the Chinese-language newspaper yesterday. The US would double down on its efforts
RSS