President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) took a COVID-19 test, which came back negative, after a volunteer caring for her dogs tested positive for the disease, Presidential Office spokesman Xavier Chang (張惇涵) said on Thursday.
Tsai took a polymerase chain reaction test shortly after the Presidential Office on Wednesday was alerted that the volunteer had tested positive, Chang said.
The volunteer, who lives in New Taipei City’s Jhonghe District (中和), last visited Tsai’s official residence on Tuesday last week from 9am to 5:40pm, during which the volunteer did not have contact with the president, Chang said.
Twenty-four aides and security officers who have regular contact with Tsai have also been tested, and their results came back negative, he said, adding that no infections have been reported at the Presidential Office.
Nevertheless, 84 staff who might have come into contact with people confirmed to have COVID-19 are monitoring their health and working from home, Chang said.
Asked whether Tsai’s aides and staff at the residence have been vaccinated for COVID-19, Chang said that six people who often meet with the president have been vaccinated and more are to receive a shot.
Tsai and Vice President William Lai (賴清德) have expressed interest in receiving a domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine, he added.
Tsai last week said that the first batch could be available in late July.
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