The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported six local COVID-19 cases.
They are three residents of Taoyuan, and one resident each of New Taipei City, Yilan County and Taichung, said Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), who is the CECC’s spokesman.
Chuang said the Taichung case is a Singaporean marine surveyor in his 40s, who in the past few weeks boarded boats in ports in central and southern Taiwan for work.
Photo courtesy of the Taichung City Government via CNA
The man tested negative in polymerase chain reaction tests on Monday and Saturday last week, but tested positive on Thursday, with a cycle threshold (Ct) value of 23, Chuang said, adding that 68 close contacts have been identified for testing, 63 of whom so far tested negative.
The New Taipei City case is a hot pot restaurant worker, Chuang said, adding that the case might be linked to two others reported on Friday — a man, who ate at the restaurant on Thursday last week, and his son.
The new case was tested because he was listed as their contact, he said.
The Yilan case is a man in his 20s, who works at the same hot pot restaurant as a separate case reported on Friday, he said, adding that the new case had a Ct value of 14, indicating a high viral load.
The Taoyuan cases are a married couple and their son, Chuang said.
The mother, who works at a logistics firm, experienced a mild cough and a runny nose on Thursday last week, while the son, a kindergartener, experienced a cough and a runny nose on Saturday last week, Chuang said.
The father began coughing on Wednesday and tested positve on Friday in a test mandated at his workplace, he said.
Taiwan yesterday also reported 63 imported cases, Chuang added.
Separately, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, yesterday visited Kaohsiung’s Cijin District (旗津) with Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) and other CECC officials to show support to local communities hit hard by a COVID-19 cluster linked to Kaohsiung Harbor last month.
Chen Chi-mai said the Kaohsiung City Government is discussing a revitalization plan for Cijin, where the tourism sector incurred severe losses during the Lunar New Year holiday, with the number of visitors dropping to one-10th of last year’s levels.
The city is planning to announce the measures early next month, he added.
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