The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease.
The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said.
The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said.
Photo: Lin Huei-chin, Taipei Times
The girl arrived in Taiwan on March 14, and was found to have a fever of 38.5°C upon entry, so she was intercepted by quarantine personnel at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, he said.
The girl agreed to provide a saliva sample for testing, which came back positive for the COVID-19 variant, Lin said.
The girl had been in Singapore for 14 days before arriving in Taiwan, where she stayed until March 20, Lin said, adding that her activities were primarily centered around Taipei.
The girl had not had a COVID-19 vaccine shot in the past 12 months, and after quarantine personnel conducted a travel, occupation, contact and cluster, or TOCC, assessment, they issued a notice instructing her to seek medical attention within 24 hours, the CDC said.
No community transmission occurred during her stay, and there is no need for people to be concerned about contact risks, it said.
The global prevalence of infections with the BA.3.2 variant had initially grown to about 3 or 4 percent, but it has not further risen and has not become a dominant strain, Lin said.
There is no evidence the BA.3.2 variant causes a significant increase in transmissibility or the risk of developing severe illness, although it remains a “variant under monitoring,” he said.
The WHO has said that existing COVID-19 vaccines remain effective at preventing severe illness from the new variant, so people do not need to panic, he said.
However, high-risk groups, including those aged 65 or older and people with chronic diseases, are advised to get vaccinated, he said.
Regarding global COVID-19 activity, Lin said it is declining in Japan, but infections in Okinawa have risen by 1.2 times in the past four weeks, which requires continued attention.
The CDC will continue tracking trends of COVID-19 variants through border surveillance to ensure that local epidemic risks remain under control, he said.
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
Taiwan is concerned that China could exploit the US’ war in the Middle East, with state media citing examples from the conflict to cast doubt on the efficiency of US weapons Taiwan would use to repel an invasion. Taiwanese officials said the resumption of Beijing’s large-scale air force incursions near Taiwan after an unusual decline show that China wants to take advantage of the redeployment of US forces from East Asia to the Middle East. “This is a moment for China to exercise influence,” a senior Taiwanese security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “What China is trying to create is a
RSS