CORONAVIRUS/Taiwan confirms 4 new imported cases of COVID-19

Taipei, Dec. 4 (CNA) Taiwan on Friday confirmed four new imported cases of COVID-19, including three involving people who recently arrived from the United States, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).

Among the new cases, two are Taiwanese men returning from the U.S., with one a student in his 20s who arrived on Nov. 30 with no COVID-19 symptoms, the CECC said.

Starting Dec. 1, however, the student began developing cold chills, followed by fever and a cough while in home quarantine, the center said, and he is now being treating in a hospital in isolation.

According to the CECC, authorities have so far identified 43 people who came into contact with the student, of whom 28 were passengers who sat closest to him on the plane.

The other confirmed case is man in his 90s who travels regularly between Taiwan and the U.S., and returned on Nov. 22 without any COVID-19 symptoms, the CECC said.

He began to develop COVID-19 symptoms on Dec. 2 while still in home quarantine, and was confirmed as having contracted the disease on Friday.

The third imported case from the U.S., the center said, was a French national and Alien Resident Certificate holder who returned to Taiwan on Nov. 30.

While still in the U.S., he was bitten by a venomous spider and treated twice for the wound while there, and he saw a doctor again on Nov. 30 and Dec. 2 in Taiwan after going into hotel quarantine, the CECC said. He was also tested on Dec. 2 for COVID-19.

On Dec. 3, he suddenly lost his sense of smell, and the results of his COVID-19 test came back positive Friday.

Meanwhile, the fourth case involved a female migrant worker from Indonesia who arrived in Taiwan on Nov. 13 and was subsequently arranged by his employer to be tested for COVID-19 after the mandatory quarantine period, which ended on Nov. 28.

The woman was tested on Dec. 1, with results coming back positive on Friday, the CECC said, adding that a total of 52 people, of whom 47 were her dorm mates, have been identified as having come into contact with her.

The center said it was still following up on the matter.

To date, Taiwan has recorded 690 cases of COVID-19, with 598 classified as imported. Of the total, 572 have recovered, seven have died and 111 are in hospital, CECC data shows.