CORONAVIRUS/Patients in northern Taiwan hospital evacuated, COVID suspected: media

Update: Taiwan reports first local doctor to get COVID-19

Taipei, Jan. 12 (CNA) Local media have reported a mass evacuation of patients from a northern Taiwan hospital late Monday, suggesting that there could be COVID-19 coronavirus infection within the hospital.

The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), which is in charge of the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, did not immediately comment on the report but will address the issue at a briefing on Tuesday afternoon.

Several major newspapers reported the news Tuesday, citing unnamed sources. They said the unnamed hospital was evacuating and relocating some of its patients to other hospitals late Monday.

The hospital's emergency room also stopped accepting new patients late Monday. Some local media said the reason for doing so was because a doctor in the hospital had tested positive for COVID-19, but there has been no official confirmation of that.

Taiwan has largely limited the spread of COVID-19, with fewer than 1,000 confirmed cases to date since the outbreak began, and most cases in recent months have been people who contracted the disease overseas before arriving in Taiwan.

If the doctor is in fact confirmed to have COVID-19, it would be the first time a doctor in Taiwan has come down with the disease.