Taiwan Reports First Local COVID Case in 253 Days

Millions in Taiwan were jolted on Tuesday by headlines announcing the number of new community infections of COVID-19: one.

The island of over 23 million people reported its first locally transmitted case of the coronavirus since April, breaking a record 253-day streak that turned it into a success story in beating the pandemic.

Taiwanese health minister Chen Shih-chung told a press conference that a local woman, believed to be in her 30s, had been sickened by the virus after coming into contact with an infectious pilot from New Zealand.

The cargo plane pilot had been travelling around northern Taiwan in early December with respiratory symptoms without wearing a mask, according to Chen.

He failed to "truthfully declare" his contacts and places he had visited to the authorities even after testing positive for the virus and may be in breach of Taiwan’s communicable diseases law, Chen added.

While the new case doesn’t undo Taiwan’s enviable record, the pilot may have seeded new infections that could put the island’s system of monitoring, tracing and containment to the test.

Authorities previously announced a cluster infection that had formed as a result of the New Zealander’s actions and said they had identified and tested eight people, including the local woman.

Immediately following the announcement of the community case, Taiwanese officials publicized three department stores the pilot visited between Dec. 8  and Dec. 11.

One of the three locations, a Costco in Taoyuan City, said that it had carried out disinfection and required all shoppers to mask up.

Taiwan, with a population almost as big as Australia’s, has reported 770 COVID-19 cases and seven deaths. Unlike its neighbors, it has not seen a second wave of the infection. 

It recorded its last local coronavirus case in April and typically sees fewer than ten daily imported cases of the virus. In addition to the single local case, Taiwanese officials on Tuesday announced three imported cases from the Philippines. 

The self-rule democracy has been lauded for its exemplary handling of the virus, largely attributed to its mass testing and stringent contact tracing, as well as strict quarantine rules and protocols. A Filipino migrant worker in the southern port city of Kaohsiung was slapped with a hefty fine earlier this month for flouting quarantine rules for a mere eight seconds. 

However, countries around the world, such as South Korea and Japan, are seeing worrying virus resurgences. Earlier this month, the United Kingdom sounded the alarm on the discovery of a new strain of the virus that appears to be more contagious, sending thousands fleeing from London and potentially spreading the disease further.

Over the weekend, Thailand – which had previously brought its own epidemic under control – reported more than 500 COVID-19 cases among migrant workers at the centre of a popular seafood market outside the capital, Bangkok.

Taiwanese authorities have called on the general public to remain vigilant in light of the new infection and to continue to adhere to social distancing measures.