TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The New Taipei City Government has ordered 236 residents of an apartment building in the district of Yonghe to quarantine at home after one resident reported as a COVID-19 case Thursday (Aug. 12).

As a result, Mayor Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) told the city government's COVID testing team to extend its work by two days, the Liberty Times reported. He also expressed the hope that more residents in the surrounding borough would go get tested.

At least three other residents of the same community had previously tested positive, but they were all either relatives or friends of the case, so there is a clear chain of infection, Hou said.

Of the 236 residents told to isolate at home, 70 were unable to stay alone, and special arrangements were made to transport them to a quarantine hotel Wednesday evening (Aug. 11). The COVID test team had been scheduled to pull out at noon on Thursday, but it will now stay in the area until Saturday afternoon (Aug. 14).

Hou described the pandemic situation in New Taipei City as stable. One resident of Sanchong District has been infected by an acquaintance, and 590 people across the city are currently isolating at home, according to the mayor.