TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan confirmed eight local COVID-19 infections and 65 imported cases Saturday (Feb. 19), but no new deaths, leaving the death tally at 852, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
The newly reported local patients were six males and two females, with ages ranging from lower than 5 to 79. Concern in recent days centered on a cluster originating with a Feb. 13 religious gathering and involving at least 30 people. Even though the meeting took place in Taipei, it was attended by visitors from various parts of the country, causing fears that the infections would spread. Four of Saturday's eight new local infections were reportedly linked to the gathering.
Saturday’s imported cases included 39 males and 24 females, with information for two persons not available yet. They were aged between 10 and 69 and landed in Taiwan between Jan. 18 and Feb. 18. A total of 31 of the arrivals had been intercepted at the airport, with the 34 others diagnosed during their quarantine period, reports said. The largest group of foreign arrivals were eight from the United States and five from Canada.
Taiwan’s latest total number of 19,937 coronavirus patients included 15,377 domestic cases and 4,506 imported ones. The 852 fatalities from the pandemic included 839 due to local infections, with New Taipei City registering 413 deaths and Taipei City 322.
A total of 36 COVID cases originated from a journey by the Taiwan Navy’s "Goodwill Fleet" in 2020, three were infected on board a flight, one case was classified as unresolved, and 14 cases were put under investigation. A total of 134 earlier patients were removed from the list of confirmed cases.
