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進入《TAIPEI TIMES》 CECC reports 18 local infections
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung, who heads the Central Epidemic Command Center （CECC）, addresses the center’s daily news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo courtesy of the CECC
EASING PREPARATION: The center said that it would discuss with local governments preparations for a possible lowering next week of a nationwide level 3 COVID-19 alert
By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter
The Central Epidemic Command Center （CECC） yesterday reported 18 locally transmitted COVID-19 infections and four deaths.
The most local infections were reported in Taipei, with seven cases, followed by New Taipei City （six）, Keelung （three） and Taoyuan （two）, said Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung （陳時中）, who heads the center.
Nine cases tested positive during isolation or upon ending it, Chen said, adding that the infection sources of 13 cases have been identified, while contact tracing continues to clarify the infection sources of the other five.
“The local infections reported recently have remained mostly in northern Taiwan, but while daily case counts have been relatively low, contact tracing needs to be more comprehensive,” Chen said. “Given the recent trend, the COVID-19 situation will be brought under control.”
Most of the recent cases have been in Taipei and New Taipei City, with only sporadic cases in other cities and counties that need to have infection sources determined, while cluster infections in the past two weeks have been mainly within households, he said.
There has been a rise in cases among younger people recently, so the center has asked local governments to expand the age range of key targets for COVID-19 prevention, while watching for community spread and enhancing medical capacity, he said.
The CECC agreed to a suggestion by local governments that people who have spent 10 days in isolation following a positive test and no longer have symptoms, but who return a cycle threshold value （CT value） lower than 30 from a polymerase chain reaction （PCR） test, be ordered to continue isolation in an enhanced centralized quarantine facility or enhanced quarantine hotel, Chen said.
As for people who complete home isolation or quarantine and have a CT value higher than 30, they are to be released from isolation after two such test results, he said.
The CECC this week is to discuss with local governments preparations for a possible lowering next week of a nationwide level 3 COVID-19 alert, which is likely given the current situation, Chen said.
Bringing the daily confirmed cases back to zero is almost impossible so soon after community spread, he said, adding that the center is trying to strike a balance between bringing COVID-19 under control and avoiding “pandemic fatigue.”
As the virus situation is being brought under control, guidelines have been issued for venues and businesses to allow everyone to understand preventive and response measures, so they can act promptly if another outbreak occurs, he said.
The CECC also reported six imported cases and four deaths.
The imported cases were arrivals from Indonesia, Myanmar and the US, it said.
Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Philip Lo （羅一鈞）, deputy chief of the CECC’s medical response division, said that among 14,353 confirmed cases reported since April 20, 2,821 people, or 19.7 percent, were diagnosed with severe pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome （ARDS）.
Among 4,852 confirmed cases who are 60 or older, 1,884, or 38.8 percent, were diagnosed with severe pneumonia or ARDS, Lo said.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
