Officials have been given a list of people possibly infected with COVID-19 after coming in contact with a visiting Australian musician.
The musician arrived in Taiwan from the UK on February 23, after transiting through Bangkok. He sought medical attention at a Taiwanese clinic on February 27 because of a cough and a runny nose. He then took part in performances held at Taipei’s National Concert Hall on February 28 and March 1 before departing for Australia on March 2.
Once in Australia, the musician tested positive for COVID-19.
Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center has investigated the case. It has told the Central News Agency that the man had developed a cough before coming to Taiwan, and so it is possible that he had contracted COVID-19 before his arrival.
The National Performing Arts Center, which includes the concert hall, has drawn up a list of all the people in contact with the musician during his performances as well as during a prior rehearsal. These include fellow musicians as well as journalists, and concert hall staff. They also include people seated near the musician after the first part of the performance, when he went into the audience to watch the show.
The epidemic command center is working to determine which of these people were in close proximity to the musician. Officials will contact those who may have been infected and subject them to quarantine measures.
At the Legislature on Friday, Culture Minister Cheng Li-chun outlined steps the ministry has taken to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. These include telling ministry-affiliated groups to cancel invitations for overseas artists to perform in Taiwan through the end of March. They also include new disease-prevention guidelines issued to ministry-affiliated performance spaces.