Taiwan confirmed three new imported cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the total to 398. The three were all men in their 20s who received training on a naval ship in Taiwan. They shared a sleeping compartment on the vessel.
The three men boarded the naval vessel on February 21 and docked in Palau from March 12 to March 15. When asked how the cadets could have been infected given that there are currently no confirmed COVID-19 cases in Palau, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said he strongly suspects the possibility of hidden cases in that region that have not been diagnosed. Taiwan's navy personnel all wore masks while they were in Palau.
The ship was at sea for a month before docking in Taiwan on April 15. The vessel had 337 navy personnel. The over 700 navy officers and sailors in the fleet are being sent to quarantine centers and will be tested for the new coronavirus.
Of Taiwan's 398 cases, 55 are domestic and the rest are imported. There have been 6 deaths and 178 patients who have recovered while the rest are still being treated in hospital isolation wards.
Minister Chen also announced that those returning from Southeast Asia will need to undergo stricter screening to be eligible for home quarantine. If their home is unsuitable for 14-day quarantine or if they live with older people, children six years old or under or people with chronic illnesses, they will need to be sent to a quarantine center.