Taiwan reported a new case of COVID-19 on Friday, bringing its total number of cases so far up to 442.
The patient in this case is a student in his 20’s who went to study in Russia during February. He is one of 95 Taiwanese nationals who returned from Russia via Japan on May 26.
The patient had developed COVID-19 symptoms before leaving Russia. He informed airport staff of these symptoms upon arrival in Taiwan, and was tested for COVID-19.
While this initial test came back negative, he was later tested again as a precaution. This is because he listed a loss of smell and taste, one distinctive sign of COVID-19, among his symptoms. This second test has come back positive. The patient is now in a hospital receiving medical treatment.
So far, all 95 Taiwanese nationals who returned from Russia on the same flights as the patient have tested negative for COVID-19. However, they remain in isolation in line with government quarantine rules for citizens returning from overseas.
Taiwan has now been free of new domestic COVID-19 cases for more than a month. Though seven people in Taiwan have died of COVID-19 since the pandemic began, most of Taiwan’s COVID-19 patients, 420 in total, have now been released from hospital.