A fifth hospital worker has been confirmed to have COVID-19 in a cluster infection at a hospital in Taoyuan, northern Taiwan. The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced the case on Monday.
The first case in the cluster was a doctor who was treating COVID-19 patients. The center said that it believes that the doctor contracted the virus while treating a patient with a severe case of COVID-19. That patient was a Taiwanese man in his 60s who returned to Taiwan from the United States in December.
The CECC has taken immediate steps to contain the cluster infection, and has set up a central command within the hospital. Experts have also moved in to the hospital to provide training and assistance in the area of disease control.
The hospital has closed off the areas where the infections occurred in order to disinfect them. They are limiting patients, one to a room for isolation, and will only reopen the ward once it passes inspection. They’ve also closed off the affected floors and areas of the hospital and are controlling access.
The hospital is continuing to discharge patients but is no longer admitting new patients. It is also closed to visitors, except for one guardian per patient.
All hospital staff are required to observe strict health-monitoring procedures. There are also instructions in place for staff to report symptoms and seek medical help at the hospital.