Taiwan reported 50 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday. That includes 47 new domestic cases and three imported cases. There were no new cases relating to the Delta variant outbreak in Pingtung County.
The addition of 13 more deaths from the virus brings the death toll from the beginning of the pandemic to 661. The deceased include seven men and six women. All of them had pre-existing conditions.
Health Minister Chen Shih-chung also announced a stricter testing regime for people arriving in the country. He says in principle, all arrivals will be required to take two tests for COVID-19 before leaving quarantine. The exact timing and type of test will depend on which country the person is arriving from. Authorities will carry out genetic sequencing on all positive tests to determine the variant of COVID-19.
Of the 47 new local cases announced on Thursday, 22 were men and 25 were women. They began experiencing symptoms between June 22 and June 30.
The Thursday totals (by city/county) are as follows:
New Taipei City: 20
Taipei City: 18
Taoyuan City: 5
Kaohsiung City: 2
Hsinchu City: 1
Hsinchu County: 1
As for the source of the 47 local cases announced on Thursday, a specific source of transmission is known for 28 cases, the source is unknown for three, and 16 cases are still under investigation.
Taiwan also recorded three imported cases of COVID-19 on Thursday. They include two travelers from Indonesia and one from the Philippines.