Taiwan reported 32 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday. That includes 29 new domestic cases and three imported cases.
The addition of four more deaths from the virus brings the death toll from the beginning of the pandemic to 763. All of the deceased were men with pre-existing health conditions.
Of the 29 new local cases announced on Friday, 17 were men and twelve were women. They began experiencing symptoms between July 5 and July 15.
The Friday totals (by city/county) are as follows:
Taipei City: 14
New Taipei City: 11
Taoyuan City: 2
Yilan County: 1
Changhua County: 1
As for the source of the 29 local cases announced on Friday, a specific source of transmission is known for 21 cases, the source is unknown for four, and four cases are still under investigation. Only seven tested positive while in quarantine or self-isolation.
Health Minister Chen Shih-chung says the total number of local cases is not particularly high. However, because authorities detected 22 cases outside of quarantine, there is more testing and tracing required than usual.
Taiwan also recorded three imported cases of COVID-19 on Friday. They include two travelers from the United States and one from the Philippines.
In light of the increasingly severe COVID-19 outbreak in Myanmar, Health Minister Chen says authorities will designate the destination a “key high-risk country”. All arrivals with a recent history of travel in Myanmar will have to undergo 14 days’ quarantine in a government center.