Taiwan reported two new local cases of COVID-19 on Friday. The country also reported four more imported cases among people arriving in Taiwan. There were no deaths reported.
Health Minister Chen Shih-chung says one of the two new local cases is the son of a pilot who tested positive last Saturday. He says authorities strongly suspect that the child is carrying the Delta variant of COVID-19.
In response to the threat of a possible outbreak of the Delta variant, Chen says authorities have ordered the child’s school to close. Testing of all contacts is already underway.
In addition, authorities have placed all the child’s classmates and their family members in government facilities to undergo 14 days under quarantine. Chen says quarantining the family members is a precautionary measure. He says if a classmate of the suspected Delta case tests negative, their family members can leave quarantine early.
Chen also says that Taoyuan City, home to Taiwan’s main international airport, will have stricter COVID-19 controls to prevent an outbreak. That includes limiting indoor gatherings to 50 people and outdoor gatherings to 100. Hospital visits are also banned, and only one person may accompany a patient for treatment.
Chen also says authorities are putting forward a new, stricter system of quarantine for airline staff. Those measures were supposed to go into force on September 15, but they will now begin starting today.
The two new local cases announced on Friday included one man and one woman. Neither tested positive while in quarantine. They began experiencing symptoms between August 26 and August 30.
The Friday totals (by city/county) are as follows:
New Taipei City: 1
Taoyuan City: 1
Taiwan also recorded four imported cases of COVID-19 on Friday. They include travelers from the United States, Thailand, and Australia.