CECC confirms ten more COVID-19 cases; six persons linked to tour groups- Ministry of Health and Welfare

On March 17, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced ten new confirmed cases (Cases #68-77) of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Taiwan. Cases #68 and #69 are two females, and Cases #70 and #73 are two males. The four patients are between 20 to 69 years old. Two of the four patients reside in northern Taiwan while the remaining cases reside in the middle part of Taiwan. Cases #68-70 and Case #73 visited Turkey with the same tour group as Cases #56, #57 and #65-67. Infection with COVID-19 was laboratory-confirmed in the four cases on March 17. A total of 9 members of this tour group have been confirmed to have COVID-19 as of now.

Case #71 is an over-60-year-old male who resides in northern Taiwan. Case #71 joined the same travel group to Egypt as Cases #55 and #63 from March 3 to March 12. He tested positive for COVID-19 on March 17. Case #71 is the third member of the tour group to be diagnosed with COVID-19. Case #72 is a woman in her 70s who resides in southern Taiwan. Case #72 traveled to Austria and the Czech Republic as part of a tour group with a member of her family (Case #61) from March 5 to March 14. Infection with COVID-19 was laboratory-confirmed in the case on March 17. Case #72 is the second person with confirmed COVID-19 among the members of the tour group.

Case #74 is an over-30-year-old male who resides in southern Taiwan. He visited Iceland with seven other members of his family from February 25 to March 10. Infection with COVID-19 was laboratory-confirmed in the case on March 17. Case #75 is an over-20-year-old male who resides in southern Taiwan. Case #75 visited Germany from February 23 to March 8. Infection with COVID-19 was laboratory-confirmed in the case on March 17. Case #76 is an over-30-year-old female who resides in northern Taiwan. Case #76 traveled to Paris with two other friends from March 1 to March 12, and tested positive for COVID-19 on March 17. Case #77 is an over-60-year-old female who resides in northern Taiwan. Case #77 left for the Czech Republic from Taiwan, transiting in Dubai, on January 20. She flew from the Czech Republic to New York to visit her family on March 7, and arrived in Taiwan on March 16. Case #77 tested positive for COVID-19 on March 17.