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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Taiwan reports first local coronavirus infection since April

Taiwan reports first local coronavirus infection since April

Published Dec 22, 2020 03:36 pm

Taiwan reported its first local coronavirus transmission Tuesday, ending 253 days of being virus-free in a major blow for an island that has been lauded for its pandemic response.

Students eat their lunch on desks with plastic partitions as a preventive measure to curb the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus at Dajia Elementary School in Taipei on April 29, 2020. (Photo by Sam Yeh / AFP)

Health authorities said a woman in her thirties had tested positive for the coronavirus after coming into contact with a "foreign pilot" working for a Taiwanese airline who was a carrier.

"Health units arranged for her to be tested and she was confirmed positive today," the Centre for Disease Control said in a statement.

Taiwan has recorded just 770 coronavirus infections and seven deaths after it shut its borders early and implemented strict quarantine rules.

Since April 12 all positive cases have been from people travelling to the island.

The vast majority of arrivals have to quarantine for two weeks and must test negative, a measure which -- until Tuesday -- had successfully kept any carriers from bringing infections into the local community.

Pilots currently undergo a less strict three days of self-quarantine after each overseas trip.

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