Taiwan reports record single-day increase in domestic Covid-19 infections after cluster emerges in Taipei City

Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) has recorded its largest single-day increase in domestic Covid infections, reporting 29 new cases linked to a cluster outbreak in Taipei City’s Wanhua District.

The 29 newly reported local infections were confirmed by Taiwan’s health minister and the head of the CECC, Chen Shih-chung, alongside five separate imported cases, marking a record one-day increase for the island.

All of the domestic cases are Taiwanese nationals living in the north of the island, except for one woman in the south. Four of the infected individuals are currently asymptomatic, while 25 exhibited symptoms between May 2 and 12.

An investigation was launched by health officials in Taiwan into the origin of the new infections, with them concluding that there is a link between the 29 cases reported on Friday and a previous cluster from a tea parlor in Taipei’s Wanhua District.

Despite the rise in domestic case numbers, Taiwan’s premier, Su Tseng-chang, refused to raise the island’s Covid alert level, as it has “more experience and resources to fight the pandemic” than last year.

“With the cooperation of the central and local governments, the command center has successively found the transmission chain between the confirmed cases, and there is no need to upgrade (the alert level) for the time being,” Su said in a Facebook post.

The comments from Su contradict Health Minister Chen’s suggestion on May 12 that the alert level might be raised and restrictions stepped up to prevent a widespread outbreak sweeping across the island. While some restrictions have been imposed on the island during the pandemic, a full lockdown has never been imposed.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Taiwan has reported 1,290 confirmed cases of the virus – the majority of which were imported – with 12 fatalities from coronavirus.

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