Lee I-chia at the Taipei Times has a helpful recap of where things currently stand in the Taoyuan omicron cluster.
Summary
The Central Epidemic Command Center yesterday reported four new locally transmitted COVID-19 infections ā three airport workers and a disease prevention taxi driver ā as well as 30 new imported cases.
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (é³ęäø), who heads the center, said the one of the local infections, case No. 17,230, was a female worker at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, reported by the center on Monday, and the other three infections were identified during expanded testing yesterday morning.
The center at 11:30pm on Monday issued a news release announcing that a Taiwanese woman in her 40s, who worked as a janitor in the airportās parking lot, began experiencing fever, chills, coughing, a runny nose and a sore throat on Sunday, and tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday.
Medical workers in hazmat suits perform COVID-19 tests for disease prevention taxi drivers at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport yesterday.
Photo: CNA
Six of the womanās family members have tested negative, but classes at two schools at which her children study would be suspended for a day while expanded testing is conducted, the center said.
The womanās possible contacts at work and hundreds of disease prevention taxi drivers would also be tested, it said.
The woman also worked at a stall selling childrenās earrings, toys and hair accessories at Zhongzhen Market (åæ č²åøå “) in Taoyuanās Jhongli District (äø壢) between 9am and midday on Thursday and Friday last week.
People who visited the market at those times should monitor their health until Friday next week and seek medical attention if they experience any symptoms, the center said.
Chen yesterday said that the woman had a very low cycle threshold (Ct) value of 11, indicating a high viral load, but six members of her family had tested negative.
Of 22 colleagues who took the same shuttle bus to and from work, two had tested positive ā cases No. 17,238 and No. 17,239, he said, adding that the two cases had Ct values of 24.6 and 24.5, while three of their family members had tested negative and another was awaiting the result.
Of the 314 disease prevention taxi drivers who have been tested since Monday evening, one ā case No. 17,240 ā tested positive with a Ct value of 28.4, Chen said, adding that more drivers would be tested.
The taxi driver developed a cough on Saturday and one family member who he lives with would also be tested, he said.
The taxi driver on Dec. 26 and Friday last week had transported inbound travelers who later tested positive, so he was recalled for a test on Wednesday last week, which came back negative, he added.
The female employee worked in the restrooms of the airportās parking lot, which are mainly used by disease prevention taxi and shuttle bus drivers, while one of the two infected colleagues worked in restrooms for airport employees, Chen said, adding that the other worked in restrooms in the baggage reclaim area, to which inbound passengers have access.
The link between the four cases is as yet unclear, as well as the possible source of infection, but it seems likely that they contracted the disease at the airport, as their family members have so far tested negative, he said.
Preliminary genome sequencing results of a virus sample from case No. 17,230 showed that she contracted the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, he added.
In response to the local cases, the mask mandate in Taoyuan is temporarily being tightened, with people required to wear a mask at all times when not at home except when they are eating or drinking, Chen said, adding that other exceptions, such as taking the mask off when taking a photograph, would not be allowed.
Enhanced disease prevention measures would be implemented at airports, including increasing the frequency of the disease prevention taxi driversā polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests to one every three days, he said.
Airport workers would immediately undergo a PCR test if they experience any symptoms, he added.
Three temporary testing stations have been set up near Zhongzhen Market ā at Longgang Playground (é¾å²”大ęå “), the lawn at the North District Hakka Center (åå客家ęé¤Ø) and Longgang Liming Park (é¾å²”é»ęå
¬å) ā from 9am to midday and 2pm to 5pm until Friday for people who might have been exposed to case No. 17,230, Chen said.
As case No. 17,230 had been fully vaccinated, Chen said the centerās Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices would consider shortening the interval between a second dose and a booster dose of vaccine for airport employees.
In addition, the center yesterday also reported 30 new imported cases, including 22 travelers who arrived from the US.
