Focus Taiwan
Date: 05/26/2020
By: William Yen

Taipei, May 26 (CNA) The source of a cluster infection of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on board a Taiwanese Navy ship in March originated in Taiwan rather than Palau, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Tuesday.

CECC advisor Chang Shan-chwen (張上淳) said the earliest known confirmed case of the disease on board the Panshi fast combat support ship got sick on March 10, which was before the ship visited Taiwan's diplomatic ally Palau on a training mission from March 12-15.

That meant the infection was likely brought aboard the ship before it left Taiwan on March 5, Chang said, though the CECC's investigation did not find the original source of the virus and it has decided to close the case.

The crew of the Panshi and the two other ships in the flotilla visiting Palau actually boarded on Feb. 21 and were required to stay on the ships until they left, but it was later revealed that they were allowed to leave the ship for the Feb. 28 holiday, leading to speculation that the crew could have picked up the virus then.    [FULL  STORY]