Focus Taiwan
Date: 04/24/2020
By: William Yen

Taipei, April 24 (CNA) Taiwan confirmed one new case of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Friday, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 428 since the pandemic began late last year, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).

The latest case was the 30th resulting from a cluster infection on board the "Panshi," a fast combat support ship which was part of a three-ship flotilla that visited Palau in mid-March, said Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who also heads the CECC, at a daily press briefing.

The flotilla left Taiwan in early March, stopped in Palau from March 12-15, and returned to Taiwan on April 9 but the crew were not allowed to disembark until April 14-15 because of quarantine regulations.

The latest patient, a male in his 30s, tested negative for COVID-19 after all 744 crew on the three ships were placed in quarantine on April 18, following the discovery that some on board had contracted the disease, the CECC said in a statement.    [FULL  STORY]