Focus Taiwan
Date: 04/19/2020
By: Matt Yu and Emerson Lim

Taipei, April 19 (CNA) Taiwan's Navy on Sunday apologized for a cluster infection of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on a goodwill mission in the Pacific, but it defended the mission and the preparations made.

Navy Deputy Commander Mei Chia-shu (梅家樹) made the apology at a Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) briefing on Sunday and said the incident would not affect the Navy's combat readiness.

As of Sunday, 24 people on the mission had been confirmed as having COVID-19, the first cases of the disease to hit Taiwan's military.

The infected sailors were all serving on the Panshi Fast Combat Support Ship, part of a three-ship flotilla that visited Palau from March 12 to 15 for this year's goodwill and midshipmen training mission.
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