Focus Taiwan
Date: 02/17/2020
By: Yeh Su-ping, Chang Ming-hsuan and Chiang Yi-ching

Taipei, Feb. 17 (CNA) There is no community-level transmission of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Taiwan, despite the nation reporting its first death from the virus Sunday, Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁), an epidemiologist by profession, said Monday.

A 61-year-old limousine service driver, who lived in central Taiwan, died shortly after being diagnosed with the disease on Feb. 15, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced Sunday.

The patient had hepatitis B and diabetes, according to the CECC, and had not traveled overseas recently, nor did he have known contact with any COVID-19 patients.

The vice president put forth the view in a post on his Facebook page early Monday, after Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the CECC, said at a press event a day earlier that the case suggested possible community transmission in Taiwan.    [FULL  STORY]