3 new domestic cases confirmed, including 1 local infection: Minister Chen shares encouraging letter from a child

 

On April 8, 3 new COVID-19 (Wuhan pneumonia) cases were reported in Taiwan: 2 imported and 1 local. The total number of confirmed cases stands at 379, with 67 released from quarantine and 5 deaths.

After the press conference today, Minister Chen Shih-chung also shared a letter sent to him by a child along with masks. The child, around 10 years old, expressed innocent gratitude for the efforts of the minister and others in fighting the pandemic. The child included masks, hoping to protect the minister. Minister Chen was deeply touched by the child’s encouragement, saying that Taiwanese people truly have big hearts. He expressed appreciation for the warmth and support from the public and kindly reminded them not to send him masks. He also praised the child for understanding the importance of conserving mask usage.

 

The local case is a woman in her 30s (Case 379), who has no recent travel history abroad and usually stays in her residential area and its vicinity. She sought medical attention on April 4 due to fever and a runny nose. The hospital conducted tests and reported the case, which was confirmed today. Health authorities have preliminarily identified 21 contacts, including family members and those she encountered during medical visits. Investigations will continue to determine whether she had other high-risk exposures to clarify the source of infection.

 

The CECC stated that the two new imported cases today are a woman in her 20s (Case 377) and a woman in her 60s (Case 378). Case 377, who was studying in Spain, entered Taiwan on March 22 and underwent home quarantine. On March 23, she developed symptoms of sore throat and diarrhea and self-medicated. On April 4, while health officials were monitoring her condition, she reported persistent nasal congestion and a runny nose, as well as mild diarrhea and chest and back pain. She was then sent for medical examination and testing, and the case was confirmed today.

 

Case 378 traveled to Indonesia from February 16 to March 29 to visit relatives. After returning to Taiwan, she underwent home quarantine. On April 1, she developed a cough. On April 4, she sought medical care due to feeling unwell and was diagnosed with symptoms including difficulty breathing, fever, fatigue, and pneumonia. She was hospitalized, and samples were taken by the hospital on April 5, leading to confirmation today.

 

 

[Epidemic Statistics]

 

As of April 7, there were 1,701 new reports related to COVID-19 in Taiwan, bringing the cumulative total to 40,702 cases (including 35,529 ruled out). Among these, 379 cases have been confirmed (Cases 377–379 today), consisting of 326 imported and 53 local cases. Of the confirmed cases, 5 have died, 67 have been released from quarantine, and the rest remain hospitalized in isolation. Regarding the 367 people from Hubei who returned to Taiwan on special flights on March 29 and 30, their health conditions remain good, and they continue to be under close health monitoring in centralized quarantine facilities.

 

The CECC pointed out that globally, there are 1,371,189 confirmed cases across 183 countries/regions. The countries with the highest case counts are the United States (386,817), Spain (140,510), Italy (135,586), Germany (99,225), and China (81,802). The total number of deaths is 80,522, with the most in Italy (17,127), Spain (13,798), the United States (12,285), France (10,328), and the United Kingdom (6,159).