Taiwan reports no new coronavirus cases for 1st time in month

Taiwan on Tuesday reported no new cases of the coronavirus for the first time in more than a month. Health experts have noted Taiwan’s efforts, including introducing –as early as December 31– checks on passengers arriving from China’s Wuhan city, where the first cases were reported late last year.

The island has reported 393 cases to date, and six deaths, Reuters said. A total of 338 were ‘imported cases,’ where people were suspected of getting infected overseas. “Of course, we hope it has passed,” Health Minister Chen Shih-chung told reporters. “But we still need to be on our guard.”

The last time Taiwan reported no new cases was March 9, after which numbers spiked for a time, with people coming back to the island from places now reeling from the virus in Europe and the US. The number of people discharged after they were diagnosed with Covid-19 has reached 124.

Restrictions remain in place, such as compulsory 14-day quarantines for all arrivals, and the number of international flights has fallen dramatically. Taiwan has not gone into total lockdown, though the government has promoted social distancing and mandated the wearing of face masks on public transport.