Taiwan reports a first domestic case of Delta COVID-19 variant
27 June, 2021
Taiwan reported its first domestically transmitted case of the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus on Saturday (Jun 26), tightening controls in a southern area of the island where in fact the cases have occurred.
Taiwan is battling a cluster of domestic infections, the vast majority of them as a result of previously globally dominant Alpha variant, though numbers are steadying and the outbreak has been comparatively small.
Six persons in Pingtung county have been confirmed to have the Delta variant, including two who returned this month from Peru, where they are suspected of bringing the infection from, said Health Minister Chen Shih-chung.
One of these has been classified as a domestic infection, instead of within the family who arrived from Peru.
The government is undertaking mass testing in the region where in fact the cases were reported, quarantining all suspected contacts. It has ordered supermarkets, restaurants and wet markets closed for three days, Chen said.
"Now it has entered the community, and we are proactively working to own it," he said.
Taiwan had previously reported five cases, all imported, of the Delta variant, that was first detected in India.
From Sunday, the federal government will tighten border controls to keep out the variant, requiring arrivals from five countries, including Britain, to be placed in centralised quarantine facilities.
The Delta variant now comprises 96 % of sequenced cases in Britain.
The broader picture of Taiwan's COVID-19 outbreak continues to boost, with Chen announcing 78 new cases, up only slightly from 76 the prior day, though controls on gatherings and public events remain in place.
Taiwan's tally of infections stands at 14,545 because the pandemic began, including 623 deaths.
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