Taiwan marks 12 days without new coronavirus case

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Tuesday (May 19) announced zero new cases of Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), marking the 12th straight day without an imported case and 37 days without a new local infection.

During his daily press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Minister of Health and Welfare and CECC head Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) announced that there were no new cases of coronavirus. Taiwan’s total number of cases still stands at 440.

The CECC announced that they received 268 reports of people with suspected symptoms on Monday (May 18). Since the outbreak began, Taiwan has carried out 69,657 COVID-19 tests, with 68,588 coming back negative.

Taiwan has now extended its streak of no new local infections to 37 days. Out of 440 total confirmed cases, 349 were imported, 55 were local, and 36 came from the Navy’s “Goodwill Fleet.”

Up until now, only seven patients have succumbed to the disease, while 401 have been released from hospital isolation.