In response to one new case from nosocomial infection in a northern Taiwan hospital, CECC continues to strengthen prevention and control measures for the hospital


On January 18, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced one new confirmed indigenous case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Taiwan. The new indigenous case, Case #863, is a professional nurse working at the same hospital as Case #838. This new case was given a COVID-19 test on January 12, and the test result came back negative. The nurse began to experience nasal congestion and coughing on January 14. Because the nurse had been identified as a contact of Case #856, the nurse was tested again on January 17; infection with COVID-19 was laboratory-confirmed in the case on January 18.

In response to this nosocomial infection incident, CECC has imposed the following disease prevention and control measures on the hospital:
1. The CECC has designated personnel to set up an incident command post in the hospital;
2. The wards where the case had been working have been closed, and patients in the wards have been moved to single-room isolation wards; the areas where the case had been active have been disinfected and will be open after the testing of environmental samples confirms those areas are safe;
3. The floors where the case had been working have been cleared of people and are strictly restricted;
4. Experts will be arranged to go in and to provide guidance and assistance on nosocomial infection prevention and control measures;
5. Hospitalized patients can only leave the hospital but cannot return; all visits to the hospital have been cancelled, and only one person can accompany a patient and the person shall provide his or her real name;
6. Hospital staff members are urged to conduct self-health management, and they shall notify the health authority of their symptoms and return to the hospital for medical attention as instructed if they develop mild symptoms; hospital staff may not seek medical care by themselves.

The CECC reported that a cumulative total of 137,512 cases related to COVID-19 have been reported in Taiwan among which COVID-19 has been ruled out in 135,321. Of these reported cases, infection with COVID-19 was laboratory-confirmed in 862 cases. Of the 862 confirmed cases, 762 are imported; 61 are indigenous; 36 are naval crew members aboard the Panshi fast combat support ship; 2 are infections on an aircraft; 1 case has unknown sources of infection; and 1 case (Case #530) has been removed (Case #530 is not assigned to any patients). Of the confirmed cases, there have been 7 deaths, and 756 patients have been released from isolation, with the other 99 patients remaining hospitalized in isolation.
 

發佈日期 2021/1/18