On March 31, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced 16 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Taiwan, with 14 being imported and the other two being indigenous. A total of 322 cases have been confirmed in Taiwan as of writing. With respect to the indigenous case confirmed today, Case #307 is an over-70-year-old male, and Case #322 is an over-20-year-old male. Both patients have no recent travel history. Case #307 had dined with Case #122 (infected in Turkey). He developed chest congestion and muscle aches, and sought medical attention at a clinic on March 25. He went to a clinic and hospital to seek medical care for a fever on March 26 and March 28, respectively. He was diagnosed with pneumonia, admitted to the hospital and then was tested for COVID-19. Infection with COVID-19 was laboratory-confirmed in the case on March 31. A total of 46 individuals who had contact with the case have been preliminarily identified so far.
Case #322 sought medical care at a clinic for having a fever, cough, vomiting and fatigue on March 26, and went to a hospital on March 29 due to persistent symptoms. He was diagnosed with pneumonia, admitted to the hospital. He was tested for COVID-19 and reported to health agencies on March 30. Infection with COVID-19 was laboratory-confirmed in the case on March 31. A preliminary investigation suggests that the main locations the male patient visited before the onset of disease are his university and dorm. A total of 13 individuals who had contact with the case have been preliminarily identified. The CECC will continue to investigate if the patient has other high-risk exposure histories to identify the source of infection.