Taiwan reported its first locally-transmitted Covid-19 case since April on Tuesday, breaking a run of more than 250 days without one, according to figures released by the island’s Health Ministry.
The ministry said the case was a woman in her 30s who had contact with another positive case, a foreign pilot, between Dec. 8 and 12.
The island of 23 million people last reported a locally transmitted case on April 12.
Taiwan also reported three imported cases Tuesday, bringing its total Covid-19 infections since the pandemic began to 770. Just seven people have died from coronavirus in Taiwan.
On Monday, a top Taiwanese health official said the island would not consider banning flights from the UK after a new strain was detected because of sufficient preventative measures already in place, according to Taiwanese state media.
Taiwan’s outbreak: Taipei’s response to the coronavirus pandemic has been one of the world’s most effective.
Taiwan has never had to enact strict lockdowns. Nor did it resort to drastic restrictions on civil freedoms, like in mainland China.
Instead, Taiwan’s response focused on speed. Taiwanese authorities began screening passengers on direct flights from Wuhan, where the virus was first identified, on December 31, 2019 — back when the virus was mostly the subject of rumors and limited reporting.
Taiwan confirmed its first reported case of the novel coronavirus on Jan. 21 and then banned Wuhan residents from traveling to the island. All passengers arriving from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao were required to undergo screening.
All this happened before Wuhan itself went into lockdown on Jan. 23. By March, Taiwan banned most foreign nationals from entering the island, apart from diplomats, residents and those with special entry visas.
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