Taiwan reports first local virus case in months

ANKARA

Taiwan has found the first local coronavirus case since April this year, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday, ending the world’s longest stretch without a domestic infection.

The island nation, which China sees as a “breakaway province”, has witnessed low infection rate since the outbreak and most of the cases reported have been those imported from overseas.

Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said the local case was in close contact with a New Zealand pilot who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 last Sunday.

It is the first time since April 12 – after a break of 254 days – that a domestically transmitted case has been reported in Taiwan.

The local case is a woman in her 30s.

The New Zealand pilot is said to have been part of a group of three cargo plane pilots.

Authorities said the pilot, in his 60, had traveled around northern Taiwan from Dec. 8 to 11.

His co-pilots – a female Taiwanese pilot and a male Japanese pilot – also tested positive.

The authorities also announced three new cases on Tuesday – all coming from the Philippines.

Taiwan has reported 771 coronavirus cases, including four deaths, since the beginning of the pandemic.​​​​​​​