CORONAVIRUS/4 more cases confirmed in Taoyuan airport cluster, bringing total to 12

The Taoyuan City government confirmed four additional domestic COVID-19 cases linked to a cluster at Taoyuan International Airport Thursday night, increasing the total number of infections related to the cluster to 12.

The new COVID-19 cases include a 27-year-old security guard working at the airport’s Terminal 2, as well as two members of the Golden Voice (?????) social club and the sister of one of the infected social club members, according to officials.

The security guard worked in the departure and arrival halls in Terminal 2 and had worked the entire week save for Jan. 2. Central Epidemic Command Center’s on-site commander at the airport Victor Wang (???) said at a news conference.

While the security guard uses her own vehicle to commute to work, Wang said it was possible she had infected her coworkers in their shared guard office.

He added that out of the 391 securities employed at the airport, 67 had already tested negative from quick tests.

A press statement from Taoyuan’s health department on Friday revealed that one of the infected from the Golden Voice social club is a 58-year-old male taxi driver who developed symptoms on Jan. 4.

The remaining cases linked to the club are a 59-year-old woman who developed symptoms on Jan. 3 and her sister.

An infected cleaner at Taoyuan airport who visited the social club’s premises every day from Dec. 29 to Jan. 2 is thought to be the source of the infections.

According to the department previously, 800 people attended a New Year’s Eve party at the club at which people ate and sang.

Although the infected cleaner said she had not been in the venue’s main function room, all members of the social club are to be tested for COVID-19, said Taoyuan City Department of Public Health Director Wang Wen-yen (???).

Results are still pending for over 100 club members as of Friday, with Wang adding that those living near club members should also get tested.

Wang also said that a Taoyuan elementary school student had been a close contact of one of the infected members from the social club, and while test results have not come back yet for the student, the child’s school, which was not named, was closed on Friday as a precaution.

Before the four cases were confirmed, eight domestic COVID-19 infections had been reported at the airport this week, including seven cleaners and a taxi driver tasked with taking passengers to and from quarantine facilities.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel