Taiwan moves 400 from hotel into quarantine after rare Covid outbreak

This article is more than 12 months old

Apr 30, 2021 06:00 am

TAIPEI: Taiwan yesterday began moving more than 400 people to a centralised quarantine facility from an airport hotel after a rare domestic outbreak of Covid-19 and will sterilise the entire hotel building.

Taiwan has kept the pandemic under control and most cases have been imported, though it has reported sporadic domestic infections in recent months.

Since last week, it has reported Covid-19 infections in nine freighter pilots from Taiwan's largest carrier, China Airlines, some of whom had been staying at the Novotel Taipei Taoyuan International Airport hotel now being evacuated.

They are thought to have been infected overseas.

Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said one hotel worker is in serious condition and added: "We are worried other workers may also have been infected."

Taiwan has reported 1,122 cases to date, including 12 deaths.