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Coronavirus: Taiwan reports first local cases of Delta variant
- Health authorities say cluster of six infections found in the community
- Island continues to try to recover from two-month outbreak, with 13 new deaths
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Taiwan reported its first local cluster of the highly infectious Delta coronavirus variant on Saturday, just as the island appears to be recovering from its worst outbreak since the start of the pandemic.
Taiwanese Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said six cases of the Delta variant were detected among a cluster of cases in the southern county of Pingtung.
Chen said that two of the six cases were recent arrivals from Peru.
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“The Delta mutant strain was previously detected in a total of five imported cases. This cluster outbreak is the first time the virus strain has entered the community and is actively being contained,” he said.
Pan Men-an, magistrate of Pingtung county, where the Delta cases were detected, said there was no plan for a community lockdown, though the authorities would encourage residents to avoid leaving their homes.
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The announcement comes a day after the self-ruled island tightened border controls so that arrivals from countries with a high number of Delta coronavirus cases – including Britain and Peru – have to quarantine in government facilities, rather than at home.
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