Two relatives of the 27th COVID-19 patient in Taiwan were confirmed to be infected Monday, raising the total number of COVID-19 cases to 30, according to the island's epidemic monitoring agency.
The two new cases are the younger son and the wife of the elderly man who was confirmed to be infected with the virus on Sunday, the agency said in a press release.
The younger son of the family, in his 40s, had symptoms of throat irritation on Jan. 29 but did not see the doctor. He was put in quarantine and took the infection test for being in close contact with his father and older brother.
The man had returned from south China's Guangzhou city on Dec. 2 and dined with people having traveled to the mainland during the Spring Festival, the agency said.
The other patient, the wife in her 70s, was diagnosed as acute pharyngitis on Feb. 6 and later visited the hospital several times for respiratory symptoms. She was also put for the COVID-19 test for having close contacts with her husband and son.
The other two members of the family, the father and the elderly son were found to have COVID-19 infection on Sunday, despite neither having recently left Taiwan.
Authorities are still investigating the infection source of this case. A total of 143 people were identified to have had close contacts with the four people, 50 of whom have been cleared.
Also on Monday, the agency announced that the travel alert to the Republic of Korea will be raised from Tuesday and warned the public against traveling there unless absolutely necessary.
