New Taipei City School Cluster Infection Cases Hit 15 新北幼兒園群聚擴大 今增5例累計15確診

City Mayor Hou says he won't hesitate to halt indoor dining once the delta variant is detected in New Taipei City.

Presenter: The cluster infection at a New Taipei City kindergarten continues to escalate, with five more confirmed cases reported on September 7, bringing the total to 15. Five schools have taken the preventative measure of suspending classes and affected over 4,000 students.

The number of people infected in a New Taipei City kindergarten cluster infection continues to rise. On Sept. 6, 10 teachers and students were confirmed to be infected. On Sept. 7, two students and three parents were added, bringing the total to 15. 

Four schools with a connection to this kindergarten, including two kindergartens and one school in Banqiao District and a public infant daycare center in Sanchong District, took the preventative measure of suspending classes, affecting 2,252 students. An elementary school in Zhonghe District did not have a connection but suspended classes for three days due to a confirmed case among its students. The total number of affected students at the five schools is 4,327.

Hou Yu-ih, New Taipei City Mayor:”We don't know whether teachers transmitted it to students, students transmitted it to teachers, or parents were infected and transmitted it to students, who then brought it onto the campus. We also can't rule out a connection to the Taoyuan International Airport cases. We have to wait until the results of the genome sequencing are out to see whether there is a link.”

The kindergarten where the cluster infection occurred is in Banqiao District. It operates as a kindergarten during the day and offers after-school programs at night. The New Taipei City Government issued a fine of NT$200,000 because the after-school programs were unregistered.

Chang Ming-wen, Director, Education Department, New Taipei City:” We discovered that the after-school programs were unregistered and we issued a fine of NT$200,000 in accordance with the Protection of Children and Youths Welfare and Rights Act.”

The city government expanded contact tracing after the cluster infection, and 182 people have been tested. At present, 162 are negative and the results of the other 20 are pending. New Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-ih said the city will respond to this in the same way it has responded to the Delta variant.

Hou Yu-ih, New Taipei City Mayor:” We will end on-site dining the moment a case caused by the Delta variant is confirmed in New Taipei City. I advise the central government to raise the alert level to Level 3 if the Delta variant is confirmed.”

The city government also raised the citywide alert level to "enhanced Level 2" to prevent the situation from worsening.

新北幼兒園群聚感染持續擴大，6日有10名師生染疫後，7日又增加2位幼兒及3位家長，累計15人確診。跟幼兒園群聚案相關的四所學校，包括板橋2所幼兒園、1所學校及三重1所公托，共2252人採取預防性停課。而中和區某一所國小，跟幼兒園群聚案無關，因為同學染疫，全校停課三天，目前，一共有5所學校、4327名學生停課。

新北市長 侯友宜：「到底是老師傳染給學生，還是學生傳染給老師，或是學生的家長們，有人染疫傳給了學生再帶進來給校園裡面。當然我們也沒有辦法，完全地排除是不是跟，桃園機場這個染疫事件，有沒有關聯性這都要等基因定序。」

而爆發群聚感染的這間板橋幼兒園，早上是幼兒園，晚上卻是安親班，新北市祭出鐵腕，開罰20萬元。

新北市教育局長 張明文：「安親班的部分，我們現在查到的是未立案的部分，依據兒少法裁罰20萬。」

新北市爆發幼兒園群聚感染後，擴大匡列採檢182人，目前162人都是陰性，還有20人要等待結果，侯友宜強調，視同Delta變異株，全力備戰。

新北市長 侯友宜：「只要新北市有確診的Delta病毒，餐廳內用一律取消，只要Delta病毒一確定，我建議中央該升三級就升三級。」

新北市全面備戰，提升為「強化二級警戒」，全力防堵疫情擴散。