Taipei, April 11 (CNA) Taiwan on Sunday confirmed one death from COVID-19, bringing the total to 11 in the country since the outbreak began, and one new imported case, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).

The infected patient who died on April 9 was a Taiwanese man in his 60s with a chronic illness, CECC spokesperson Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said at a press conference Sunday afternoon.

The man, who was confirmed as having COVID-19 on Jan. 24, about five days after showing symptoms, was one of the people who contracted the disease in a cluster infection at Taoyuan General Hospital in January, which infected a total of 21 people, Chuang said.

His condition deteriorated after he was admitted to the hospital and was supported by a respirator and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), Chuang said.

Eventually, the patient's condition improved and he was discharged from the isolation ward on Feb. 22 after he was deemed to no longer be infective, but he remained in the hospital for treatment for other diseases, the spokesperson said.

He got off the ECMO machine on March 17, but began experiencing shortness of breath, lower blood pressure, and serious arrhythmia on April 8, Chuang said.

He died the next day from pneumonia complicated by septic shock, according to Chuang.

Taiwan also added one imported case from the United States on Sunday.

The Taiwanese patient in her 20s returned to Taiwan on April 3 with a negative COVID-19 test report issued within 3 days prior to her flight, and she reported no symptoms upon arrival, Chuang said.

While in home quarantine between April 4 and 8, however, she developed a cough, a runny and stuffy nose, diarrhea and a partial loss of her sense of smell, and she was confirmed as having COVID-19 on Sunday after being tested again on April 9, Chuang said.

According to the spokesperson, 18 people have been identified as having come in contact with the new case, all on her flight from the U.S.

Three of them were passengers seated within two rows of the patient on the flight, and they have been asked to isolate themselves at home.

The others were cabin crew members who have all since left Taiwan, Chuang said, noting that the CECC will report the situation through the International Health Regulations (IHR) mechanism.

The new COVID-19 case has brought the total number of cases to date to 1,057 as of Sunday, 11 of whom have died and 24 of whom are currently being treated in isolation wards.