Taipei, March 3 (CNA) Taiwan on Wednesday recorded three new imported cases of COVID-19 from Canada, the United States and Poland, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 958, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said.

One of the patients is a Taiwanese man in his 20s who is studying in Canada and returned to Taiwan on Feb. 26, said Health Minister Chen Shih-chung, who also heads the CECC, during a press briefing in Taipei.

The man had proof of a negative COVID-19 test result issued within three days of his flight, as required for everyone arriving in Taiwan, and had no symptoms on arrival, Chen said.

The man quarantined for 14 days as legally required. However, on Feb. 28, he began experiencing an abnormal sense of smell and developed a runny nose.

He then sought medical treatment and was tested for COVID-19 at a hospital with the results coming back positive on Wednesday, said Chen.

Health authorities have identified 21 individuals who had contact with the man, including 17 cabin crew members and four passengers on the flight he took back to Taiwan, Chen added.

The second patient is a Taiwanese woman in her 50s who flew to the U.S. to visit relatives in November 2020 and returned to Taiwan on Feb. 26 with proof of a negative COVID-19 test result issued within three days of her flight.

The woman developed an itchy throat on March 1, and was tested that same day. The result came back positive on Wednesday, Chen said, noting that one contact has been identified and quarantined at home.

The third patient is a Polish man in his 40s who flew to Taiwan from Poland for work on Feb. 18 with proof of a negative COVID-19 test result, according to Chen.

The man developed an abnormal sense of smell on March 1 and was tested, with the result coming back Wednesday indicating he had COVID-19.

Chen said there are no contacts to trace in Taiwan because the man has been quarantined since arrival.

To date, Taiwan has recorded 958 cases of COVID-19, 842 of which have been classified as imported. Of the total, 926 patients have recovered, nine have died, and 23 remain in hospital, CECC data shows.

Also on Wednesday, the CECC reclassified Australia from low-to-moderate risk of COVID-19 to low risk, allowing short-term business travelers from the country to further shorten their quarantine periods.

In Taiwan, business travelers from countries deemed to be low-to-moderate or low risk for COVID-19 can apply to have their quarantine shortened from the normal 14 days, as long as they take a self-paid COVID-19 test at the end of the quarantine period and it comes back negative.

Those from low-risk countries can apply to have their quarantine lifted on the fifth day after their arrival, while those from low-to-moderate risk countries can do so after seven days.

The current list of countries and regions the CECC deems to be at low risk of COVID-19 are New Zealand, Macau, Palau, Fiji, Brunei, Laos, Nauru, Timor-Leste, Mauritius, the Marshall Islands, Bhutan and Australia.

The CECC listed Singapore, Vietnam and Cambodia as being of low-to-moderate risk.