The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported 334 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, 256 backlogged local cases and six deaths, while adding that its specialist advisory panel has suggested extending the nationwide level 3 alert.
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said the new local infections were 157 males and 177 females, who suffered the onset of symptoms between May 10 and Sunday.
Most of the cases live in New Taipei City — 177, including 43 in Banciao District (板橋) — followed by 99 cases in Taipei, including 38 in Wanhua District (萬華), 19 in Taoyuan, 12 in Changhua City, seven each in Keelung and Taichung, five in Kaohsiung, three each in Pingtung County and Tainan, and one each in Nantou and Hsinchu counties, he said.
Photo: Chen Yen-ting, Taipei Times
The backlogged cases were 157 males and 99 females, with the onset of symptoms having occurred between May 14 and Saturday.
Among them, 148 live in Taipei, including 76 in Wanhua, 99 live in New Taipei City, including 34 in Banciao, six in Taoyuan, two in Miaoli County and one in Taichung, he said.
Of the 590 cases reported yesterday, 200 had recently visited Wanhua, 34 were linked to a cluster at teahouses in the district, 150 were linked to other previously reported clusters or had a clear infection source, 101 had an unclear connection to previous cases and 105 were still being investigated.
Photo: CNA
The six deaths were four men and two women, who were in their 60s and 70s, tested positive between Monday last week and Sunday, and died between Wednesday last week and Saturday, CECC data showed.
Four of them had chronic diseases.
Of the 17 deaths reported since May 14, 14 victims had chronic diseases, two did not have a chronic illness and one remains unclear, the center said, adding that seven died of cardiac arrest outside hospital, while the other 10 died in hospital, with three testing positive for COVID-19 after death.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞), deputy head of the CECC’s medical response division, said 88 patients yesterday were dependent on ventilators, an increase of 18 from Sunday.
Among the 3,255 people confirmed with COVID-19 since April 15, 335 had suffered severe symptoms, or 10.3 percent of cases, Lo said, adding that of those aged 60 or older, 234 of 1,228 cases had suffered severe symptoms, or 19.1 percent.
The data showed that elderly people are at higher risk of severe illness, so those aged 65 or older would be included on the CECC’s priority list for vaccinations, the CECC said.
Based on the adjusted data including the backlogged cases, Chen said the onset of symptoms of infected patients peaked between May 15 and Monday last week.
Hopefully, the backlog of pending tests could be cleared this week, allowing the CECC to assess the situation more accurately, he said.
The CECC’s specialist advisory panel has suggested extending the level 3 alert, but the details are still being discussed, Chen said.
The level 3 alert was imposed nationwide on Wednesday last week, four days after it took effect in Taipei and New Taipei City.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of the Interior Chen Tsung-yen (陳宗彥), who is deputy head of the CECC, said that the center and local governments had reached a consensus on setting up COVID-19 intensive care units at designated hospitals and a “green channel” for transferring patients from quarantine facilities to hospitals.
Chen Shih-chung said that COVID-19 patients with no symptoms or mild symptoms had been isolated at centralized quarantine facilities or enhanced quarantine hotels, but if their condition suddenly worsened, the “green channel” would ensure that they would be immediately transferred to a hospital.
As most cases have been reported in Taipei and New Taipei City, the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Department of Medical Affairs and six regional Emergency Operation Centers would coordinate the arrangements for intensive care units to admit COVID-19 patients from the two cities, Lo said.
Large hospitals in each county and city are required to prepare 10 to 20 COVID-19 intensive care units and accept patients sent by the CECC, he said.
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