The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported 47 domestic cases of COVID-19 infection, three imported cases and 13 deaths, and said that it would compile industry-specific disease prevention guidelines as the nation works toward an easing of restrictions.
Of the local infections, 22 are male and 25 female, with an onset of symptoms between Tuesday last week and Wednesday, the center said.
New Taipei City recorded the most local transmissions, with 20 cases, followed by Taipei with 18 cases, Taoyuan with five, Kaohsiung with two, and Hsinchu city and county with one each, the center said.
Photo: Screen grab from Facebook
Twenty-eight of the local cases had known sources of infection, three had unclear links with other cases and 16 were under investigation, it said.
The imported cases were two Indonesian fishermen and a Philippine fisherman, the center said.
The Indonesians, in their 20s and 30s, were on a boat that returned to Taiwan on June 16, it said, adding that they were tested for COVID-19 on Tuesday before completing their quarantine period.
The Filipino, in his 30s, checked into a quarantine hotel on June 16 to isolate himself after a fisher on his boat tested positive for COVID-19, the center said, adding that he was tested on Tuesday before completing his isolation period.
No contact tracing was necessary for the fishers, it added.
The 13 deaths occurred between June 17 and Wednesday, the center said, adding that the seven men and six women aged 50 to 89 had underlying health conditions and symptoms that started between May 14 and June 18.
As of yesterday, Taiwan had a total of 14,853 confirmed COVID-19 cases — 1,175 imported and 13,625 domestic — with 661 deaths, CECC data showed.
Of the total, 13,549 cases were confirmed between May 11 and Tuesday, while 10,306 cases, or 76.1 percent, have been released from isolation, the center said.
The center would compile disease prevention guidelines specific to certain industries, especially how businesses should respond if employees test positive, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the CECC, told a daily news briefing in Taipei.
The food and beverage industry — including restaurants and night markets — would be among those to receive updated instructions, he said.
The guidelines would aim to prepare for a potential easing of restrictions after July 12, he said.
A decision on lowering the nationwide level 3 pandemic alert would depend on whether the overall COVID-19 situation is under control, Chen said.
Over the past few weeks, about 0.1 to 0.2 percent of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests conducted have returned positive for COVID-19, said Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞), who is deputy head of the CECC’s medical response division.
About 30,000 PCR tests are being conducted daily, he said, adding that the nation has the capacity to conduct up to 120,000 tests per day.
As of Wednesday, 2,043,218 COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered — 2,001,418 first doses and 41,800 second doses, CECC data showed.
The nation’s COVID-19 vaccine coverage is about 8.52 percent, the center said.
AIR SUPPORT: The Ministry of National Defense thanked the US for the delivery, adding that it was an indicator of the White House’s commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) and Representative to the US Alexander Yui on Friday attended a delivery ceremony for the first of Taiwan’s long-awaited 66 F-16C/D Block 70 jets at a Lockheed Martin Corp factory in Greenville, South Carolina. “We are so proud to be the global home of the F-16 and to support Taiwan’s air defense capabilities,” US Representative William Timmons wrote on X, alongside a photograph of Taiwanese and US officials at the event. The F-16C/D Block 70 jets Taiwan ordered have the same capabilities as aircraft that had been upgraded to F-16Vs. The batch of Lockheed Martin
GRIDLOCK: The National Fire Agency’s Special Search and Rescue team is on standby to travel to the countries to help out with the rescue effort A powerful earthquake rocked Myanmar and neighboring Thailand yesterday, killing at least three people in Bangkok and burying dozens when a high-rise building under construction collapsed. Footage shared on social media from Myanmar’s second-largest city showed widespread destruction, raising fears that many were trapped under the rubble or killed. The magnitude 7.7 earthquake, with an epicenter near Mandalay in Myanmar, struck at midday and was followed by a strong magnitude 6.4 aftershock. The extent of death, injury and destruction — especially in Myanmar, which is embroiled in a civil war and where information is tightly controlled at the best of times —
Taiwan was ranked the fourth-safest country in the world with a score of 82.9, trailing only Andorra, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar in Numbeo’s Safety Index by Country report. Taiwan’s score improved by 0.1 points compared with last year’s mid-year report, which had Taiwan fourth with a score of 82.8. However, both scores were lower than in last year’s first review, when Taiwan scored 83.3, and are a long way from when Taiwan was named the second-safest country in the world in 2021, scoring 84.8. Taiwan ranked higher than Singapore in ninth with a score of 77.4 and Japan in 10th with
China's military today said it began joint army, navy and rocket force exercises around Taiwan to "serve as a stern warning and powerful deterrent against Taiwanese independence," calling President William Lai (賴清德) a "parasite." The exercises come after Lai called Beijing a "foreign hostile force" last month. More than 10 Chinese military ships approached close to Taiwan's 24 nautical mile (44.4km) contiguous zone this morning and Taiwan sent its own warships to respond, two senior Taiwanese officials said. Taiwan has not yet detected any live fire by the Chinese military so far, one of the officials said. The drills took place after US Secretary