The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported 12 locally transmitted COVID-19 infections and one imported case. No deaths from COVID-19 were reported yesterday.
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said seven of the local cases were reported in Taipei and five in New Taipei City.
Five of them tested positive during or upon ending isolation, and the infection sources of 10 cases have been identified, he said.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
The infection source of only one case was unclear and was being investigated — the lowest number of such daily cases since a local outbreak began in the middle of May, Chen said, adding that this indicates that the COVID-19 situation in Taiwan is under control.
However, the global COVID-19 situation is still serious, and everyone, regardless of whether they are vaccinated, should still keep their guard up, he said.
“Unless there are dramatic changes in the effects of medication or vaccines, or new COVID-19 variants, wearing a mask, frequently washing hands and social distancing will be part of our normal lives,” he said.
The imported case is a Taiwanese woman who returned from Myanmar, the CECC said.
Meanwhile, Chen said motels and hotels are required to notify the police if their guests hold parties or other types of gatherings that could increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
If they fail to alert the police, they could face fines or penalties from local authorities, according to the Act for the Development of Tourism (發展觀光條例) and the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act (毒品危害防制條例), he said.
If the behavior is considered a serious offense and “in violation of public order and social morality, or causing damage to national interests,” local authorities can suspend the hoteliers’ operations, or revoke their operating licenses or registration certificates, he said.
Among the 14,336 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in Taiwan from May 11 to yesterday morning, 87.6 percent have been released from isolation, CECC data showed.
The CECC was asked if healthcare facilities can resume some elective surgeries, as such operations were suspended since May to maintain sufficient medical capacity.
Chen said there are 457 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, so there are sufficient COVID-19 hospital rooms available.
The center has notified hospitals that they may gradually resume postponed medical procedures according to level of urgency, granted that they reserve a certain number of hospital beds for COVID-19 patients, he said.
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