The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported 16 new locally transmitted COVID-19 infections and no deaths, while saying that 30.97 percent of the population has been vaccinated.
Of the local cases, 13 were male and three female with an onset of symptoms reported between Sunday and Wednesday, it said.
New Taipei City recorded seven cases, while Taipei had five, Kaohsiung had two, and Taoyuan and Chiayi City had one each, the center said.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
Fourteen of the local cases had known sources of infection, while two had unclear links with confirmed cases, it said.
One of two new imported cases is a Taiwanese man in his 30s who returned from the US on Tuesday, the center said.
The other is a Taiwanese man in his 70s who had lived in Cambodia for an extended period, the center added.
The new cases bring the nation’s total to 15,637 — 14,158 of which are locally transmitted infections reported since May 15, when the country first recorded more than 100 COVID-19 cases in a single day.
To date, 787 people have died of COVID-19 in Taiwan, including 775 since May 15.
“The nation’s overall COVID-19 situation continues to head in a more-controlled direction,” Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, told a daily news briefing in Taipei.
As of Wednesday, 7,588,692 COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered in the nation — 7,273,091 first doses and 315,601 second doses, CECC data showed.
Of the population, 30.97 percent have been vaccinated, or 32.31 doses administered per 100 people, Chen said.
As of 5pm yesterday, 9,890,412 people had registered their intent to be inoculated against COVID-19 on the national online booking system, the center said.
On 1922.gov.tw, 5.52 percent had opted to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine — one of three options now available, along with the Moderna vaccine and the vaccine manufactured by local drugmaker Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp (高端疫苗).
Another 39.11 percent had opted to receive the Moderna vaccine, while 1.3 percent had opted to receive the Medigen vaccine, the center said.
Meanwhile, 48.09 percent of those registered said they were willing to receive either the AstraZeneca or the Moderna vaccine, while 0.23 percent said that they would receive AstraZeneca or Medigen, and 0.97 percent said they would receive Moderna or Medigen, it added.
The center said that 4.78 percent of those registered opted to to receive whichever vaccine was available.
On Tuesday, the Medigen COVID-19 vaccine was added on the site as an option for people aged 20 or older.
Additional reporting by CNA
Japan has deployed long-range missiles in a southwestern region near China, the Japanese defense minister said yesterday, at a time when ties with Beijing are at their lowest in recent years. The missiles were installed in Kumamoto in the southern region of Kyushu, as Japan is attempting to shore up its military capacity as China steps up naval activity in the East China Sea. “Standoff defense capabilities enable us to counter the threat of enemy forces attempting to invade our country ... while ensuring the safety of our personnel,” Japanese Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi said. “This is an extremely important initiative for
MORE POPULAR: Taiwan Pass sales increased by 59 percent during the first quarter compared with the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said The Tourism Administration yesterday said that it has streamlined the Taiwan Pass, with two versions available for purchase beginning today. The tourism agency has made the pass available to international tourists since 2024, allowing them to access the high-speed rail, Taiwan Railway Corp services, four MRT systems and four Taiwan Tourist Shuttles. Previously, five types of Taiwan Pass were available, but some tourists have said that the offerings were too complicated. The agency said only two types of Taiwan Pass would be available, starting from a three-day pass with the high-speed rail and a three-day pass with Taiwan Railway Corp. The former costs NT$2,800
POLLS CONCERNS: There are concerns within the KMT that a Cheng Li-wun-Xi Jinping meeting could trigger a voter backlash in elections in November Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) accepted an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to visit next month, her party and Chinese state media reported yesterday. Cheng, who took up her role in November last year, “gladly accepted” the invitation to lead a delegation to China, the KMT said in a statement, confirming a Xinhua news agency report. Cheng “looks forward to joint efforts by both parties to advance the peaceful development of cross-strait relations, promote cross-strait exchanges and cooperation, and work for peace in the Taiwan Strait and greater well-being for people on both sides,” the statement said. Chinese
SIGNIFICANT TO THE WORLD: The delegation’s visit aims to send a clear message that bipartisan support for Taiwan is consistent, US Senator Jeanne Shaheen said The US Senate’s bipartisan support for Taiwan remains strong and Taiwan-US ties would continue for decades to come, a US Senate delegation said in Taipei yesterday, while calling on the legislature to swiftly pass a special defense budget bill. A US delegation led by Democratic US Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Republican US Senator John Curtis — both members of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations — arrived in Taiwan yesterday for a two-day visit. The other senators of the delegation included Senate Taiwan Caucus cochair Thom Tillis and Senate Committee on Armed Services senior member Jacky Rosen. Shaheen told a news
RSS