The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported 89,352 new local COVID-19 infections and 76 deaths, the highest daily death count.
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director-General Chou Jih-haw (周志浩), head of the CECC’s disease surveillance division, said that 37 imported cases were reported.
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the CECC, said that of the new local cases, 191 were moderate or severe, accounting for 0.17 and 0.06 percent respectively of all local cases this year.
Photo: CNA
CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞), deputy head of the CECC’s medical response division, said that 73 of the people whose deaths were confirmed yesterday had underlying health conditions, 31 were unvaccinated and 50 did not receive a booster shot of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Two of the deaths were people in their 30s, Lo said.
One was a woman with a cardiovascular disease who died of pneumonia and septic shock, he said, adding that she received only one vaccine dose.
The other was a man who had cancer and was unvaccinated, he said, adding that he died of pneumonia, respiratory failure and cancer.
A six-year-old boy was listed as a severe case, Lo said.
The boy has asthma and allergic rhinitis, Lo said.
The boy had a fever, chills and loss of appetite on Saturday last week after a family member was diagnosed with COVID-19, and later had consciousness issues, vomiting and convulsions, Lo said.
The boy was hospitalized with a fever of up to 42.7°C and low blood pressure, Lo said, adding that he tested positive for COVID-19 and was transferred to a pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) and intubated.
The boy developed pneumonia and brain edema, and was diagnosed with COVID-19-induced pneumonia and encephalitis, Lo said.
He is being treated with corticosteroids, immunomodulators, medication to lower intracranial pressure and remdesivir, Lo said.
There have been 15 severe cases of COVID-19 involving children in Taiwan this year, including seven with encephalitis, he said, adding that parents should watch for early signs of severe illness in children and consider getting them vaccinated if they are eligible.
Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for children aged five to 11 became available in some cities and counties yesterday.
CDC Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), the CECC’s spokesman, said that Taiwan received data from US biotech company Moderna showing that the dosage of its vaccine for children aged from six months to six years is one-quarter of that for adults.
A contract Taiwan signed with Moderna to purchase 20 million doses includes children’s vaccines, so if emergency use authorization is granted, they might be available after July, Chuang said.
Seperately, the Ministry of Education said it has no plans to end the elementary and junior-high school semester early, but it is revising its standards to suspend in-person classes at junior-high schools to match the standard for elementary schools and preschools.
The CECC would announce any changes, the ministry said.
Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良), head of the CECC’s medical response division, said that children aged 18 or younger account for about 20 percent of cases in Taiwan this year.
Data in other countries show that 0.03 to 0.07 percent of cases in the age group have been severe, but the rate is not as high in Taiwan, so parents do not have to be overly concerned, Shih said, adding that healthcare capacity for cases involving children has been expanded.
The government is aiming to recruit 1,096 foreign English teachers and teaching assistants this year, the Ministry of Education said yesterday. The foreign teachers would work closely with elementary and junior-high instructors to create and teach courses, ministry official Tsai Yi-ching (蔡宜靜) said. Together, they would create an immersive language environment, helping to motivate students while enhancing the skills of local teachers, she said. The ministry has since 2021 been recruiting foreign teachers through the Taiwan Foreign English Teacher Program, which offers placement, salary, housing and other benefits to eligible foreign teachers. Two centers serving northern and southern Taiwan assist in recruiting and training
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