A second batch of 910,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine arrived yesterday, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said.
The shipment — part of a donation of 15 million BioNTech doses purchased by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co’s Yonglin Foundation and the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation — landed at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 6:18am, the center said.
A first batch of about 930,000 doses arrived on Thursday last week. Together with yesterday’s doses, which expire on Jan. 17 next year, the nation has received about 1.84 million BioNTech doses.
Photo: CNA
Peopled aged 12 to 17 would be prioritized for the BioNTech vaccinations, while people aged 18 to 22 who have not yet been vaccinated, but have registered their willingness to do so, would have priority for the remaining doses, the center said.
Shots would be made available to other groups depending on the COVID-19 situation, the status of vaccinations and vaccine arrivals, it added.
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the CECC, thanked the private groups for their donation during a news conference in Taipei.
On Wednesday, 106,595 doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered, consisting of 95,773 AstraZeneca, 2,682 Moderna and 8,140 Medigen doses, the center said.
The CECC said that 11,660,683 doses have been administered, 10,652,241 first doses and 1,008,442 second doses.
About 45.39 percent of the population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, Chen said.
Chen added that the CECC has been trying to hasten deliveries of Moderna vaccines.
In other news, a group of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators on Wednesday urged the Ministry of Health and Welfare to issue subsidies and cash rewards to clinics, a move that would honor earlier government promises, while helping to keep clinics afloat during the pandemic.
They said in a joint statement that the efforts of frontline healthcare workers during an outbreak that started in May contributed greatly to stabilizing the nation, but also caused the clinics to lose business.
The CECC on July 22 announced that it would increase clinic administrative fees to NT$100 for each person vaccinated and would offer cash rewards to clinics based on the number of people they have served, the legislators said.
However, bureaucratic procedures and administrative processes led to a delay in the funding being delivered to clinics, making it difficult for them to operate, the statement said.
Some clinics have shut down temporarily due to financial troubles, the legislators said, calling on the ministry to issue cash subsidies to the clinics soon.
The statement was issued by legislators Chen Ming-wen (陳明文), Liu Chao-hao (劉櫂豪), Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政), Su Chih-fen (蘇治芬), Chuang Jui-hsiung (莊瑞雄), Chiang Yung-chang (江永昌), Tsai Yi-yu (蔡易餘), Wang Mei-hui (王美惠), Wu Yu-chin (吳玉琴), Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) and Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲).
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
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