The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported four imported cases of COVID-19, but no local infections or deaths, as it reminded people who are eligible for the 11th round of the national vaccination program to book an appointment before midday today.
Deputy Minister of the Interior Chen Tsung-yen (陳宗彥), deputy head of the center, said that the four imported cases are two men and two women aged 20 to 40 who arrived from Bulgaria, Malaysia and the US on Sept. 28.
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞), deputy chief of the CECC’s medical response division, said that among the four, a woman who arrived from the US as of July had received two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, so hers is considered a “breakthrough” infection.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
Testing showed that the woman had a high cycle threshold (CT) value of 35, indicating a low viral load, and as she tested positive during quarantine, she poses a low infection risk to the local community, Lo said.
Meanwhile, contact tracing associated with a local case reported on Monday — Taiwan’s case No. 16,411, a preschool teacher who lives in New Taipei City — has now resulted in 80 people ordered into home isolation, one person told to practice self-health management and 37 people undergoing self-health monitoring, Chen said.
Among 118 people required to undergo testing for COVID-19, 113 people had been tested, with 106 testing negative and seven waiting for results, he said, adding that five are to be tested soon.
Regarding the 11th round of vaccinations, as of 1pm yesterday 929,550 people among 1,171,154 eligible recipients (79.3 percent) for a first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine had booked an appointment, while 664,213 people among 970,244 eligible recipients (68.4 percent) for a second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine had booked, Chen said.
People who are eligible should book an appointment before midday today, he said, adding that vaccination sessions are to start on Friday and run through Thursday next week.
Asked about the CECC’s plans for the 12th round of vaccinations, CDC Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), the CECC’s spokesperson, said that the details are being finalized and will be announced today.
About 1.74 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, more than 1 million AstraZeneca shots and about 1.13 million Moderna jabs will be offered in the 12th round, Chuang said.
People must have registered on the 1922.gov.tw national online COVID-19 vaccination system before midday today to be included in the 12th round, he added.
A total of 309,885 vaccine doses were administered over the Double Ten National Day long weekend, bringing the nation’s first-dose vaccination coverage to 58.72 percent, CECC data showed.
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