Taiwan has over the past week reported 79 COVID-19 cases involving the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, bringing the total number of such cases to 138, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said on Friday.
Several daily imported case records have been posted over the past few weeks, and the rising number of Omicron cases reflects the growing global share of the highly infectious variant. Of the 202 imported cases reported in the seven days until Friday, genome sequencing showed that 79 were Omicron cases, while only five were Delta cases, said Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞), deputy head of the CECC’s medical response division.
As for the remaining 118 imported cases, genome sequencing results were inconclusive or not yet available, he added.
Photo: REUTERS
CECC data showed that as of Friday, Taiwan had confirmed 145 Omicron cases — seven domestic and 138 imported — and 303 Delta cases — 52 domestic and 251 imported.
Of the 138 imported Omicron cases, 84 arrived from the US, 12 from the UK and eight from Kazakhstan, Lo said.
Most of the Omicron cases were aged 20 to 39, and most of them were fully vaccinated, he said.
All imported Omicron cases tested positive in quarantine hotels or facilities, which suggests that there is a low risk of community spread, he said.
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the CECC, said that the center has no plans to tighten border controls.
The CECC does not consider the US a high-risk country, even though a large number of cases arrived from there, he said, adding that the number of US cases per capita would not justify such a step.
New York Times tallies of cases per capita last week identified the US as a global COVID-19 hot spot.
European countries had the highest number of average daily cases per capita, with Greece averaging 336 cases per 100,000 people per day and France 308 daily cases per 100,000 people, the tallies showed.
The US’ 182 daily cases per 100,000 inhabitants was about on a par with Australia and Spain, the Times said.
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