People with COVID-19 who are under home care and in need of urgent medical treatment can be accompanied by another COVID-19 case to the hospital, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday, as it reported 84,587 new local cases and 59 deaths.
Most of the asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 cases reported since late last month were put under home care — recovering at home in isolation — and have been allowed to seek emergency medical treatment.
Given that other members of one household often become infected with COVID-19 when one member tests positive, the center was being asked whether an infected member could accompany a housemate to the hospital, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said yesterday.
Confirmed cases who are under home care are advised to seek medical attention through telemedicine, but if they cannot book an appointment or need emergency treatment at a hospital, they can contact a local health department in advance and go to the hospital using private transport or a disease prevention vehicle.
An infected housemate is allowed to accompany a person in need of treatment to the hospital, he said, adding that they should wear a mask throughout the trip, inform the check-in counter of their positive status and avoid conversing in the hospital.
Meanwhile, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director-General Chou Jih-haw (周志浩), head of the CECC’s disease surveillance division, said 84,587 new local cases and 52 imported cases were reported yesterday, and 59 deaths were confirmed.
Photo: CNA
CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞), deputy chief of the CECC’s medical response division, said 153 new moderate cases and 70 new severe cases were reported yesterday, and 12 previously moderate cases developed into severe cases.
Of the 59 deaths, 56 people had underlying health conditions, 29 were unvaccinated and 43 had not received a booster shot, he said, adding that 34 people were aged 80 or older.
There are three cases of concern among the severe cases, including a woman in her 20s who has cancer and received two doses of a vaccine; she had pneumonia and difficulty breathing for five days after infection, but has been discharged from hospital after recovering, Lo said.
Another case is a five-year-old boy who has chronic muscular disease, and was taken to an emergency room after suffering leg pain and syncope. He was found to have pneumonia, a low blood oxygen level and cerebral edema. He was intubated and transferred to a pediatric unit at another hospital.
The third case is a nine-month-old infant who does not have underlying health issues, but had a fever, severe cough and loss of vitality. He later experienced a high fever and difficulty breathing, and was taken to an emergency room, where he was put on a ventilator.
The infant has been removed from the ventilator, but remained in an intensive care unit, Lo said.
The manufacture of the remaining 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks Taiwan purchased from the US has recently been completed, and they are expected to be delivered within the next one to two months, a source said yesterday. The Ministry of National Defense is arranging cargo ships to transport the tanks to Taiwan as soon as possible, said the source, who is familiar with the matter. The estimated arrival time ranges from late this month to early next month, the source said. The 28 Abrams tanks make up the third and final batch of a total of 108 tanks, valued at about NT$40.5 billion
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
A group from the Taiwanese Designers in Australia association yesterday represented Taiwan at the Midsumma Pride March in Melbourne. The march, held in the St. Kilda suburb, is the city’s largest LGBTQIA+ parade and the flagship event of the annual Midsumma Festival. It attracted more than 45,000 spectators who supported the 400 groups and 10,000 marchers that participated this year, the association said. Taiwanese Designers said they organized a team to march for Taiwan this year, joining politicians, government agencies, professionals and community organizations in showing support for LGBTQIA+ people and diverse communities. As the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex
MOTIVES QUESTIONED The PLA considers Xi’s policies toward Taiwan to be driven by personal considerations rather than military assessment, the Epoch Times reports Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) latest purge of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) leadership might have been prompted by the military’s opposition to plans of invading Taiwan, the Epoch Times said. The Chinese military opposes waging war against Taiwan by a large consensus, putting it at odds with Xi’s vision, the Falun Gong-affiliated daily said in a report on Thursday, citing anonymous sources with insight into the PLA’s inner workings. The opposition is not the opinion of a few generals, but a widely shared view among the PLA cadre, the Epoch Times cited them as saying. “Chinese forces know full well that