The Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 of SARS-CoV-2 could cause a new wave of local infections next month or in September, newly appointed Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) head Victor Wang (王必勝) said yesterday.
Wang made the prediction in response to media queries as the center reported 17,549 local and 454 imported COVID-19 cases, as well as 48 deaths.
Forty-six cases of the two new subvariants — 40 BA.5 and six BA.4 — were confirmed last week, said Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞), deputy chief of the CECC’s medical response division.
Photo courtesy of the CECC
Among the imported cases who underwent genome sequencing, 86.4 percent were infected with the subvariants — 74.5 percent with BA.5 and 11.8 percent with BA.4, showing that BA.5 is becoming a dominant strain, he said.
Lo said the center has revised the ratio of local cases to imported cases slated for genome sequencing to 7:3 to better detect new subvariants spreading in local communities.
CDC Director-General Chou Jih-haw (周志浩), head of the CECC’s disease surveillance division, said the high number of imported cases reported yesterday was due to a data revision error that occurred while the nation’s quarantine policy was being modified on Thursday, which led to some cases being excluded from the data.
Cases that were excluded over the past three days have been added to the total number of imported cases, he said.
The cases have been placed in isolation, he added.
During the news conference, former minister of health and welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who headed the CECC for 911 days since Jan. 23, 2020, presented Wang with the vest of the CECC head as he symbolically handed over his post.
Chen said CECC division heads, including Wang, have held meetings nearly every day since the pandemic began, becoming an experienced team that works well together.
Wang said Deputy Minister of the Interior Chen Tsung-yen (陳宗彥), who was CECC deputy head, has also resigned from his post, and the center plans to announce his replacement as soon as a candidate is approved by the Executive Yuan.
Wang said the CECC’s duties include monitoring the global pandemic situation; reviewing and revising Taiwan’s COVID-19 restrictions, including border measures, quarantine policy and non-pharmaceutical interventions; and administering vaccines, including increasing booster coverage, and securing next-generation vaccines.
The center is also preparing disease prevention resources; developing advanced measures to better protect high-risk groups, such as elderly people and children; improving its information systems; and enhancing communication channels with local governments, he said.
“The CECC will continue to do its job of preventing disease,” he said. “Our main goal is to allow people to fully return to their normal lives.”
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS