The Omicron BA.5 subvariant of SARS-CoV-2 accounted for about 80.5 percent of genetically sequenced local cases last week, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday.
It also confirmed 28,513 new local and 272 imported cases, along with 56 deaths, said Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director-General Chou Jih-haw (周志浩), head of the CECC’s disease surveillance division.
Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝), who heads the CECC, said weekly local caseloads rose for five consecutive weeks before falling 3 percent in the past week.
Photo courtesy of the Central Epidemic Command Center
The local COVID-19 outbreak might have plateaued and the center is monitoring the number of new cases to look for signs of a decline, he said.
The youngest fatality confirmed yesterday was a seven-month-old girl who had chronic nervous system disorder and metabolic disease.
She died three days after the onset of symptoms, said CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞), deputy head of the CECC’s medical response division.
Of the 159 local cases that were chosen for genome sequencing last week, 128 people, or 80.5 percent, had the BA.5 subvariant, while the rest had BA.2.
As BA.5 has become the dominant subvariant circulating in the nation, it is expected to account for an even higher percentage of cases in the coming days, he said.
Genome sequencing also showed that a child who was treated for encephalitis also had the BA.5 subvariant, the first reported instance of the subvariant causing encephalitis in a child, Lo said.
The boy was reported as a severe COVID-19 case on Aug. 31 and was discharged from hospital on Sept. 14 following recovery.
Asked whether Taiwan would follow Hong Kong’s example and implement a “0+3” self-monitoring scheme for international arrivals, Lo said that Taiwan’s “0+7” rule, which takes effect on Oct. 13, is less strict.
Hong Kong no longer requires quarantine for arrivals, but they must take four polymerase chain reaction tests within seven days of arriving, and cannot visit stores, restaurants or crowded public venues, Lo said.
Hong Kong also requires four days of self-monitoring, he added.
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