The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported 17,949 new local COVID-19 cases, 117 imported cases and 36 deaths from the disease.
The number of daily cases is likely to exceed 20,000 next week, it added.
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), who is the CECC spokesperson, said the number of local cases yesterday was 16.1 percent higher than that reported on Saturday last week.
Photo: CNA
Cases this week increased by about 10 percent compared with the previous week, and new cases next week are expected to rise by about 10 to 15 percent.
People who are attending Christmas events are advised to wear a mask if they cannot practice social distancing in crowded venues, and to rest at home if they experience symptoms.
Of the 36 deaths reported yesterday, 32 had cancer or other chronic diseases, 26 did not get a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 17 were unvaccinated, the CECC’s data showed.
One death reported yesterday was an unvaccinated man in his 40s, who was living alone in a rented apartment without contact with his family, and tested positive for COVID-19 upon discovery of his body on June 27, Chuang said, adding that it is unclear whether he had underlying health conditions.
The local health department reported the case this month after a lengthy investigation, determining the cause of death to be cardiogenic shock with COVID-19 infection, he said.
Separately, the CECC yesterday rejected a claim by a media personality on Friday that President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and three top government officials last year had postponed the delivery of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines by six weeks.
The accusation was that the government insisted the vaccine should not be labeled with the Chinese name for the tradename Comirnaty — 復必泰 — and that they asked for a label showing the Chinese name to be removed when the shipment arrived.
A statement issued by the CECC denied the allegation.
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