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.
Taiwan is to commence mass production of the Tien Kung (天弓, “Sky Bow”) III, IV and V missiles by the second quarter of this year if the legislature approves the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special defense budget, an official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said that the advanced systems are expected to provide crucial capabilities against ballistic and cruise missiles for the proposed “T-Dome,” an advanced, multi-layered air defense network. The Tien Kung III is an air defense missile with a maximum interception altitude of 35km. The Tien Kung IV and V
The disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China’s large-scale military exercises was no accident, but rather the result of a “quasi-blockade” used to simulate creating the air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said. The disruptions occurred on Tuesday and lasted about 10 hours as China conducted live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the exercises affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the government-sponsored Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the air
A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were
Taiwan’s armed forces have established response protocols for a wide range of sudden contingencies, including the “Wan Chun Plan” to protect the head of state, the Ministry of Defense (MND) said today. After US President Donald Trump on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, concerns have been raised as to whether China would launch a similar “decapitation strike” on Taiwan. The armed forces regularly coordinate with relevant agencies and practice drills to ensure preparedness for a wide range of scenarios, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) told reporters before a
RSS