CORONAVIRUS/Taiwan reports 65,446 new COVID-19 cases, 17 deaths

05/12/2022 03:04 PM

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Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung at Wednesday's COVID-19 press briefing. Photo courtesy of the CECC

Taipei, May 12 (CNA) Taiwan's single-day COVID-19 cases exceeded 60,000 for the first time on Thursday, with 65,446 new cases and 17 deaths from the disease, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).

The new cases consisted of 65,385 domestically transmitted infections and 61 contracted abroad, the CECC said.

The 17 people who died of COVID-19 complications reported Thursday were nine men and eight women in their 60s to 90s. They tested positive between April 29 and May 9, and passed away between May 5 and May 10, according to CECC data.

Among them, 15 had underlying medical conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, stroke, and cancer, according to CECC data.

Only six of the 17 had not received any doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, while the rest had been inoculated with at least one dose, CECC data showed.

The CECC also reported Thursday that 61 patients had developed moderate symptoms and 18 had developed severe symptoms.

Of the 478,870 domestic cases recorded in Taiwan from Jan. 1 to May 11, 805 have been classified as moderate infections and 168 as severe, accounting for 0.17 percent and 0.04 percent of the total, respectively, according to CECC data.

More doses of the Moderna vaccine have been administered in Taiwan than the government has officially received because recipients of the Moderna booster shot are given half the standard dose of the first and second jab.

In all the other cases, the patients were either asymptomatic or had only mild symptoms, the CECC said.

For Thursday, New Taipei reported the highest number of domestic cases -- 23,788 -- followed by Taipei with 10,751, Taoyuan with 10,039, Taichung with 3,830, and Kaohsiung with 3,261.

Tainan reported 2,332 cases, Keelung 1,876, Hsinchu County 1,348, Hualien County 1,259, Yilan County 1,186, Pingtung County 1,061, Changhua County 1,000, Hsinchu City 851, Miaoli County 760, Yunlin County 613, Taitung County 392, Chiayi County 362, Nantou County 354, and Chiayi City 172.

Kinmen County reported 78 cases, Penghu County 67, and the Matsu Islands five.

Meanwhile, of the 61 new imported cases, 40 were travelers who tested positive on arrival in Taiwan, according to the CECC.

To date, Taiwan has confirmed 570,870 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began in early 2020, including 558,764 domestically transmitted infections.

With the 17 deaths reported Thursday, the number of confirmed COVID-19 fatalities in the country reached 968, with 115 recorded this year.

(By William Yen)

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