CORONAVIRUS/Taiwan reports 65,011 new COVID-19 cases, 41 deaths

05/13/2022 03:36 PM

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Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung at Friday's COVID-19 press briefing. Image from Centers for Disease Control's YouTube channel

Taipei, May 13 (CNA) Taiwan saw its single-day COVID-19 cases surpass 60,000 for the second straight day on Friday, with the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) reporting 65,011 new cases and 41 deaths from the disease.

The new cases consisted of 64,972 domestically transmitted infections and 39 cases that were contracted abroad, the CECC said.

Of the 41 people reported on Friday to have died of COVID-19 complications, 18 were men and 23 were women who ranged in age from their 50s to their 90s. They tested positive between April 8 and May 10, and passed away between May 2 and May 10, according to CECC data.

Among them, 21 were unvaccinated against COVID-19, while six had received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, two had received two doses, and 12 had received three doses, according to CECC data.

A total of 40 people out of the 41 who died had underlying medical conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic lung disease, chronic kidney disease, stroke, and cancer, according to CECC data.

The CECC also reported Friday that an additional 165 patients had developed moderate symptoms and 52 had developed severe symptoms.

Of the 544,161 domestic cases recorded in Taiwan from Jan. 1 to May 12, 965 have been classified as moderate infections and 225 as severe, accounting for 0.18 percent and 0.04 percent of the total, respectively, according to CECC data.

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

The figures do not include imported cases reclassified as domestic ones, nor retroactively removed cases. As of May 13, Taiwan recorded 609,133 domestic cases in 2022, while the total number of imported cases rose to 12,092 from 2,396 on Jan. 1.

On Friday, New Taipei reported the highest number of domestic cases -- 22,483 -- followed by Taipei with 11,613, Taoyuan with 9,434, Taichung with 3,708, and Kaohsiung with 3,664.

Tainan reported 2,357 cases, Keelung 2,036, Hsinchu County 1,626, Yilan County 1,425, Changhua County 1,169, Pingtung County 1,154, Hualien County 1,008, Miaoli County 742, Yunlin County 580, Hsinchu City 579, Taitung County 348, Nantou County 317, Chiayi County 314, and Chiayi City 228.

Penghu County reported 104, Kinmen County 65, and the Matsu Islands 18.

Meanwhile, of the 39 new imported cases, 34 were travelers who tested positive on arrival in Taiwan, according to the CECC.