CORONAVIRUS/Taiwan reports 21,737 new COVID-19 cases, 53 deaths

Taipei, Jan. 13 (CNA) Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) reported 21,737 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday and 53 deaths from the disease.

The deceased reported Friday ranged in age from their teens to their 90s. All but three had underlying health issues, while 26 of them were unvaccinated against COVID-19, the CECC said.

The youngest person reported dead from the disease was a 15-year-old boy who had gotten three COVID-19 vaccine jabs and had multiple chronic conditions, such as congenital heart disease.

He died from septic shock aroused by COVID-19, heart failure and congenital heart disease, the CECC said.

As of Friday, Taiwan has reported eight deaths in the 13-18 age group, including seven who died from pneumonia (all had health conditions) and one from myocarditis, during the three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, CECC data showed.

During the seven-day period from Jan. 7 to Jan. 13, a total of 310 COVID-19 deaths were reported, up 34.7 percent from the previous seven days, while total case numbers reported were down 13.6 percent.

Meanwhile, 11.9 percent (or 201) of the 1,685 arrivals on Wednesday from China tested positive for the disease, according to the CECC data.

Also on Friday, the CECC reported 117 new cases classified as moderate and 51 as severe.

Regional breakdown

Regionally, New Taipei recorded the highest number of new cases, with 4,412, followed by Taichung with 2,780 and Taoyuan with 2,493.

Taipei reported 2,435 new cases, Kaohsiung 2,406, Tainan 1,613, Changhua 875, Hsinchu County 676, Hsinchu City 538, Miaoli 481, Pingtung 445 and Keelung 370.

Yunlin had 370 cases, Yilan 347, Nantou 277, Chiayi County 270, Chiayi City 178, Hualien 162, Taitung 115, Kinmen 97, Penghu 43 and the Matsu Islands one, the CECC said.

To date, Taiwan has recorded 9,167,811 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began in early 2020, including 44,531 classified as imported.

With the 53 deaths reported on Friday, the number of confirmed COVID-19 fatalities in Taiwan rose to 15,755.

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Recent cases

Jan. 12: Taiwan reports 22,937 new COVID-19 cases, 48 deaths

Jan. 11: Taiwan reports 25,643 new COVID-19 cases, 46 deaths

Jan. 10: Taiwan reports single day high of 560 imported COVID-19 cases

Jan. 9: Taiwan reports 17,318 new COVID-19 cases, 40 deaths

Jan. 8: Taiwan reports 23,411 new COVID-19 cases, 36 deaths

Jan. 7: Taiwan reports 24,422 new COVID-19 cases, 61 deaths

Jan. 6: Taiwan's total COVID-19 cases top 9 million

Latest COVID-19 rules

● Taiwan begins testing travelers from China for COVID-19

● Revised protocol for hospital visits from Dec. 10

● Taiwan to stop paying COVID medical fees for certain foreign nationals

● Taiwan to remove weekly arrival cap on Dec. 10

● Taiwan's eased mask mandate takes effect on Dec. 1

● Taiwan cuts COVID isolation to 5 days, lifts workplace vaccine mandates (Nov. 14)

● Taiwan to further ease border rules for China, Hong Kong, Macau residents

● Taiwan's new COVID-19 regulations taking effect Nov. 7

● Taiwan's updated COVID-19 protocols for arriving travelers from Oct. 13