CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 outbreak expected to peak in mid-July in Taiwan: CDC

Taipei, July 9 (CNA) The COVID-19 outbreak in Taiwan is projected to peak in mid-July, with weekly clinic or emergency room visits expected to soar to 130,000, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Tuesday.

Taiwan recorded 987 new domestic COVID-19 cases with moderate to severe complications between July 2-8, which was 6 percent higher than the previous week (931 cases) and the highest weekly level this year, CDC spokesperson Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) said at a weekly briefing.

Meanwhile, 99 new deaths were reported last week, the highest weekly number during the Omicron outbreak, which began in early June, she said.

According to CDC data, the JN.1 sub-variant still accounted for the largest share of COVID cases last week despite showing a decline, accounting for 38 percent of domestic cases and 39 percent of imported cases.

The KP.2 strain accounted for 23 percent of local cases and 24 percent of overseas cases, LB.1 for 18 percent and 7 percent, and KP.3 for 14 percent and 20 percent, respectively, CDC data showed.