CORONAVIRUS/CDC issues COVID-19 warning as Dragon Boat Festival long weekend begins

Taipei, May 30 (CNA) Members of the public should not let their guard down on COVID-19 and seek medical help if they experience symptoms that indicate risk of severe infection, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Friday, the first day of the Dragon Boat Festival long weekend in Taiwan.

In a statement, the CDC advised people to wear a mask when visiting health facilities, crowded indoor venues, and when taking public transport, urging everyone to thoroughly wash their hands because of the higher risk of contracting COVID-19 during the three-day holiday.

COVID-19 patients experiencing mild or no symptoms should stay at home, wear a mask if they need to go out and be mindful of whether their symptoms require a visit to a doctor, the CDC said.

Meanwhile, the 21 public hospitals under the supervision of the Hospital and Social Welfare Organizations Administration Commission will run special COVID-19 clinics starting Sunday.

Wang Yu-wei (王裕煒), a deputy CEO at the commission under the Ministry of Health and Welfare, told reporters Friday that special COVID-19 clinics have been scheduled on weekday mornings and evenings, as well as Saturday mornings in June and July.

People can go to hospital emergency rooms outside clinic hours or on public holidays, Wang said.

However, Feng Yuan Hospital in Taichung, Taipei Hospital in New Taipei, and Tainan Hospital in Tainan said in statements dated May 29 on their respective website that their COVID-19 clinics will begin on Monday.

All three hospitals still operate limited clinics on Saturday morning, according to the hospitals.

The CDC advised people to seek immediate medical attention if they experience any of the following symptoms: shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; persistent chest tightness or chest pain; confusion or delirium; blue discoloration of the skin, lips, or fingertips; little or no urination for 24 hours; difficulty eating, drinking, or swallowing medication; a heart rate of 100 beats per minute or higher without a fever; or low blood pressure.

In children, people need to watch out for symptoms including a fever exceeding 48 hours, or a temperature above 39 degrees Celsius accompanied by cold sweats or chills; low levels of physical activity after a fever; and persistent vomiting, headache or abdominal pain, according to the CDC.

Immediate medical attention is required when a child has seizures, shows signs of a sunken chest, has a fever of over 41 degrees, walks unsteadily, or has trouble staying awake or waking up, the CDC added.

On Thursday, the CDC reported a surge in COVID-19 vaccinations, with 15,332 people inoculated around Taiwan the day before, marking the highest daily total this year.

The surge coincides with a growing weekly number of hospital visits linked to COVID-19, which reached 41,402 in the week starting May 18 -- much higher than the 23,555 recorded a year earlier.