39 new COVID-19 deaths reported: CDC

Taipei, June 24 (CNA) The number of domestic deaths related to COVID-19 rose to 39 over the past week, setting a new weekly high for 2025 with the ongoing outbreak remaining at a plateau, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Tuesday.

The death toll, which rose for the third consecutive week, was recorded between June 17 and June 23, during which 117 severe local cases caused by COVID-19 complications were reported, the CDC said at a regular press briefing in Taipei.

Meanwhile, the number of COVID-related medical visits totaled 64,176 from June 15-21, a 5.5 percent drop from 66,951 the previous week, marking the second straight week of decline, the agency said.

Among the severe cases was an unvaccinated 1-year-old girl with no underlying health conditions, who started coughing and then developed a fever and shortness of breath in late June, CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) said.

She was diagnosed with severe croup after being admitted to the emergency room and tested positive for COVID-19, Lin said.

The girl was later diagnosed with pneumonia caused by COVID-19 and received treatment in an intensive care unit before being transferred to a general ward when her condition improved.

The current outbreak is expected to ease in early July but could continue into late July or early August, according to CDC spokesperson Lo Yi-chun (羅一鈞).