A 9-Year-Old and a Senior in Their 70s Die as COVID-19 Resurges in This Country

As COVID-19 recently experiences a resurgence worldwide, Taiwan, which was hailed as a model of epidemic prevention during the pandemic, is seeing a sharp spike in confirmed cases once again.

According to Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (CDC) under the Ministry of Health and Welfare on the 29th, the number of COVID-19 emergency room visits reached 10,605 over the past week starting from the 19th, marking a significant increase from the previous week's 7,534.

In addition, over the past week, 42 severe cases occurred—including a 7-month-old infant—among whom two people, a 9-year-old child and a senior in their 70s, died.

Authorities noted that patient numbers have risen for seven consecutive weeks and projected that the outbreak will peak at around 50,000 weekly cases by mid-next month, continuing through the end of September.

In particular, over 90 percent of the severe cases were found to be individuals aged 65 or older or those with underlying health conditions who had not received a vaccine since October of last year.

The COVID-19 variant currently spreading in Taiwan has been identified as NB.1.8.1, which holds the highest global share.

Amid growing anxiety over signs of a resurgence, the number of vaccine recipients last week surged more than threefold from the previous week to 7,607.

Authorities stated, "There is no problem with vaccine supply as more than 430,000 doses remain nationwide," adding, "We plan to proceed with additional shipments to local governments."

Meanwhile, Taiwan's health authorities remain on high alert following the country's first Japanese encephalitis death of the year, which occurred in mid-July when a patient in their 70s succumbed to the disease.

(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.