Foreign
TAIWAN’S Central Epidemic Command Centre (CECC) announced on Tuesday that strict COVID-19-related controls would be extended to June 14, but refrained from imposing tighter restrictions.
CECC Chief Chen Shih-Chung said there were an additional 281 domestic cases, along with two imported infections, and 261 confirmed cases that were retroactively adjusted from testing in previous days.
With a population of 23.6 million, Taiwan now recorded a total of 5,456 Coronavirus cases, with 35 deaths, mostly elderly victims with cancer, heart disease, diabetes or other chronic illnesses.
Chen, who is also health minister, said the combined figures showed that the number of cases had declined from a peak of 510 on May 17.
He noted that since pandemic conditions have not dramatically worsened, “we have no plans to further tighten controls’’.
But the CECC chief said that positive rates remained high and there remained a gap between testing and confirmation.
He also warned that there may still be latent family and community transmissions.
“We cannot afford to relax regulatory measures,’’ he said.
The CECC chief stated that the Executive Yuan, Taiwan’s Cabinet, would soon issue a package of assistance programs to help businesses, such as restaurants, as well as workers and other affected persons.
Chen also said that Taiwan expected to import two million doses of vaccines in June and 10 million more by the end of August.
The health and welfare minister declined to disclose the sources of the vaccines for the sake of ensuring that the suppliers were received on schedule, adding that the suppliers faced intense pressure. (dpa/NAN)
– May 25, 2021 @ 11:08 GMT
Tags: Taiwan extends virus controls to June 14 but doesn’t tighten measures
