TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) confirmed 22,902 local COVID cases on Tuesday (Aug. 16).
In addition, the center reported 16 deaths, the lowest since the Alpha outbreak on May 11, and 270 imported cases for Tuesday.
At the CECC's daily press briefing, Philip Lo (羅一鈞), deputy head of the CECC's medical response division, said there were no additional cases of children suffering multisystem inflammatory syndrome, also known as MIS-C, or severe cases after a COVID-19 infection.
The public are advised to wear a mask in crowded gathering spaces and keep good hygiene habits as the Omicron subvariant of BA.5 is 20-30% more infectious than BA.2, though symptoms between the two are similar and the former appears to be at lower risk of serious symptoms, said Lo.
Local cases
Local cases included 10,570 males, 12,322 females, and 10 cases still under investigation, ranging in age from under five to their 90s.
New Taipei City reported 4,515 cases, followed by 2,711 in Taichung City, 2,668 in Taipei City, 2,218 in Taoyuan City, 1,971 in Kaohsiung City, 1,659 in Tainan City, 1,132 in Changhua County, 765 in Miaoli County, 592 in Pingtung County, 581 in Hsinchu County, 571 in Yilan County, 564 in Yunlin County, 556 in Hsinchu City, 449 in Chiayi County, 442 in Hualien County, 388 in Nantou County, 335 in Keelung City, 292 in Chiayi City, 223 in Taitung County, 142 in Penghu County, 116 in Kinmen County, and 12 in Lienchiang County.
COVID deaths
The 16 deaths announced on Tuesday included nine males and seven females ranging in age from their 50s to 80s. All of these individuals were classified as severe cases and had a history of chronic disease, and 11 had not received their third dose of a COVID vaccine. Their dates of diagnosis ranged from June 27 to Aug. 13 and their dates of death were from June 10 to Aug. 13.
Imported cases
The 270 imported cases included 157 males and 113 females ranging in age from under 5 to their 80s.
Total COVID case statistics
Since the pandemic began, Taiwan has confirmed 4,927,754 cases, of which 23,776 were imported, 4,903,924 were local, 36 came from the Navy's "Goodwill Fleet," three from a cargo pilot cluster, one is unresolved, and 14 are under investigation.
So far, 9,473 individuals have succumbed to the disease, with 15 deaths reported among imported cases.
