TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Center for Disease Control (CDC) said on Tuesday (June 18) that the period of increased COVID-19 cases in Taiwan is expected to last until September as the number of confirmed cases nearly doubled week on week.

Between June 11 and 17 there were 623 confirmed cases of the virus, an increase of 329 compared to the week before, according to CDC figures. There were 38 deaths in the same period, up from 20 the previous week, per CNA.

Modelling shows that the current wave is expected to peak in August and cases will only begin to decline after September, CDC spokesperson Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) said at a press conference.

Epidemic prevention expert Lin Yun-ching (林詠青) said that two infants less than one year old were among those reported to be experiencing severe symptoms last week. However, he said that the number of infants experiencing complications from the virus in Taiwan is under 1%, and there is no obvious increasing trend indicating infants face a higher risk.

Lin said there have been increased cases globally and that most reported cases are of the JN.1 strain. He said confirmed cases of KP.2 and KP.3, derivatives of that strain, are also rising rapidly.

On June 11, the CDC urged the public to get the latest XBB COVID vaccine to prevent the spread of the virus.