Domestic COVID-19 cases have not yet peaked: health minister
ROC Central News Agency
04/05/2022 07:17 PM
Taipei, April 5 (CNA) Taiwan's Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said Tuesday that the recent surge in domestic COVID-19 infections has not yet peaked, despite the daily high of 216 cases reported earlier in the day.
It was the fifth consecutive day that new domestic cases remained over 100, and it was also the highest daily number this year, breaking the previous record of 183 on April 3, according to data from the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
Chen said that because several chains of infections were still ongoing, he did not think the number of domestic cases in Taiwan had peaked.
He stressed, however, that there are adequate numbers of hospital beds and rooms at quarantine centers and hotels to accommodate infected COVID-19 patients.
The figures do not include imported cases reclassified as domestic ones, nor retroactively removed cases. As of April 5, Taiwan recorded 2,053 domestic cases in 2022, while the total number of imported cases rose to 8,148 from 2,375 on Dec. 31.
Currently, less than a third of the 3,854 beds on COVID-19 hospital wards around the county are in use, and only 60 percent of the 6,774 beds at designated quarantine centers and hotels are occupied, CECC data shows.
According to the health minister, an additional 5,000 hotel rooms could be made available, if necessary, so there is no need at this time to mandate home quarantine for COVID-19 patients with mild or no symptoms.
Nonetheless, he said, the CECC is drafting guidelines for home quarantine in such cases, in case that becomes necessary.
New domestic cases
Of the 216 new domestic cases recorded Tuesday, 34 were linked to a cluster of over 250 that was initially reported at a karaoke bar in Keelung, according to the CECC.
Another 31 cases were linked to a cluster of around 90 cases, which was first identified in Sanxia District, New Taipei, the CECC said.
Another 16 cases are related to a cluster that started at a wedding in Taichung and has since spread to Catholic Mercy Hospital in Hsinchu County, and 12 cases are part of a cluster at an apartment building in New Taipei's Zhonghe District, the CECC said.
There are at least nine other clusters, each with fewer than 10 new cases, the CECC said, adding that it is checking whether the other 80 new domestic cases Tuesday are connected to any clusters nationwide.
On Tuesday, New Taipei had the highest number of new cases, with 91, followed by Keelung with 33, and Taipei with 28, according to Chen.
Hsinchu County reported 13 cases, and Taoyuan 11, while 10 each were reported in Kaohsiung and Hualien County. Hsinchu City recorded eight new cases, Taichung five, Yilan and Changhua counties three each, and Tainan one, he said.
Of the 1,841 domestic COVID-19 cases recorded nationwide between Jan. 1 and April 4, five were classified as moderate to severe infections, while the others were either mild or asymptomatic, Chen said.
Fifth moderate to servere case in 2022
One moderate to severe case was recorded Tuesday -- a Taiwanese woman in her 60s who has diabetes and tested positive for COVD-19 on April 2, he said, adding that she is fully vaccinated.
While the woman was receiving treatment in hospital, her oxygen levels fell below 92 percent at one point, but it was not necessary to move her to an intensive care unit, and she is currently in stable condition, Chen said.
Meanwhile, 65 new imported cases were recorded Tuesday, 28 of them tested positive on arrival in Taiwan, he said.
To date, Taiwan has confirmed 24,866 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began in early 2020, including 16,664 domestically transmitted infections.
With no deaths reported Tuesday, the number of confirmed COVID-19 fatalities in the country remained at 853.
New test requirements
Also on Tuesday, Kaohsiung's Department of Health said that employees at state-run utility companies in the city will have to present negative COVID-19 rapid tests before returning to work after the four-day Tomb Sweeping holiday.
The Taoyuan City government has also asked its employees to take rapid tests before reporting to work on Wednesday.
(By Chiang Yi-ching)
Enditem/pc
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