Taiwan COVID-19 News Briefs: June 1

ROC Central News Agency

06/01/2022 09:18 PM

Taipei, June 1 (CNA) Taiwan on Wednesday reported 88,293 new COVID-19 cases, an increase of more than 7,500 from the previous day, and 122 deaths from the disease, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).

Here are some of the new developments regarding the COVID-19 situation around Taiwan on Wednesday:

Free rapid test kits for kids

As of noon Wednesday, more than 32,000 children aged 0-6 years had received free COVID-19 rapid tests, as the government began providing free kits to families with children of that age.

The CECC said that families with children born on or after Jan. 1, 2016 are to be eligible to pick up the free nasal swab tests June 1-30.

Large children's vaccination sites open in 6 major cities

Large-scale COVID-19 vaccination sites for children aged 5-11 years were opened in Taiwan's six major cities on Wednesday, offering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

The vaccination centers are at Liberty Square in Taipei, Banqiao Station in New Taipei, Taoyuan Arena, Army Academy ROC in Taoyuan, the National Museum of Natural Science in Taichung, Tainan Main Public Library, and Kaohsiung Exhibition Center.

The vaccine rollout will continue during the 3-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday June 3-5. The service will be available for 5-7 days, vaccinating an estimated 2,000-3,000 children per day in the 5-11 age group.

According to the CECC, 904,600 doses of the children's vaccine have been delivered to local governments, which will cover more than 95 percent of eligible children in those areas.

More doses of the Moderna vaccine have been administered in Taiwan than the government has officially received because recipients of the Moderna booster shot are given half the standard dose of the first and second jab.

Local news updates

● Taipei preparing to resume onsite classes

The COVID-19 vaccination of children on elementary school campuses in Taipei is expected to be completed by Friday, according to the city government.

By that time, the vaccination coverage among children 5-11 years old in the city is likely to exceed 50 percent, and onsite classes will resume on June 6, the city government said.

Of the 153,310 children in that age group in Taipei, 39.66 percent had received one dose of the Pfizer-BNT or Moderna vaccine, Deputy Mayor Tsai Ping-kun (蔡炳坤) said.

The vaccination coverage among that children is expected to reach 52.67 percent by Friday, according to Tsai.

● Tainan's COVID-19 outbreak expected to peak next week

Tainan on Wednesday began its 5-day rollout of the Pfizer-BNT vaccine for children aged 5-11, even as the city government warned that the COVID-19 outbreak there is likely to peak in the next week.

There are more than 110,000 children in that age group in Tainan, a relatively high number compared with other cities and counties. It is imminent, therefore, that children get vaccinated before the outbreak in the city peaks, the Tainan government said.

Currently, 34,264 of the 110,000 children have received one dose of the Pfizer-BNT vaccine, while 24,247 have gotten one dose of the Moderna vaccine, it added.

● Hualien opens special COVID-19 clinic

Hualien Tzu-Chi Hospital opened a COVID-19 clinic to carry out polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests on people who showed up positive for COVID-19 on a rapid test and to prescribe antiviral drugs for those who are confirmed on the PCR test to be infected.

Children, pregnant women, seniors over 80, and physically and mentally disabled people will be given priority, according to the Hualien County government.

Remote learning

Taipei said that after its campaign for the vaccination of children ends on June 3, students from kindergarten to senior high school level can resume in-person classes on June 6.

Schools can continue teaching online, however, if their remote education programs have been approved by their curriculum development committee, the city government said.

In Tainan and Chiayi City, the local governments said Wednesday that due to the COVID-19 situation, junior and senior high school students, as well as elementary school children, should be allowed to continue remote classes from June 6-12, after which in-person classes could be resumed.

Taoyuan, Panghu County, Taitung County and Miaoli County said schools at various levels should continue remote teaching until June 10.

Taoyuan, meanwhile, said remote classes will continue for 9th and 12th graders at high schools for the rest of the semester, until the summer break.

(By Evelyn Kao)

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