Taiwan on Saturday reported 10 new cases of COVID-19, of which two were transmitted domestically, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said, while announcing the further easing of some restrictions in the country.
Taiwan’s current COVID-19 Level 2 alert will remain in place and be further extended to Sept. 6, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said at the CECC’s daily press briefing in Taipei.
Although the reported number of COVID-19 cases has slowed, authorities have continued to see sporadic domestic cases with unknown sources of infection, he said.
The two domestic cases on Saturday were both in New Taipei, Chen said, adding that the CECC has identified the source of infection in one of the cases and is looking into the source of the other.
Meanwhile, Taiwan reported eight new imported COVID-19 cases, two of which involved Taiwanese nationals who returned to the country from the United States and Albania on Aug. 18 and Aug. 19. The six others were citizens of India, Indonesia, South Africa and Japan, the CECC said.
According to the CECC, the eight people all tested positive for COVID-19 during their mandatory 14-day quarantine.
The country also confirmed one new death from COVID-19 on Saturday, involving a man in his 60s whose infection was confirmed on June 2 and who died on June 12.
During the press briefing, Chen announced that appointments for Taiwan’s locally-developed COVID-19 vaccine would be opened again on Aug. 23 and Aug. 24.
He said this would allow an additional 200,000 people to receive their first jab of the vaccine, which was developed by Taiwan’s Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp.
Based on CECC statistics as of Friday, more than 590,000 people above the age of 20 in Taiwan have already scheduled appointments to receive a Medigen shot.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel