Taiwan reported 27,844 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, all but 136 of which were domestic infections, and 71 deaths from the disease, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
The deceased ranged in age from their 20s to over 90. Thirty-two of those who died were unvaccinated, while 70 had chronic illnesses or other severe diseases, the CECC said.
The one patient who had no chronic illness or severe disease had received two COVID-19 vaccine shots, the CECC said.
Severe, moderate infections
Also on Sunday, the CECC said that 83 previously reported COVID-19 cases had become severe, while 125 other individuals had developed moderate symptoms.
Among the severe cases is an eight-year-old boy who suffered a stroke after contracting the disease, the CECC said.
The boy has no chronic illnesses and is unvaccinated. He developed a fever and sore limbs on June 1, and was taken to the emergency room after he began to have convulsions and his lips turned purple.
He was found to have low blood pressure and abnormal liver and kidney function, and later diagnosed with encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain. While receiving treatment in an intensive care unit (ICU), doctors also found that he had suffered a stroke.
The boy was discharged on June 16 and is recovering well, the CECC said, adding that he has continued to have follow-up doctor’s visits to monitor his condition.
To date, 94 children aged 12 or younger in Taiwan have developed severe illnesses from COVID-19, of whom 22 have passed away.
Of the 4,023,984 domestic cases reported in Taiwan this year, 7,881 have been classified as severe infections and 10,179 as moderate, accounting for 0.20 percent and 0.25 percent of the total, respectively, according to CECC data as of July 9.
In all other cases, the infected individuals were either asymptomatic or experienced mild symptoms, the CECC said.
Regional breakdown
On Sunday, New Taipei recorded the highest number of domestic cases, with 4,372, followed by Taichung with 3,474, and Taoyuan with 2,947.
Kaohsiung recorded 2,935 cases, Taipei 2,785, Tainan 2,264, Changhua County 1,462, Pingtung County 1,064, Miaoli County 732, Yilan County 726, Hsinchu County 710, Yunlin County 660, Hsinchu City 640, and Nantou County 562.
Chiayi County reported 502 cases, Hualien County 486, Keelung 388, Taitung County 346, Chiayi City 308, Kinmen County 162, Penghu County 160, and the Matsu Islands 23.
To date, Taiwan has recorded 4,082,028 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began in early 2020, including 4,066,292 domestic infections.
With the 71 deaths reported Sunday, the number of confirmed COVID-19 fatalities in the country rose to 7,624.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel