Taipei, Aug. 20 (CNA) Taiwan on Friday reported nine new cases of COVID-19, all but three of which were domestic infections, as well as one death from the disease, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
Among the new domestic cases, three were reported in New Taipei, two were recorded in Taipei and one in Changhua County, the CECC said.
The CECC has identified the source of infection in two of the cases, while the other four are still being investigated, it added.
Meanwhile, the number of confirmed infections linked to a cluster at the headquarters of state-run Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower) remains four, Health and Welfare Minister Chen Shih-chung (???) said at a press briefing Friday.
As of Thursday evening, 2,019 Taipower employees had received polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and their results came back negative, said Chen, who also heads the CECC.
The testing of the remaining 58 employees is being arranged, he added.
He also noted that as of 12:00 pm Friday, 180,393 people aged 20-35 who previously indicated a willingness to receive the Medigen vaccine had booked a vaccination appointment via the government’s online appointment system.
In total, 599,613 people who are 20 years of age and over have reserved a slot to receive their first dose of the domestically-developed vaccine from Aug. 23 to Aug. 29, Chen said.
The vaccine produced by Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp. requires two doses administered 28 days apart.
Currently, 745,301 people, or 3.17 percent of the population, in Taiwan have obtained the two vaccine shots they need to be fully vaccinated, while 9.26 million people, or 39 percent, have received their first jab, CECC data showed.
On Friday, Taiwan also reported three imported COVID-19 cases and one death from the disease.
The three people who contracted the disease overseas include two Taiwanese nationals and one Romanian national who are aged between 20 and 40, the CECC said.
They traveled to Taiwan from Romania, Bangladesh and Britain from Aug. 6 to Aug. 17 with a valid negative COVID-19 test result, it said.
The new cases brought the total in the country to 15,906, of which 14,330 are domestic infections reported since May 15, when Taiwan first recorded more than 100 COVID-19 cases in a single day.
The one death involved a man in his 60s who had chronic diseases, the CECC said. His infection was confirmed on July 17 and he died on Aug. 18, it added.
To date, 827 people have died of COVID-19 in Taiwan, including 815 since May 15.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel