TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (CDC, 疾病管制署) reported a record high in local COVID-19 complications this week, with 932 cases recorded from June 25 to July 1, marking the highest number of weekly complications this year.
The CDC anticipates the pandemic will escalate further, peaking in mid-July with up to 120,000 emergency room visits expected weekly.
CDC Deputy Director-General Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) highlighted a 14% increase in confirmed local COVID-19 cases compared to the previous week, with 64 new fatalities marking the highest death toll since the sixth wave of the Omicron variant.
When questioned about the pandemic's conclusion, Tseng noted the situation remains under observation. She also mentioned that 29,000 people received the XBB.1.5 vaccine last week, up 16% from the previous week.
Despite this increase, Tseng expressed concern over the national vaccination rate for the XBB.1.5 variant, which remains below 12%, underscoring the inadequate coverage and the limited efficacy of the older vaccines against current strains.