TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (CDC, 衛福部疾管署) announced on Tuesday (Aug. 20) that COVID-19 cases have declined for six consecutive weeks. Officials estimate the pandemic could end next week, and starting in September, the disease will be renamed "COVID-19 with Severe Complication" (新冠併發重症) to reduce the reporting burden on medical institutions.
Philip Lo (羅一鈞), the CDC spokesperson, explained that after over four years of the COVID-19 pandemic, international trends and diverse monitoring methods have made it possible to effectively manage the disease.
The CDC has revised the case definition, adjusting clinical conditions to include fever (≥ 38°C) or respiratory symptoms followed by pneumonia or other complications within 14 days, requiring ICU treatment or resulting in death. The reporting time frame will change from 72 hours to within one week.
Lo noted that the modified criteria are expected to reduce the reporting volume to 5% to 10% of the current level, significantly decreasing the administrative demands on medical institutions. Extending the reporting period will also prevent infection control personnel from working overtime on weekends or public holidays, he added.
CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Deputy Director Lee Chia-lin (李佳琳) reported 274 new domestic COVID-19 cases with complications from Aug. 13 to 19, down from 347 cases the previous week.
The CDC's strategic adjustments aim to streamline processes and alleviate the burden on healthcare providers as Taiwan transitions out of the pandemic.