The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported 16 new locally transmitted COVID-19 infections and no deaths, while saying that 30.97 percent of the population has been vaccinated.
Of the local cases, 13 were male and three female with an onset of symptoms reported between Sunday and Wednesday, it said.
New Taipei City recorded seven cases, while Taipei had five, Kaohsiung had two, and Taoyuan and Chiayi City had one each, the center said.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
Fourteen of the local cases had known sources of infection, while two had unclear links with confirmed cases, it said.
One of two new imported cases is a Taiwanese man in his 30s who returned from the US on Tuesday, the center said.
The other is a Taiwanese man in his 70s who had lived in Cambodia for an extended period, the center added.
The new cases bring the nation’s total to 15,637 — 14,158 of which are locally transmitted infections reported since May 15, when the country first recorded more than 100 COVID-19 cases in a single day.
To date, 787 people have died of COVID-19 in Taiwan, including 775 since May 15.
“The nation’s overall COVID-19 situation continues to head in a more-controlled direction,” Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, told a daily news briefing in Taipei.
As of Wednesday, 7,588,692 COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered in the nation — 7,273,091 first doses and 315,601 second doses, CECC data showed.
Of the population, 30.97 percent have been vaccinated, or 32.31 doses administered per 100 people, Chen said.
As of 5pm yesterday, 9,890,412 people had registered their intent to be inoculated against COVID-19 on the national online booking system, the center said.
On 1922.gov.tw, 5.52 percent had opted to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine — one of three options now available, along with the Moderna vaccine and the vaccine manufactured by local drugmaker Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp (高端疫苗).
Another 39.11 percent had opted to receive the Moderna vaccine, while 1.3 percent had opted to receive the Medigen vaccine, the center said.
Meanwhile, 48.09 percent of those registered said they were willing to receive either the AstraZeneca or the Moderna vaccine, while 0.23 percent said that they would receive AstraZeneca or Medigen, and 0.97 percent said they would receive Moderna or Medigen, it added.
The center said that 4.78 percent of those registered opted to to receive whichever vaccine was available.
On Tuesday, the Medigen COVID-19 vaccine was added on the site as an option for people aged 20 or older.
Additional reporting by CNA
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