A batch of 99,600 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Taiwan yesterday afternoon, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said, as it reported four locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and three deaths — the lowest daily case count since a nationwide level 3 alert was issued on May 19.
The batch is the fifth procured from Moderna Inc and arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 3:45pm yesterday. The doses were transported to a cold chain storage facility for lot release testing after it passed an air cargo examination at the airport.
Of the doses purchased directly from the US-based vaccine maker, a total of 1,249,600 have so far arrived in Taiwan, the CECC said.
Photo: CNA
Asked who would be eligible to receive the newly arrived vaccines, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said that as the number of doses is relatively small, the CECC has not yet decided how to distribute them.
It would begin to discuss how to make the most effective use of them, he added.
As more than 3.9 million people who registered with the national online COVID-19 vaccination booking system only selected the Moderna vaccine, the center was asked if these people would have a chance of getting vaccinated soon.
Chen said that there would be limited doses available for people to receive two doses of the Moderna vaccine after the next round of vaccinations, which would be administered starting this week.
With the 2.5 million doses donated by the US, Taiwan is expected to receive a total of 8.55 million doses of the Moderna vaccine this year, which would be enough for about 4.2 million people, he said.
As about 2.9 million people received a first dose and about 520,000 doses would be administered next week, “there will not be much left to offer in the future,” he said.
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), who is the CECC’s spokesperson, said that there are about 435,000 people who would receive a first dose of the Moderna vaccine next week, so about 3.335 million people would have received a first dose of the Moderna vaccine after the next round of vaccinations is completed.
Therefore, there would be fewer than 1 million people who might become eligible for two doses of the Moderna vaccine, he said.
Meanwhile, Chen said that two of the four new domestic cases tested positive during isolation, and the infection sources of three cases have been identified.
Of the local cases, two were reported in Taipei, and one each in New Taipei City and Taoyuan, he said.
“We can see that the daily case counts are steadily dropping, so we hope that contact tracing can be performed more precisely when the case counts are low to gain more control over the COVID-19 situation,” Chen said.
The CECC also reported three imported cases — travelers from Malaysia, Turkey and the US — and three deaths — two men and one woman, aged between 60 and 90, who all had underlying health conditions. They died between July 31 and Aug. 1.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS