The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said that 64 COVID-19-related deaths were reported last week, the highest weekly number in five months. It said the JN.1 subvariant has become the dominant strain.
CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) said 546 hospitalized COVID-19 cases and 64 deaths were reported last week, and that 79 percent of the cases were elderly people aged 65 or older.
SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance data from the past four weeks showed that the JN.1 subvariant accounted for 52 percent of sequenced cases, followed by the EG.5 strain at 35 percent and the XBB.1.5 strain at 7 percent, he said.
Photo courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control
The global testing positivity rate has started decreasing, but the rates in Southeast Asia and the western Pacific are still increasing, Guo said, adding that JN.1 is also the dominant circulating strain globally.
Meanwhile, 114,754 hospital visits for flu-like illness, 40 severe flu complications and eight flu-related deaths were reported last week, he said.
Of the severe flu cases, 30 people did not get vaccinated this flu season and six of those who died were unvaccinated, while the majority had underlying health conditions, Gou said.
CDC physician Liu Yu-cheng (劉裕誠) said one of the people who died was a three-year-old girl, who did not have underlying health conditions, but was unvaccinated and began suffering respiratory symptoms earlier this month.
She was rushed to hospital after developing a high fever and altered state of consciousness.
The girl tested positive for flu and acute encephalitis, so was admitted to an intensive care unit.
She died of respiratory failure after being hospitalized for about three weeks, making her the youngest person to die of flu this year, he said.
“She did not get vaccinated this flu season, and children are more likely than adults to develop severe complications and encephalitis from an infection,” Liu said.
The CDC reminded people to pay close attention to the warning signs of severe complications, such as difficulty breathing or cyanosis (skin, lips or nails turning blue due to a lack of oxygen), and seek medical attention immediately if they occur.
CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said although hospital visits for flu-like illness slightly reduced last week, both flu-like illness and COVID-19 cases are still expected to peak this week.
“We predict another wave of infections after the Lunar New Year holiday ... so we are still urging people to get the XBB.1.5-COVID-19 adapted vaccine,” Lo said, adding that a new batch of Novavax’s vaccine arrived in Taiwan on Monday and is likely to be distributed next week.
In addition, more than 580,000 packs of government-funded free COVID-19 rapid test kits had been picked up by travelers at international airports and harbors as of Thursday last week, he said.
As more people are expected to arrive via the “small three links” ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, free test kits are also to be provided at Beigan Baisha Harbor (北竿白沙港) and Nangan Fuao Harbor (南竿福澳港) starting tomorrow, he said.
In addition, the CDC is offering subsidies to hospitals willing to have doctors available to treat people with respiratory infection diseases during the Lunar New Year holiday, which begins on Feb. 8.
Non-pediatric treatment during the Lunar New Year holiday would be subsidized at NT$10,000 per patient, while doctors treating children would be subsidized NT$15,000 per patient, it said.
There are currently 157 hospitals nationwide that would be providing the service during the holiday, Lo said.
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