Taipei, May 6 (CNA) Taiwan is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases, especially in the northern part of the country, and the government has limited the availability of PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests normally used to confirm positive COVID-19 cases.
Taipei hospital suspends most ER services as 8 staffers contract COVID
06/09/2021 07:27 PM
Taipei City Hospital s Yangming Branch. CNA photo June 9, 2021
Taipei, June 9 (CNA) Taipei City Hospital s Yangming Branch has temporarily stopped almost all emergency room (ER) services, as eight of its employees have tested positive for COVID-19, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Wednesday.
The cluster infection likely began on June 2 when doctors and nurses in the hospital s emergency room were attending to a COVID-19 patient, who was vomiting, CECC official Lo Yi-chun (羅一鈞) said at a press briefing.
The ER staff was later tested for COVID-19, and eight of them were found Tuesday to be infected, Lo said.
REAL-TIME SYSTEM: The number of backlogged cases has been falling over the past few days and should be cleared this week, the Minister of Health and Welfare saidBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporter
The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported 266 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, 89 backlogged cases and 10 related deaths.
Of the new cases, 123 are male and 143 are female, from under the age of five to older than 90, said Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center.
They began experiencing symptoms from May 14 to Saturday, he said.
Of the backlogged cases, 42 are male and 47 are female, from under the age of five to older than 80, Chen said, adding that they began experiencing symptoms from May 13 to Thursday.
Of the 355 cases