A shipment of 1.24 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from Japan yesterday arrived in Taiwan, with the flight reportedly accompanied by a US military aircraft, while Washington announced its plan to share vaccine doses with allies, including Taiwan.
It is the largest amount of vaccine doses received by Taiwan in a single shipment, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) told a daily news briefing at the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) in Taipei.
The doses would be effective through Oct. 14, Chen said.
Chen thanked Japan for offering Taiwan timely help, instead of sending the doses to COVAX, the
The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) is this weekend reviewing the effectiveness of the level 3 COVID-19 alert and is to report its findings early this week, it said on Friday.
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said that a declining trend had yet to emerge in the recent outbreak, despite the May 19 imposition of strict nationwide disease prevention measures, including closing schools and public venues, restricting gatherings to no more than five people indoors and 10 outdoors, and advising people to stay home.
The CECC would review the status of the outbreak in the
COVID-19: Outbreak upsets nation’s virus response calculations
AP, TAIPEI
Facing Taiwan’s largest COVID-19 outbreak since the pandemic began and looking for rapid virus test kits, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) did what anyone might do: He searched for it online.
“If you don’t know, and you try to know something, please check Google,” Ko told reporters.
Praised for its success at keeping COVID-19 at bay for more than a year, the nation had until last month recorded just 1,128 cases and 12 deaths.
A police officer, right, is pictured in personal protective equipment at a rapid COVID-19 screening station at New Taipei City’s Losheng (Happy Life) Sanatorium.
COVID-19 vaccines should be available free of charge to anyone who wants to be vaccinated, the New Power Party (NPP) said yesterday, as lawmakers began negotiating details of relief fund packages proposed by the Executive Yuan.
The Cabinet has proposed an amendment to the Special Act for Prevention, Relief and Revitalization Measures for Severe Pneumonia with Novel Pathogens (嚴重特殊傳染性肺炎防治及紓困振興特別條例) that would enable the government to implement the act until June 30 next year, in view of the economic repercussions that Taiwan has experienced amid a COVID-19 outbreak.
It proposed raising the budget cap to NT$630 billion (US$22.64 billion).
The NPP said that while