COVID-19 Cases Soaring 100 Percent, Taiwanese Government Gives Warning

Illustration of COVID-19 in Taiwan. (Wikimedia Commons / 玄 史 生)

JAKARTA - Taiwanese authorities have announced increased vigilance, along with a spike in coronavirus infections which has made COVID-19 cases in the country increase rapidly.

The Taiwanese government decided to set up new restrictions in Taipei, even though previously people were accustomed to living a new normal life. This is because Taiwan reports more than 1.000 new cases of infection a week.

In total, Taiwan now has 2.533 cases of COVID-19 infection since the pandemic began. Meanwhile, the death toll from COVID-19 in Taiwan was recorded at 14. For comparison, at the end of April, Taiwan had just recorded 1.122 cases of infection with 12 deaths. There was a spike of more than 100 percent in the number of infections.

Taiwan's Health Minister Chen Shih-chung announced that Taiwan recorded 267 new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, May 19, up from a day earlier which only recorded 240 cases. This figure is for all of Taiwan.

"For now, there is no need to order a complete lockdown, and people need not worry too much. Right now the medical capacity is sufficient, so don't worry", Chen told Reuters on Wednesday, May 18.

The new restrictions for Taiwan include limiting private gatherings and closing entertainment venues, measures that have been in effect in Taipei since the weekend.

In a push for Taiwan's fight against the pandemic, Chen said more than 410.000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from COVAX will arrive Wednesday afternoon local time.

Chen described the arrival of this vaccine as very valuable, it will be prioritized for frontline health care workers. Taiwan itself has so far received less than 300 thousand doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. All of them are AstraZeneca alerts and two-thirds of them have already been distributed.

In total, Taiwan plans to receive more than 1 million AstraZeneca vaccines through the COVAX facility. In addition, Taiwan also ordered 20 million doses of the AstraZeneca and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines directly.

In addition, Taiwan is also mobilizing diplomats abroad to gain access to more COVID-19 vaccines. Including in talks with the United States regarding plans to ship vaccines by President Joe Biden abroad.

"Talking about the COVID-19 vaccine can be a sensitive subject", according to a copy of the statement published by his office. We recognize that every country and region is at a different stage in its COVID-19 vaccination program. Unfortunately, many still face difficulties in gaining access to vaccines", said Brent Christensen, the de facto US ambassador to Taiwan.