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Experts urge vaccination as Covid cases surge
Health experts are advising people who have not yet received two coronavirus vaccine shots to do so as soon as possible due to the current surge in Omicron subvariant BA.4 and BA.5 cases.
According to National Taiwan University College of Public Health professor Chen Xiu-xi, some 3.2 million people here in Taiwan have not received two coronavirus vaccine doses.
Chen says the most vulnerable group of people, of which 72% are aged between six months and 11 years, could see weekly fatalities fall to 53 if everyone gets fully vaccinated - and if they all get a booster shot, the weekly death toll could fall to as low as 19.
And speaking on his daily webcast, Chen went on to say that for the additional 2.6 million people who have not got a booster shot, weekly fatalities are forecast to be 51 - and of they all get a booster shot, that number could drop to 21.
Figures show that 93.3% of the population has received at least one vaccine shot and 87.1% of the population has received two shots. Just over 72% of the eligible population has now received a first booster shot, while 10.1% has received a second booster shot.
This comes as the Central Epidemic Command Center reported nearly 50,000 new coronavirus cases yesterday, all but 168 of which are imported infections. It was the second consecutive day that the number of new cases has exceeded 40,000.
Centers for Disease Control Director-General Zhou Zhi-hao says the number of new cases is around 20% higher than a week ago. The jump is linked to a surge in infections linked to the BA.5 variant.
Health officials say 23 previously reported cases have now been listed as severe, while 39 others have developed moderate symptoms. Thirty seven new deaths were reported.
The deceased ranged in age from their 20s to their 90s. All but three had underlying health issues, while 21 were unvaccinated.
