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60% vaccination rate before easing border restrictions

26 October, 2021

Courtesy of ICRT

 

Health Minister Chen Shih-chung says the government will only consider loosening border restrictions once 70% of the island's population has received at least one coronavirus vaccine shot and over 60% are fully vaccinated.

 

The statement comes amid calls for the government to reopen the borders to international travel as daily coronavirus case numbers have dropped to mostly single digits since mid-August.

 

According to Chen, the government is currently focusing on achieving "a basic level of immunity," but before that milestone is reached Taiwan "cannot afford" to consider relaxing border restrictions.

 

The Central Epidemic Command Center says 15.86 million people, or 67.7% of the population, have now received at least one coronavirus vaccine dose.

 

However, but only 6.41 million people, or 27.3% of the population, have gotten the two doses needed to be fully vaccinated.

 

The government has said it hopes to reach first-dose coverage of 70% by the end of this week.

 

While Deputy Interior Minister Chen Tsung-yen says the government is "working toward the goal" of having 60% of the population fully vaccinated by the end of this year.

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