The number of COVID-related deaths also reached a new high Friday, with the CECC announcing 126 casualties in a single day. It also announced 343 new moderate or severe COVID cases, marking another single-day high. The CECC said it was closely monitoring Taiwan''s medical capacity.

Chen Shih-chung
CECC head
We have to be very vigilant, because the COVID mortality rate is at 0.1%. Over the past two days, we have been closely monitoring the supply of specialized and intensive care units. We’ve paid particularly close attention to the capacity for treating young children. We need to ensure that we have what we need – to ensure that medical needs are met.

So far this year, more than 1.6 million people have been infected with COVID-19. According to CECC statistics, only 15% of them have been older adults. However, this demographic accounts for the greatest proportion of moderate and severe COVID cases. Officials urge older adults to get fully vaccinated and boosted, to bolster their protection against severe disease.