TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) confirmed 28,397 local COVID cases on Wednesday (Aug. 24), 173 imported cases, and 18 deaths.
The number of local cases increased by 15% from the same period last week, showing a rising trend as expected, said CECC head Victor Wang (王必勝) at the CECC's daily press briefing.
Wang predicted the outbreak could peak sometime between mid-to-late September and urged parents have their children vaccinated before going back to school in early September.
Philip Lo (羅一鈞), deputy head of the CECC's medical response division, said there were no new cases of young children suffering multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) after a COVID-19 infection.
Local cases
Local cases included 12,998 males, 15,390 females, and 9 cases still under investigation, ranging in age from under 5 to their 90s.
New Taipei City reported 6,313 cases, followed by 3,393 in Taichung City, 3,317 in Taipei City, 3,301 in Taoyuan City, 2,329 in Kaohsiung City, 1,705 in Tainan City, 1,090 in Changhua County, 858 in Hsinchu City, 839 in Hsinchu County, 744 in Miaoli County, 622 in Pingtung County, 614 in Yunlin County, 607 in Yilan County, 488 in Keelung City, 476 in Hualien County, 419 in Chiayi County, 411 in Nantou County, 307 in Taitung County, 232 in Chiayi City, 158 in Penghu County, 131 in Kinmen County, and 3 in Lienchiang County.
COVID deaths
The 18 deaths announced on Wednesday included 12 males and 6 females ranging in age from under five to their 90s. All of these individuals were classified as severe cases, 17 of them had a history of chronic disease, and 13 had not received the third dose of a COVID vaccine. Their dates of diagnosis and death ranged from May 9 to Aug. 21.
Imported cases
The 173 imported cases included 95 males and 78 females ranging in age from under 5 to their 80s.
Total COVID case statistics
Since the pandemic began, Taiwan has confirmed 5,115,052 cases, of which 5,089,231 were local and 25,767 were imported.
So far, 9,691 individuals have succumbed to the disease, with 16 deaths reported among imported cases.
