TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) confirmed 25,346 local COVID cases on Monday (Sept. 12), 237 imported cases, and 28 deaths.

The number of local cases increased by 6% from the same period last week, but the small increase in the past three days does not necessarily mean the pandemic has begun to slow down, the CECC said. Many healthcare service providers did not offer test services during the Mid-Autumn festival holiday.

Philip Lo (羅一鈞), deputy head of the CECC's medical response division, said among the 234 Omicron subvariants reported last week, 174 were domestic (88 were infected with BA.5, 86 with BA.2) and 60 were imported (5 with BA.4, 50 with BA.5, 1 with BA.2.75, 4 with BA.2). There was one death associated with a BA.5 infection; a woman in her 60s who had not been vaccinated and had a history of chronic disease.

As of Monday, among those infected with subvariants domestically, 324 had been infected with BA.5, 4 with BA.4, 2,379 with BA.2, and none with BA.2.75.

Local cases

Local cases included 11,833 males, 13,506 females, and seven cases still under investigation, ranging in age from under 5 to their 90s.

New Taipei City reported 5,205 cases, followed by 3,006 in Taipei City, 2,946 in Taichung City, 2,699 in Taoyuan City, 2,054 in Kaohsiung City, 1,549 in Tainan City, 1,309 in Changhua County, 823 in Hsinchu County, 735 in Pingtung County, 635 in Hsinchu City, 602 in Yilan County, 594 in Nantou County, 564 in Miaoli County, 562 Yunlin County, 510 in Keelung City, 468 in Hualien County, 355 in Chiayi County, 234 in Chiayi City, 206 in Taitung County, 147 in Kinmen County, 121 in Penghu County, and 23 in Lienchiang County.



COVID deaths

The 28 deaths announced on Monday included 18 males and 10 females ranging in age from their 60s to 90s. All of these individuals were classified as severe cases, 24 of them had a history of chronic disease, and 19 had not received the third dose of a COVID vaccine. Their dates of diagnosis and death ranged from July 26 to Sept. 9.

Imported cases

The 237 imported cases included 125 males and 112 females, ranging in age from under 5 to their 70s.

Total COVID case statistics

Since the pandemic began, Taiwan has confirmed 5,707,688 cases, of which 5,676,735 were local and 30,899 were imported. So far, 10,312 individuals have succumbed to the disease, with 16 deaths reported among imported cases.