Taiwan records a record high number of COVID-19 cases: 85,000 cases a day

Testing for COVID-19 in Taiwan, May 18 – Photo: EPA-EFE

Health experts identify the number of cases have COVID-19 in Taiwan will continue to increase and peak in late May, before starting to ease in September.

According to the island’s health authority, in the week from May 12 to 18, the number of COVID-19 cases increased to 475,497 cases, compared with 302,597 cases the previous week. This shows that the SARS-CoV-2 virus has spread rapidly in different communities in Taiwan.

As of May 18, Taiwan recorded 981,141 cases of COVID-19 and nearly 1,200 deaths. In the past week, Taiwan recorded 225 deaths from COVID-19.

According to SCMP, earlier this month, the island government decided to live with the pandemic instead of maintaining a “zero-Covid” policy.

After bringing the outbreak under control in the middle of last year through strict border controls and strict isolation, the island began to record a new outbreak on April 1, with more than 100 community song.

Since then, the number of COVID-19 cases has increased sharply, prompting health authorities to warn that the number of new daily cases is on track to reach the 100,000 mark.

Last month, Taiwan law enforcement chief To Zhengchang said the island was well prepared for the pandemic and would not be locked down like the Chinese city of Shanghai.