Taiwan is slowly moving past the peak of its COVID wave. But the health ministry says the number of people getting seriously ill or dying will stay high for some time.
According to the ministry, Taiwan has reported over 450,000 new COVID cases in the past seven days. But this is a 10% decrease from the week before. In northern Taiwan, the number of cases has dropped around 20% in the same period.
Premier Su Tseng-chang says the number of daily cases fell after the Dragon Boat Festival earlier this month, contrary to some predictions that cases might spike. Su says that the health ministry needs to focus on severe cases in children and the elderly, as well as providing antiviral medications.
President Tsai Ing-wen says she strongly encourages everyone to get fully vaccinated as soon as possible. She says many countries are loosening pandemic-related restrictions, and Taiwan has to be ready to eventually reopen to the world.
Tsai reminds the public that Taiwan shortened quarantine for incoming travelers on Wednesday. She says this is a crucial moment for the country, and if everyone follows government guidelines, Taiwan can slowly return to normal.