Premier Su Tseng-chang on Thursday received a Ministry of Health and Welfare briefing on the state of the COVID-19 pandemic and related public health measures. New domestic cases in the past week have fallen by about 11% compared to the previous week. The premier asked the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) to continue monitoring the latest COVID developments and, in light of the recent spread of dengue fever in nearby countries, he directed relevant ministries and agencies to plan response measures and not overlook potential public health scenarios.
Regarding vaccination rates, the premier pointed out that over 90% of the population have received the first vaccine dose, 82% have received the second and about 67% have received the third. Among people who have completed the waiting period following their second dose, over 90% have received a third dose, a higher rate than in many other countries including the U.S., U.K., France and Japan. In addition, within a very short timeframe, Taiwan has raised vaccination rates to 66.4% among children in the 5-11 age group, whereas countries in Europe and America have only reached rates of around 30% or 40% for that age group. The premier asked the CECC to allocate vaccines based on the practical needs of each county and city, and continue carrying out third-dose vaccinations for youths in the 12-17 age group.
The second round of the name-based rationing system for rapid test kits kicked off Monday, and people have been able to purchase the kits with practically no wait lines at pharmacies and local health centers. Two weeks ago the government also began announcing the distribution of free test kits to disadvantaged groups, including low and lower-middle income families, care facility residents, homeless people, and senior citizens living alone. Free kits are also available to children under age 18, including infants, as well as students in elementary, junior high, high school and the first three years of five-year junior college. More than 4.6 million people in total will benefit.
Right now the nation must also pay special attention to dengue fever, another type of transmissible disease, the premier said. Taiwan in 2015 saw over 43,000 confirmed cases of dengue with more than 200 deaths, but thanks to the joint efforts of people around the country, only a few imported cases and zero indigenous cases have been recorded from 2021 to now. Meanwhile, Singapore is currently grappling with an explosive outbreak of dengue fever. Since the disease is spreading in Taiwan's neighboring countries, we must be extra vigilant and take precautionary response measures.