Premier Su Tseng-chang on Thursday received a Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) briefing on the state of the COVID-19 pandemic and related public health measures. New domestic cases in the past week have once again fallen by about 10% compared with the previous week, the premier said. As the situation gradually improves, the government will hold fast to the principles of normal life, active disease prevention and steady lifting of restrictions in order to maintain both public health and strong economic performance.
About 450,000 new domestic cases were confirmed in the past week, compared with about 500,000 cases the week prior, representing yet another drop of about 10%. The premier instructed the MOHW to continue raising vaccine coverage and monitoring the medical treatment capacity available for moderate and severe cases. Administration of fourth vaccine doses has already begun for individuals over 65 years old and long-term care facility residents, and, starting this week, medical personnel will also become eligible for a fourth dose to protect the frontline of our public health, the premier said.
Countries around the world are gradually easing border restrictions, the premier said. Considering the pandemic situation at home and abroad, the capacity of Taiwan's health care system, and the need to promote economic and social activities and international exchanges, the Central Epidemic Command Center has decided to ease quarantine rules for incoming travelers while limiting the total number of arrivals. Starting Wednesday, such travelers are only required to undergo three days of quarantine, plus four days of self-initiated epidemic prevention.
Thanks to the cooperation of people across the nation, Premier Su continued, Taiwan has not only done well in combating COVID but also achieved impressive economic results. In May, export value reached US$42.08 billion to register 23 consecutive months of growth. In the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2022 released Wednesday by the Swiss-based International Institute for Management Development, Taiwan placed seventh out of 63 countries surveyed, improving its ranking for the fourth straight year. Among economies with a population of over 20 million, Taiwan placed No. 1 in the world for the second year in a row.