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. As domestic cases have dropped from their recent plateau and are currently stabilizing, the premier said, we will maintain our efforts to protect public health while bolstering our strong economy.
Starting Friday, the government will initiate the second round of its program providing five free rapid test kits to each child aged 6 or under. It will also begin administration of fourth vaccination doses for individuals working in airline crews, airports, seaports, home quarantine, care facilities and the social welfare system.
In regards to vaccine preparedness and coverage, the premier said, over 500,000 doses of the Novavax vaccine arrived in Taiwan on Thursday morning. Furthermore, Taiwan's vaccine coverage is now quite high, with 91.2% of the population having received the first vaccine dose, 83.3% having received the second and 70% having received the third. Among children ages 5 to 11, the first-dose coverage rate has already surpassed 75%.
The government has also maintained strong public health systems throughout the pandemic, the premier continued. For example, the MOHW pushed the digital transformation of National Health Insurance services through its promotion of the My Health Bank app, which surpassed 10 million users in June. This online service allows users to search for health care information, including their vaccination records, PCR test results, and name-based rationing system purchase records for masks and rapid tests, thus enabling users to better understand the status of their medical treatments and drug usage. This provides an exemplary case of how Taiwan utilizes technology to assist disease prevention and improve self-health management.