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. Domestic cases have already begun to drop gradually from their recent plateau, the premier said. The government must continue with strict monitoring of the situation in order to protect public health while simultaneously supporting the economy.
Domestic cases have fallen for three consecutive weeks, demonstrating a clear and gradual decline from the recent plateau. The percentage of mild and asymptomatic cases has held steady at around 99.6%, and the number of new moderate and severe cases has dropped by about 20% compared with the previous week. We will maintain our vigilance against the pandemic and continue striving to reduce the rate of severe cases and mortality among vulnerable groups, the premier said.
In vaccination efforts, nearly 70% of the total population has received their booster shot. Among children ages 5 to 11, the first-dose coverage rate has reached 74.5% while second-dose vaccinations are currently being rolled out.
As for Taiwan's economic performance, the Ministry of Finance announced June 8 that the export value in May hit a single-month record of US$42.08 billion, representing 23 consecutive months of year-on-year growth. The Ministry of Economic Affairs also announced Monday that export orders in May reached US$55.4 billion, setting a same-month record and resuming positive growth after April's slide.