Taiwan could enter a new COVID-19 epidemic phase as early as this week after
2-thousand 800 people sought treatment for the disease last week, up 34-
percent from the previous week.

The Centers for Disease Control said COVID-19 activity has been rising in
Taiwan for five consecutive weeks.

Neighboring countries and regions, including China, Hong Kong, South Korea
and Singapore, have also reported increasing case numbers.

Based on its analysis, the CDC expects the number of COVID-19-related medical
visits to continue rising.

Once weekly visits exceed 5,000, Taiwan will officially enter a new epidemic
phase, with infections expected to peak in one month to 45 days after that.

Officials said the upcoming peak is unlikely to surpass last year's as
schools are closed for the summer vacation, reducing opportunities for
transmission.

About 456,000 vaccine doses remain available, and eligibility for publicly
funded COVID-19 vaccination has been expanded to everyone aged 6 months and
older through July 31st.

(CNA)