Taiwan Death Toll Jumps as Chen Warns Case Trend Is ‘Not Great’
- Pandemic death toll reaches 78 after 19 more fatalities
- Minister warns case numbers show no sign of trending down
People wait in line at a Covid-19 vaccination center in New Taipei City, Taiwan, on May 13.
Photographer: I-Hwa Cheng/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Taiwan’s death toll surged by almost a third as authorities reported hundreds more infections, prompting health minister Chen Shih-chung to signal the outbreak is still not under control after two weeks of social-distancing measures.
The 19 deaths reported Friday were among people aged between 40 and 90 and occurred between May 21 and May 27, bringing Taiwan’s toll to 78 since the pandemic began. The authorities found 297 new domestic infections Friday and added 258 local cases to previous tallies. “This is not good,” Chen said at his daily briefing.