Prognosis

Taiwan Reports Record Cases as Covid-Free Status Crumbles

  • Infections rise to more than 1,000 for first time in pandemic
  • Authorities warn cases may surge, aiming to minimize impact

Members of the public wait in line at a vaccination facility administering the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine set up at Taipei Main Station in Taipei, Taiwan, on Jan. 17, 2022. 

Photographer: I-Hwa Cheng/Bloomberg
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

Taiwan reported a record number of Covid cases as multiple outbreaks across several cities overwhelmed health authorities’ efforts to contain the virus.

Local infections rose to an all-time high of 1,209, health minister Chen Shih-chung said at a briefing in Taipei on Friday. It was the first time since the global pandemic began that Taiwan has reported more than 1,000 cases in a day. Chen also warned that the daily case figures are likely to get much worse.