Taiwan reported 43,510 new COVID-19 infections and 77 deaths from the disease Saturday, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).

A day earlier, Taiwan recorded 80 COVID-19 deaths, the most in a single day since the BA.5 subvariant of the disease became prevalent in late August, according to CECC data.

With the 77 deaths reported Saturday, the total number of COVID-19 fatalities in the country rose to 11,843 since the start of the pandemic in early 2020, according to the CECC.

Meanwhile, the 43,510 new COVID-19 infections reported on Saturday comprised 43,478 domestic cases and 32 imported, the CECC said in a statement.

Severe, moderate cases

The CECC also reported 78 cases that were classified as severe and 190 as moderate.

Among the newly reported severe cases was a 13-year-old boy, who suffers from a nervous system disease and had received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, CECC spokesperson Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said in a recorded video.

On Oct. 5, the boy was taken to a hospital emergency room with a fever and spasms, and he tested positive for COVID-19, Chuang said. He was found to have pneumonia, hypoxemia and gastric hemorrhage and is being treated in an intensive care unit, Chuang said.

A total of 20 cases of severe complications have been recorded among teenagers in Taiwan, six of whom have died, according to Chuang.

Meanwhile, 247 children in Taiwan aged 12 years and under have been diagnosed so far with severe COVID-19 infections, and 36 have died, Chuang said.

Regional breakdown

On Saturday, New Taipei reported the highest number of new COVID-19 infections, with 8,324, while Taichung had 5,486, Kaohsiung 4,661, Taoyuan 4,475, Taipei 4,301, and Tainan 3,437, according to the CECC.

Changhua County had 2,294 cases, Pingtung County 1,443, Hsinchu County 1,103, Yunlin County 1,086, Miaoli County 1,060, Hsinchu City 961, Yilan County 823 and Chiayi County 750.

Nantou County reported 742 cases, Keelung City 711, Hualien County 584, Chiayi City 533, Taitung County 351, Kinmen County 172, Penghu County 162 and the Matsu Islands 19, according to CECC data.

Taiwan has recorded 7,142,418 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began in early 2020, including 35,703 classified as imported cases.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel