Taiwan reported 68,151 new COVID-19 cases — 68,118 domestically transmitted and 33 imported cases — and a new single-day high of 152 deaths from the disease on Saturday, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).

The death toll was slightly higher than the previous single-day high of 145 deaths reported on May 29.

The 152 patients reported Saturday to have died of COVID-19 complications ranged in age from 1 to 90s. Of these patients, 71 were unvaccinated, and 144 had chronic illnesses or other severe diseases.

The youngest person who died was a 1-year-old boy, who was hospitalized for a prior congenital heart disease, according to CECC data.

CECC spokesman Chuang Jen-hsiang(???) said the boy, a long-term user of a respirator, showed a low blood oxygen level after having difficulty breathing on May 28.

A PCR test taken that day revealed he was infected with COVID-19 and admitted into an intensive care unit after he developed respiratory distress and pneumonia, Chuang said.

The boy was treated with medication, including antiviral drug remdesivir and antibiotics, but he passed away on May 31, Chuang said.

According to CECC data, the boy is the 12th child aged under 10 to have died from COVID-19 complications this year.

The CECC also said on Saturday that 155 previously reported COVID-19 cases had since become severe infections, while 341 other patients had developed moderate symptoms of the disease.

Of the 2,246,911 domestic cases recorded in Taiwan this year, 2,328 have been classified as severe infections and 4,705 as moderate, accounting for 0.10 percent and 0.21 percent of the total, respectively, according to CECC data as of June 3.

In all other cases, patients were either asymptomatic or had mild infections, the CECC said.

Of the domestic cases reported on Saturday, New Taipei City recorded the highest number with 9,820 cases, followed by Kaohsiung with 9,657, and Taichung with 9,511.

Taoyuan reported 6,926 cases, Tainan 5,631, Taipei 5,228, Changhua County 4,475, Pingtung County 2,737, Hsinchu County 1,949, Miaoli County 1,719, Hsinchu City 1,551, Yunlin County 1,407, and Nantou County 1,308.

Yilan County reported 1,212 cases, Chiayi County 1,129, Keelung 1,024, Hualien County 1,019, Chiayi City 738, Taitung County 672, Penghu County 194, Kinmen County 185, and Matsu Islands 26.

To date, Taiwan has recorded 2,342,794 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began in early 2020, including 2,329,609 domestic infections.

With the 152 deaths reported on Saturday, the cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 fatalities in the country rose to 2,815, CECC data showed.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel