Taiwan reported 76,986 new COVID-19 cases — 76,967 domestically transmitted and 19 imported cases — and 144 deaths from the disease on Thursday, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).

The death toll was just shy of the current single-day high of 145 deaths reported on May 29.

The 144 patients reported Thursday to have died of COVID-19 complications ranged in age from 9 years old to over 90 years old. Of these patients, 50 were unvaccinated, and 135 had chronic illnesses or other severe diseases.

One of the cases who died was a 9-year-old boy. He began vomiting on May 28, and he lost consciousness the next day before being sent to hospital. He had no vital signs when he arrived, and his polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test came back positive for COVID-19.

The boy was pronounced dead on May 29, with his death attributed to COVID-19 and heart and lung failure, the CECC said.

His death brings the number of children – defined by the CECC as 12 years old and younger – who have died of COVID-19 in Taiwan to 13.

The CECC also said Thursday that 122 previously reported COVID-19 cases had since developed into severe infections, while 291 other patients had developed moderate symptoms of the disease.

Of the 2,093,540 domestic cases recorded in Taiwan this year, 1,970 have been classified as severe infections and 4,158 as moderate, accounting for 0.09 percent and 0.20 percent of the total, respectively, according to CECC data as of June 1.

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

Of the domestic cases reported Thursday, New Taipei recorded the highest number with 12,910 cases, followed by Taichung with 10,707, and Kaohsiung with 10,530.

Taoyuan reported 7,854 cases, Taipei 6,237, Tainan 6,144, Changhua County 4,541, Pingtung County 2,773, Hsinchu County 2,282, Miaoli County 1,633, Hsinchu City 1,585, Yilan County 1,426, and Yunlin County 1,410.

Nantou County reported 1,320 cases, Hualien County 1,218, Keelung 1,190, Chiayi County 1,168, Taitung County 897, Chiayi City 756, Penghu County 216, Kinmen County 145, and Matsu Islands 25.

To date, Taiwan has recorded 2,198,161 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began in early 2020, including 2,185,056 domestic infections.

With the 144 deaths reported Thursday, the number of confirmed COVID-19 fatalities in the country rose to 2,521, CECC data showed.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel