TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan faces a significant COVID-19 resurgence as health officials warned Tuesday (May 27) that infection rates continue their upward trajectory, with the island expected to reach peak transmission levels between late June and early July. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC, 疾管署), Taiwan's primary public health agency, projects that virus-related medical consultations could soar to 200,000 during the anticipated peak period, placing renewed pressure on the healthcare system.
CDC spokesperson Lo Yi-chun (羅一鈞), who serves as the agency's official medical representative, revealed that Taiwan has experienced seven consecutive weeks of increasing infection rates. The most recent monitoring period documented 41,402 COVID-related outpatient and emergency department visits across the island's healthcare facilities, representing a dramatic 113% surge compared to figures from just one week earlier.
The epidemiological situation appears more severe than previous waves, according to Lee Chia-lin (李佳琳), who oversees operations at the CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Center, a specialized division responsible for disease surveillance. Lee pointed out that healthcare visits during the May 18-24 period significantly exceeded the 23,555 cases documented during the comparable timeframe in 2024. Spokesperson Lo attributed the accelerated transmission to the emergence of the NB.1.8.1 variant, which demonstrates enhanced ability to evade immune defenses while spreading more efficiently between hosts.
Health authorities have substantially revised their earlier projections, which had anticipated a mid-to-late June peak with approximately 100,000 weekly medical consultations. Current models now forecast between 150,000 and 200,000 weekly visits at the outbreak's height, with gradual improvement expected between late July and early August.
