Taiwan residents urged to stay home as coronavirus cases surge

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Taiwan, which is experiencing its worst Covid-19 outbreak, reported 312 new domestically transmitted cases on Friday, reaching three digits for the seventh consecutive day.

Health Minister Chen Shih-chung urged residents to avoid going out over the weekend in order to minimize the infection risk.

More than 1,800 Covid-19 patients have been reported nationwide since Saturday, when Taiwan imposed stricter virus control measures for social gatherings and venues in the north of the island until May 28.

The rules were later expanded to the rest of the country, after new cases were found elsewhere.

As of Friday, Taiwan, an island of 23.6 million people, had confirmed a total of 3,139 cases since the pandemic began, including 1,980 locally transmitted cases, as well as 15 virus-related deaths, according to the Central Epidemic Command Centre (CECC).

Most of the recent patients were infected with the variant that first emerged in Britain.

Currently, 44 critically ill Covid-19 patients rely on breathing aid devices and life support, the CECC said.

The Taiwan government has tried to closely track the movement of residents, encouraging them to take a few seconds to leave their contact information before entering a venue through a newly-developed short messaging service.

For days, local governments have been releasing the history of movement of Covid-19 patients, showing that people had been to cafeterias, supermarkets, traditional markets, entertainment venues and others.

Officials asked residents to contact health authorities if they were in the same venues and showed certain symptoms related to the coronavirus.

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