Taiwan successfully battled the first wave of Covid-19 infections, praised by the rest of the world for keeping infection rates low and effectively governing lockdown measures. However, the country has been hit with an unexpected second outbreak, prompting new restrictions such as limits on gatherings in the capital as it struggles to contain the spread. The country reported 335 new cases of Covid-19 on Monday, breaking its previous record for most cases recorded in a single day. All of the cases except for two were locally transmitted, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center. 155 out of 158 cases were reportedly located in the capital city of Taipei.
Monday’s record broke the country’s previous report on Sunday, where 207 new cases were detected among the population. New lockdown measures include social distancing, closing bars, clubs, and gyms, restricting indoor gatherings, enforcing mask mandates, and other measures. All schools and kindergartens in Taipei will be closed for two weeks. Last week, the Health and Welfare Minister Chen Shih-chung stated that Taiwan would be in critical condition if lockdown measures were not enforced. The spike in cases also prompted some residents to rush to get vaccinated.
Read More: Taiwan was a Covid success story. Now it’s fighting its biggest outbreak
