# COVID-19 surge and healthcare strain in Taiwan and China > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/covid-19-surge-and-healthcare-strain-in-taiwan-and-china > Updated: 2026-08-24T05:40:41.000Z. Sources: 5. Developments: 2. A significant surge in COVID-19 cases initially strained healthcare systems in both Taiwan and mainland China. In Kaohsiung, Taiwan, outpatient visits for the virus saw a 121.5% weekly increase, while mainland China reported a national positivity rate exceeding 20%, leading to emergency departments being “packed to the floor” and shortages of antiviral drugs. As the situation progressed, the focus in Taiwan shifted toward broader systemic healthcare vulnerabilities. Following reports of a patient death after a 12-day wait for a hospital bed, officials described such delays as “unusual.” Medical experts identified critical issues including nursing shortages in operating rooms, which have extended surgical schedules, and a crisis of “centralization” where patients disproportionately overwhelm large medical centers, leaving regional hospitals under-resourced to manage high-risk cases. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-24: Taiwan healthcare faces scrutiny over emergency room congestion and staffing shortages Taiwan's healthcare system faces scrutiny after a patient died following a 12-day emergency room wait, highlighting critical nursing shortages and the risks of medical resource centralization. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/taiwan-healthcare-faces-scrutiny-over-emergency-room-congestion-and-staffing-shortages ### 2026-08-02: COVID-19 Surge Overwhelms Hospitals in Taiwan and Mainland China COVID‑19 cases surged in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and across mainland China, driving a 121% rise in outpatient visits in Kaohsiung and pushing Chinese emergency rooms past capacity as positivity rates top 20%. Health 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/covid-19-surge-overwhelms-hospitals-in-taiwan-and-mainland-china --- Cite as: COVID-19 surge and healthcare strain in Taiwan and China. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/covid-19-surge-and-healthcare-strain-in-taiwan-and-china