Taipei, June 13 (CNA) The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Sunday said it will allocate 10 percent more COVID-19 vaccines to Taipei and New Taipei, which have been hardest hit by the pandemic, in its next allocation of vaccines scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Meanwhile, it will send 5 percent more vaccines to Keelung, Taoyuan, Miaoli, Taichung, and Changhua, as these areas are considered to have a higher risk of coronavirus spread, CECC head Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said.

As the outlying Matzu Islands have already had COVID-19 cases, Chen added that the CECC decided to send an extra 2,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to the islands in the next round of allocation, as they have limited medical resources.

The announcement was made after the CECC started to allocate vaccine doses to cities and counties around Taiwan as part of its distribution of the AstraZeneca vaccine received from Japan.

According to the CECC, it will distribute roughly 660,000 of the 1.24 million AZ vaccine doses donated by Japan to local governments by Monday in its first round of distribution.

Among the 660,000 doses, New Taipei, the epicenter of Taiwan's current COVID-19 outbreak, will receive a total of 83,000 doses, the most out of any municipality, followed by 80,000 for Kaohsiung, 70,000 each for Taipei and Taichung, and 56,000 each for Taoyuan and Tainan.

Aside from the AZ vaccine, the CECC will also allocate a total of 75,600 doses of the Moderna vaccine in the next round allocation.

As a result, it was understood that Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung, will receive 16,700, 9,800, 8,500, 7,300, 5,100 and 6,800 doses, respectively.

According to CECC rules, medical personnel, epidemic prevention workers, those in other high-risk jobs as well as seniors 75-years-old and over will be eligible to receive the AstraZeneca shots.

Seniors older than 75 can receive their shots at the closest vaccination site to their residence, even if their household registration is in another city or county, the CECC said.

However, New Taipei City said Sunday that given the limited amount of vaccine available, it will first vaccinate seniors who are 85-years-old and over whose household registration is in New Taipei.

Taipei City said it will vaccinate residents older than 85 whose household registration is not in Taipei starting as early as Thursday, after the CECC announced the allocation of 10 percent more vaccine doses to the capital city in its next allocation.