Taiwanese schools will remain closed until the summer break to prevent transmission of COVID-19, while officials scramble to procure enough vaccines for the island’s population, health authorities said on Monday.

As Taiwan continues its battle against a persistent wave of the pandemic that began in mid-May, its Executive Yuan government branch extended the level-three island-wide epidemic alert, the second-highest alert level, until at least June 28.

The United States and Japan have agreed to donate vaccines to the self-ruled island. While Japan’s donation of 1.24 million doses of the British AstraZeneca vaccines has arrived, Taipei and Washington are still finalizing the delivery of the 750,000 shots from the U.S.

Health Minister Chen Shih-chung on Monday expressed Taiwan’s gratitude for the international community’s support, saying the island will continue to press ahead with developing its own vaccines.

However, the donations have sparked dissatisfaction from some of Taiwan’s medical professionals about what they call the uneven distribution. Some have criticized hospitals for prioritizing clinical research and research publications over the interests of medical personnel.

The vaccines were not distributed according to the risk level of each department, but rather according to the hospital’s hierarchy, according to a medical worker at the Taipei Medical University Hospital who spoke on condition of anonymity. The hospital has rejected that accusation, in a reply to Apple Daily Taiwan.

The island saw 214 new cases of infection on Monday, of which 211 were locally transmitted, and 26 new deaths.

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