TAIPEI, May 17 (Reuters) - A surge of coronavirus infections in Taiwan, one of the world's COVID-19 mitigation success stories, has left it scrambling to get vaccines as its stock of 300,000 doses starts running out with only about 1 per cent of its 23 million people vaccinated.

The island reported another 333 new domestic COVID-19 cases on Monday (May 17), amid a rise in community transmissions.

Taiwan has been a model of how to control the pandemic since it began and life had carried on almost as normal with none of the lockdowns and overwhelmed hospitals seen elsewhere, thanks largely to effective case tracking and closed borders.

But over the past week it has reported more than 700 domestic cases, out of a total of 2,017 infections recorded since the pandemic began. In all, 12 have died of COVID-19 on the island.

Tough new restrictions have been imposed in the capital, Taipei, for the first time as authorities fear an increasing number of cases.

While Taiwan has begun vaccinations, it has only received about 300,000 shots, all AstraZeneca ones, having been caught up in the global shortage despite having 20 million on order, including from Moderna.

Health authorities last week stopped giving shots to people who are not on priority lists that include the elderly and medical staff.

Taipei's de facto ambassador in the United States, Hsiao Bi-khim, in comments published on Saturday by Taiwan's official Central News Agency, said she had been pressing Moderna to ensure the vaccines arrive on schedule before the end of June.

"Our people's expectations for vaccines (are) rather urgent," she said.

Moderna and AstraZeneca did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said last week more vaccines would be arriving from next month, though she gave no details. Domestically developed vaccines are also due by July.