Thailand’s daily caseload will drop soon, predicts Public Health Ministry
The Public Health Ministry said on Sunday that the number of Covid-19 cases in Thailand is likely to ease, as more patients with mild symptoms are being discharged from hospitals in Greater Bangkok.
Dr Kiatiphum Wongrajit, the ministry’s permanent secretary, cited Nonthaburi’s Busarakham Hospital, where the number of yellow and green patients had dropped 54 per cent from 3,526 to 1,905 cases last week.
Of the 300 beds available at the Nimibutr Sports Building in Bangkok, only 94 were occupied, of which 54 patients were in the green group, 34 in the yellow group and only six in the red group or in a severe condition.
Kiatiphum added that proactive tests conducted in communities, companies, markets and workers' camps helped identify and isolate patients to curb the virus from spreading.
He also said the urgent inoculation of people at risk, such as seniors, those with chronic disease and pregnant women has helped cut down on infections and deaths caused by family clusters.
The doctor hopes the target of inoculating 70 per cent of this group in Dark Red provinces and 50 per cent in other provinces can be reached soon.
As of Saturday, 22,807,078 people had received their first Covid-19 jab, 7,287,885 their second shot and 584,326 their booster shot, bringing the total number of Covid-19 vaccines administered to 30,679,289.
He added that in a move to administer more booster shots, the Department of Disease Control will meet related agencies and come up with a plan to distribute 1.5 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine nationwide.