Concern over deep South virus outbreak: infection rate as high as Bangkok’s
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration is worried about the coronavirus situation in the deep South as the infection rate in four southern provinces are reported to be as high as the capital’s, assistant spokesperson Dr Apisamai Srirangsan said.
The four southern provinces – Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala and Songkhla – reported 1,968 Covid-19 cases out of a countrywide total of 9,930 new cases on Monday, or 21 per cent, which is the same percentage in Bangkok and the metropolitan region.
Southern patients are reported to have been infected in the workplace and closed areas.
Meanwhile, most infections in Bangkok were found in factories using the “bubble and seal” approach to control the outbreak, Apisamai said.
The vaccination rates in the four provinces are still low.
Some 22 per cent of Narathiwat residents have been fully vaccinated, with approximately 19 per cent in Pattani and 28 per cent in Yala and Songkhla, which is far lower than the target of 50 per cent.
The cumulative number of vaccinations (February 28-October 3) totals 55,150,481 doses in 77 provinces – 32,987,918 of whom have been administered the first dose, 20,696,791 who have received the second dose and 1,465,772 who have got the third dose.