Omicron surge not accompanied by high death rate: Thai Health Ministry
Data in Thailand indicates the Covid-19 Omicron variant is highly contagious but causes less severe disease than previous strains, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Friday.
Anutin confirmed the infection rate had increased in the first 14 days of 2022 after the Omicron entered Thailand. However, the number of severely ill patients has not risen sharply and fatalities remain below 20 per day.
Anutin added that his ministry will advise the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) to ease disease restrictions as soon as is safely possible.
The ministry has blamed the rapid spread of Omicron after New Year on people failing to follow prevention measures. However, the daily caseload had stabilised after public warnings for people to show more caution, it said.
The ministry is monitoring the situation closely in case of further virus mutations. It urged citizens, especially unvaccinated people, to get the jab to prevent serious illness or death.
It also asked entertainment venues to follow strict Covid-19 controls and people to avoid travelling for non-essential reasons.