Holiday returnees warned to check for Covid as new wave forecast

Dr Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai, director-general of Health Department, said those who visited other provinces during the holiday for Asahna Bucha should monitor their symptoms after they return home.

“Please regularly check your condition. If you develop a cough, sore throat, fever, muscle pain, runny nose, or headache after visiting risk areas without properly protecting yourself, please take an ATK test before returning to work,” Suwanchai said.

He said people should take an ATK test if they had spent more than four hours on public transport or visited crowded places.

Free ATK test kits could be ordered via the Paotang app to pick up at a local pharmacy, he said. Or people can also use their identification card to receive free test kits directly from pharmacies, he added.

Meanwhile those who test positive but have mild symptoms can receive free medicine as outpatients from hospitals where they are registered for free treatment.

They should then isolate at home for five days and then monitor themselves closely for five more days. During the five-day self-monitoring, they must wear face masks and practice social distancing when they leave home, Suwanchai said.

Those who return to work during the five-day monitoring period must practice prevention measures by wearing masks, frequently cleansing hands with alcohol and distancing from other co-workers.

The director-general also urged workplaces to take precautions by providing alcohol for cleaning hands at entrances, in front of lifts, and inside washrooms.

On Sunday, the Public Health Ministry reported that Thailand recorded 2,028 new Covid-19 infections over the previous 24 hours, with 18 deaths.

Hospitals have been ordered to prepare for a surge in cases driven by the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants. The Public Health Ministry estimates the caseload will rise to 30,000 per day in September.