BMA sets up community isolation centres to tackle surge in Covid cases
In a bid to handle soaring Covid-19 cases in the capital, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) opened a community isolation centre inside Bangkok Noi’s Wat Sri Sudaram temple on Friday.
“Infected patients will stay here while they are waiting for beds in hospitals or field hospitals to become available,” Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang said. “This isolation centre will eventually help curb the spread of the virus and prevent possible cluster cases.”
The Wat Sri Sudaram isolation centre can accommodate 90 patients – 55 men and 35 women. The centre is equipped with CCTVs, thermal scanners, oximeters, an infectious waste isolation room, etc, and will be overseen by medics from Ratchapipat Hospital. Each patient will be provided with a bed, a blanket, a pillow, a mosquito net, and a supply of gloves and facemasks.
“The centre will also be stocked with Favipiravir tablets in case patients develop severe symptoms before they can be transferred to a hospital,” said Aswin.
After the opening of this centre, Aswin travelled to Wat Inthara Wihan temple in Phra Nakhon district to open another community isolation centre, which can accommodate 200 patients.
“We are planning to open 18 more centres in districts that have a high number of infections,” the governor added.
Bangkok reported 3,116 new cases on Friday, which pushed the capital's cumulative cases since April 1 to 90,613.
