The number of severe COVID-19 cases and coronavirus-related deaths in Thailand has slightly increased, owing to the Omicron sub-variants and the country’s long holidays.
According to Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, the majority of critical cases and people on ventilators are found in Bangkok and neighboring provinces.
He stated that the majority of the new cases discovered last week were among high-risk groups, such as the elderly and people with chronic diseases, with many of them either unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated.
A high volume of inter-provincial travel during the recent holidays may have contributed to an increase in the number of COVID-19 infections, which necessitates additional monitoring, according to Opas.
The Thai cabinet approved nearly 4 billion baht (around 110 million US dollars) for the purchase of COVID-19 medicines and medical supplies in preparation for a possible outbreak on Monday.
Thailand reported 1,814 COVID-19 cases and 17 deaths on Monday, excluding those who tested positive using rapid antigen test kits.
