File photo: Reuters
Thailand on Wednesday (August 18) reported 20,515 new COVID-19 cases and 312 additional deaths over the past 24 hours.
● 20,267 new infections
● 248 prison / prison infections
● 22,682 recoveries
Wednesday’s cases bring the total number of COVID-19 infections in Thailand to 98,957 with 8,285 deaths. (Total infections since April 1: 940,094)
The news comes as Thailand will purchase an additional 12 million doses of Sinovac’s coronavirus vaccine to try to expedite its rollout, a senior official said on Tuesday, despite concerns over its efficacy against the Delta variant of COVID-19.
Thailand’s strategy had planned to use mainly locally produced AstraZeneca vaccines but with supply short of the government’s target, Sinovac shots are being used in a mix-and-match approach to inoculate the population faster.
The mass vaccination campaign started in June but the rollout is being hastened by Thailand’s worst coronavirus wave so far, which is challenging Bangkok’s healthcare system at a time when just 7.3% of the population has been fully vaccinated.
(Source: – Asean Now)