File photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic
Thailand on Friday (September 24) reported 12,697 new COVID-19 cases, 13,540 recoveries and 132 additional deaths over the past 24 hours.
◼︎ 13,540 recoveries
◼︎ 12,527 new infections
◼︎ 170 prison / prison infections
▶︎ Total infections since April 1: 1,508,447
▶︎ Total recoveries since since April 1: 1,336,476
Friday’s cases bring the total number of COVID-19 infections in Thailand to 1,537,310 with 16,016 deaths.
The news comes as Thailand’s disease control committee has proposed a halving of a two-week hotel isolation requirement for vaccinated arrivals, amid delays in plans to waive quarantine and reopen Bangkok and tourist destinations from next month.
Thailand is keen to welcome back foreign visitors, after nearly 18 months of strict entry policies caused a collapse in tourism, a key sector that drew 40 million visitors in 2019.
“Reducing the quarantine is not only about tourism, but will help business travel and foreign students,” senior health official Opas Karnkawinpong told a news conference, adding tests would also be required.
(Source: – Asean Now)