FILE PHOTO: A man undergoes a free coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test at a rapid antigen mass testing station as the spread of COVID-19 continues, in Bangkok, Thailand, July 15, 2021. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa
Thailand on Sunday (Aug 1) reported 18,027 new COVID-19 cases with 133 new fatalities.
Health officials said 374 of the new cases were linked to prisons, while 13,402 people have been discharged having made a full recovery.
Sunday’s cases bring the total number of COVID-19 infections in Thailand to 615,314 with 4,990 deaths.
Despite recording slightly fewer cases than Saturday’s record high, new COVID-19 cases in Thailand have continued to rise sharply since June, despite the authorities placing some provinces in partial lockdown and increasing restrictive measures nationwide.
It is understood that the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) will shortly rule on whether to extend the lockdowns and restrictions in the so-called ‘dark red’ zones in Thailand, as well as discussing other measures.
The news comes as the chief of the Department of Disease Control, Dr Opas Kankawinpong, on Friday warned the COVID-19 situation in Thailand could get worse before it gets better.
Dr Opas said that even with continued lockdowns and ongoing restrictive measures, it is expected that the number of daily new cases will top 20,000 in August. Without lockdowns, the number of daily new cases would reach 40,000, Dr Opas said.
As cases continue to rise, delays continue to beset Thailand’s vaccine rollout.
While a record number of people received a single dose of the vaccine on Friday, just 5.5 percent of the population are fully vaccinated against the virus.
On Saturday, it was announced that a new vaccine registration website for foreigners in Thailand will be launched today (Aug 1).
(Source: – Asean No