THE Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s (CCSA’s) spokesman Dr. Taweesilp Visanuyothin said today (Jan. 15) there were 188 new coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours while Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul allayed fears about Sinovac Biotech’s vaccine by saying he would be the first person to get a dose, Siam Rath newspaper said.
Of the 188 new cases 154 were domestic infections while 34 arrived from overseas with six coming from Germany, three from Turkey, one each from the Philippines, Pakistan, Hungary, the US, Egypt, Czech Republic, Belgium, Sudan, Russia, Switzerland, UAE and Kuwait while 13 crossed over from Myanmar.
Meanwhile 73 cases were found through proactive screening of migrant workers and this adds up to 3,260 cases.
This takes the total number of cases to 11,450 but there was no additional death with the toll remaining at 69. Altogether 628 more patients were discharged from hospital adding up to 8,288 cured so far while 3,093 remain hospitalized.
The figures for the new Covid wave from December 15 to today, January 15, show there were 7,213 confirmed cases with 4,348 patients cured and nine deaths.
Meanwhile Anutin addressed the issue of the effectiveness of the Chinese vaccine CoronaVac, with the first 200,000 doses arriving in February, 800,000 in March, and another 1 million in April, by confirming that he would be the first person to get a jab.
He pointed out that all coronavirus vaccines that are available have been verified to be 50-60-70 percent effective and none led to those inoculated developing a serious condition or dying.
The vaccine would reduce the impact of the infection but there would be further development and improvement in future to make them more effective.
Questioned by reporters about some people in a few countries having developed allergic reactions to this vaccine which made people fearful, Anutin said could not answer this question because he was not a doctor.
He pointed out that a vaccine management sub-committee had been set up to take care of policy issues and already held a meeting this morning on which groups should get vaccinated first and when. He will be reporting to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha this afternoon after which there will be a press conference.
CAPTION:
Top: Public Health Minister Anutin talking to the press. Photo: Siam Rath
