THE Public Health Ministry is moving ventilators from across the country to Bangkok which is the severest hit in the current coronavirus wave amid an additional 4,786 cases across the country over the past 24 hours, TV Channel 7 and Siam Rath newspaper said.
Meanwhile the overnight fatalities soared to 53 taking the death toll since the start of the pandemic to 2,023 and in the current wave 1,929.
Dr. Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman of Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), said there are currently 49,799 coronavirus patients under treatment, with 27,329 being in field hospitals and 22,470 in hospitals.
Among these patients 1,911 have pneumonia with severe symptoms and 556 require a ventilator.
Another 2,415 patients have been cured taking total recoveries since the start of the pandemic to 259,301 and in the current wave 230,438.
Of the new batch of cases 4,650 were among the general public, 127 in prisons and detention centres while nine overseas arrivals were quarantined.
Meanwhile some provinces announced that those registered as residents in their locality and are now infected with coronavirus but cannot get treatment should contact the authorities to return to their hometown for treatment and not arbitrarily flock back.
This action was taken to reduce the spread of infection.
The infected returnees were told to contact their local hospital, community leaders and public health officials before travelling.
The provinces that have taken this step are as follows:
– Lampang;
– Nakhon Ratchasima;
– Khon Kaen;
– Phitsanulok;
– Sisaket;
– Phetchabun Province, Khao Kho district;
– Sakon Nakhon.
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Top: Lt. Cmdr. Michael Heimes checks on a patient connected to a ventilator at Baton Rouge General Mid City campus. Photo: US Navy (CC BY 2.0)
Home Page: Downtown Bangkok at night. Photo: Evo Flash (CC BY 2.0)
