IN the highest 24-hour coronavirus count ever Thailand logged 10,082 new cases and 141 deaths this morning (July 17) with Police Hospital having now stopped receiving new patients while Ramathibodi has suspended several services, Amarin TV and Siam Rath newspaper said.
The Public Health Ministry said early this morning that of the over 10,000 new cases 9,955 were among the general public and 127 in prisons and detention centres while 6,327 more patients had recovered.
This took the cumulative confirmed total since the start of the pandemic to 391,989 and in the current wave that began in April 363,126.
Today’s fatalities raised the death toll from the start of the pandemic to 3,240 and in the current wave 3,146
Police Hospital said this morning it is not no longer accepting new patients except for critical cases because many medical personnel had got infected with coronavirus from taking care of those admitted with this being for public safety.
This hospital’s emergency room is now closed to emergency and accident cases and will only admit critically ill patients in urgent need of medical attention.
Meanwhile Ramathibodi Hospital also announced this morning that with over 300 of its medical workers having contracted coronavirus it is now suspending several services.
As the Covid crisis has intensified and spread more widely, lots of patients are continuously flocking into this hospital which is currently taking care of 1,000 of them with 350 in home isolation while 200 are on the waiting list for admission and many others waiting in the emergency room.
With over 300 of its health workers now infected this hospital currently lacks the capacity to take care of more patients and has almost reached its maximum holding ability.
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Top: A man undergoing a Covid test. Photo: NNT
Home Page: The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) is providing free Covid-19 tests to 1,000 people a day at Thupatemi Royal Thai Air Force Sports Stadium until July 31 by employing a Royal biomedical safety unit. Photo: NNT
