THE PUBLIC Health Ministry raised the Covid alert level from 3 to 4 at 8.30 a.m. this morning (Jan. 6) amid a spike in daily Covid count to 5,775 from 3,899 yesterday but fatalities stayed low at 11, Amarin TV said
Dr. Kiattipoom Wongrachit, the ministry’s permanent secretary who made this announcement at Vachira Phuket Hospital, said Covid control is being stepped up because of the rapid spread of infection even though the number of people who become severely ill and possibly die has decreased.
He mentioned four new steps as follow:
– Gearing up to close risky places that may spread the infection or add more measures to control them;
– Advising that travel be delayed, such as refraining from working outside and working from home instead and not travel across provinces;
– Limit group activities with more stringent measures to be applied;
– Strict VUCA measures with these being Vaccine (Vaccination), Universal Prevention (always protecting yourself, wear face mask, maintain social distance, refrain from unnecessarily eating with others and staying in places that have been shut for a long time etc.), emphasising Covid Free setting measures and detect infection via ATK test.
Dr. Somsak Ankasil, the head of the Department of Medical Services, said in Bangkok that the Covid pandemic in Thailand has entered the fifth wave. As for nationwide treatment plans, there are about 520,000 beds available with there being 250,000 within the Bangkok metropolitan area.
However, according to the projected scenario, the maximum number of Covid cases will be approximately 30,000 a day and there are enough beds to handle this total.
The current approach in caring for Covid patients focuses on Home Isolation (HI) and Community Isolation (CI) systems as the first line of treatment. However, if the patient’s condition turns severe, he/she will be referred to a hospital that has a bed available.
Those who test positive via an ATK test should call the hotline number 1330 within six hours. Staff will make an initial assessment and if they are not in severe condition they will enter the HI or CI systems. Those who are unable to quarantine at home or have severe symptoms should call 1669 for hospitalisation.
Of today’s 5,775 new cases 5,323 emerged in surveillance and healthcare systems, 160 were found through proactive search in communities, 77 fell sick in prisons and detention centres while 215 foreign arrivals tested positive.
This takes the cumulative confirmed total since April 1, 2021 to 2,216,387.
Another 2,673 patients were cured taking total recoveries since April 1, 2021 to 2,158,076 while 37,968 are still undergoing treatment.
CAPTIONS:
Top: People undergo nasal swab tests for Covid-19 outside a closed nightclub in Bangkok, on April 8, 2021.Photo: EPA-EFE and published by The Straits Times
Home Page: Medical treatment. Photo: Sonny Abesamis (CC BY 2.0)
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