Anutin trolls US handling of Covid-19, compared to Thailand
Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul praised the way Thailand handled Covid-19 in comparison to the US over the past 2 years. In comments he made this week he said that in the US, many were still unvaccinated and death tolls remain very high, while in Thailand people are following Covid-19 safety rules and bringing the numbers down.
GRAPH: Daily death rate in the US starting to reach levels from last year – worldometers.info
He said that infections are coming down but real attention should be paid to serious illnesses caused by Covid-19. In the US, even though the Omicron variant now spreading everywhere in the world is a less severe or lethal strain of the virus, the lack of vaccination in the US continues to lead to more deaths. He commented that the lifestyle in the US is different to that of Thailand. In Thailand, the death rate has hovered generally below 20 per day, with an average of 15 daily fatalities in 2022 for a population of 67 million people.
Anutin commended the people of Thailand for their cooperation in taking steps and following safety rules to try to limit the spread and severity of Covid-19 in the country. He mentioned their willingness to wear masks, socially distance, and wash hands as well as get vaccinated as key factors to keeping Thailand relatively safe.
The Public Health Minister also said that, while there are no new restrictions being placed on travel or events during the Chinese New Year holiday in Thailand, people are urged to use their utmost caution and remain observant of Covid-19 safety measures during their celebrations. He also suggested people make good use of the availability of antigen test kits to self-test and stay safe.
He commented that Covid-19 being declared endemic may be on the horizon, but it’s “not a change that will happen overnight”. There are many things to consider before being reclassified. The government has announced that by the end of 2022 Covid-19 will be declared endemic regardless of the World Health Organisation’s classification, as long as 3 key metrics are met.
SOURCE: ASEAN Now
