Bangkok experiencing Covid surge as new infections rise to 2,000 a day

The Department of Disease Control has reported a surge in Covid-19 infections in Bangkok, with daily cases rising to around 2,000 a day. According to a Bangkok Post report, most patients are adolescents or of working age. Dr Suthat Chottanapund from the Institute for Urban Disease Control and Prevention says the capital is now recording between 1,800 – 2,000 cases a day. In most cases, the virus is being spread through group activities in venues such as pubs and bars which are now operating under restaurant licences.

“We have found the main cause of infections remains unchanged, and we have seen more infections within families as the Omicron variant is easily spread.”

Between December 12 and February 8, Bangkok reported 28,256 Covid-19 infections, with 31% of patients between the ages of 20 and 29. Around 21% were between the ages of 30 and 39 and 15% were aged 40 – 49. However, the number of Covid-19 fatalities has dropped from around 5 – 10 a day to 1 or 2 a day, according to Suthat. The unvaccinated, the elderly, and those with underlying health conditions account for most of the deaths from the virus.

As cases continue to rise in the capital, a number of clusters have been reported at the city’s fresh markets. Health officials are urging market vendors and customers to adhere to disease prevention measures such as mask-wearing, social distancing, and hand washing. In particular, Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai from the Department of Health says regular handwashing is important given that the virus can remain on items such bank notes, coins, plastic bags and other shared products.

Yesterday, Thailand reported 13,182 new infections, with 40 of those found in prisons and 139 imported. There were 24 Covid-related deaths. Of the imported cases, the Bangkok Post reports that 51 were from Russia, 9 from Kazakhstan, 8 each from Germany and France, and 6 each from the Ukraine and Estonia.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post