CCSA concerned about rising Covid numbers among Thailand’s medical workers

The government’s Covid-19 task force says it’s worried about a rising level of infections among the country’s medical workers. Dr. Sumanee Wacharasint from the CCSA has called on all healthcare workers to come forward for a fourth vaccine dose to protect them against the virus. According to a Thai PBS World report, she says medical workers becoming infected is a cause for concern as it can have wider implications on hospital staffing.

At Bangkok’s Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital, the emergency ward had to be temporarily closed recently, due to a number of medics becoming infected with Covid-19. Sumanee adds that in the eastern province of Chon Buri, 16 doctors contracted the virus in a single day. She says the increase in cases among healthcare workers means it’s vital they get a fourth vaccine dose.

Fourth doses have already been administered to over 500,000 frontline medical workers and other high-risk groups. Sumanee says there has been no decision taken yet on when fourth doses might be rolled out to other groups.

The CCSA has also said it’s concerned about rising infections in tourism provinces operating sandbox schemes. Thai PBS World reports that in Bangkok, cases have risen significantly since the end-of-year holiday period. However, around the country, new case numbers appear to be evening out at around 7,000 to 8,000 a day. Health minister Anutin Charnvirakul says he’s hopeful cases of the highly-contagious Omicron variant will not exceed 30,000 a day as previously feared.

Meanwhile, the CCSA has ordered the Education Ministry to prepare for schools returning to onsite learning, including the development of contingency plans. Earlier this week, Sumanee confirmed there was no need to close schools where Covid-19 is detected, as most schools have effective measures in place to deal with such a scenario. She said closing schools would only further negatively affect children whose learning has already been disrupted for two years as a result of the pandemic.

SOURCE: Thai PBS World