Covid UPDATE Saturday: 217 Covid-related deaths, news briefs

This morning the Thai public health department announced another 22,086 new infections to Thailand’s total. 270 of today’s cases stem from the Thai prison system. 217 Covid-related deaths were also announced. 23,672 people were released from hospital care.

Provincial totals will be announced early this afternoon.

• According to the Ministry of Public Health, Covid-19 patients in Thailand are taking almost a million Favipiravir pills each day as infection numbers surge around the country. The daily Covid-19 infection rates have now crossed over the 20,000 mark and with so many new cases, the demand for the antiviral tablets is skyrocketing. Read the full story HERE.

• Approval was received to begin testing on human subjects in September for a Covid-19 subunit vaccine created in Thailand by the Vaccine Research Centre of Chulalongkorn University and Baiya Phytopharm Company. The vaccine is the second to be racing to clear testing phases and be used to fight Covid-19 in Thailand. The other, an mRNA vaccine, is being developed by Chulalongkorn University with the assistance of Moderna’s Asian distributor Zuellig Pharma. Read the full story HERE.

• Bangkok Hospital Pattaya in association with the Department of Disease Control and the Thai Ministry of Public Health are offering Covid-19 vaccination services (first dose) to foreign residents in Thailand.

Before everyone rushes to the hospital, the vaccines are only available to a select few foreigners that meet the narrow demographics they outlined in their press release. To qualify, a person must be a foreign resident living in Thailand and must be either old, pregnant, or chronically ill. The primary target of vaccines is for those foreigners who are over 60 years old.

Full story HERE.

• PTT group has launched the “One Breath” campaign, which is a state–private collaboration in opening a screening unit and field hospitals.