Covid UPDATE Saturday: 21,838 new infections – a new record, news briefs

This morning the Thai public health department has announced 21,838 new infections along with 212 Covid-related deaths. 923 of the new cases have emerged from Thai prisons. 21,108 patients have been released from hospitals in the past 24 hours, significantly, nearly the same amount of new cases announced over the past 24 hours.

5,159 patients remain in “serious condition” whilst 1,060 people are currently needing the assistance of ventilators.

• In Vietnam, Hà Nội has extended stringent citywide social distancing orders for an additional 15 days until at least 6am on August 23.

According to the orders signed by Hà Nội City Covid Centre Chairman Chu Ngọc Anh, after 14 days of heavy restrictions in line with the Government’s orders that began on Saturday, July 24 and set to expire on Saturday, August 7, the city had attained only “certain results”.

HCM City, in Vietnam’s south, has also experienced a quick surge in new Covid cases over the past month.

• 2 chicken processing plants in northeastern Thailand’s Nakhon Ratchasima province have got the bubble/seal treatment after over 100 employees tested positive for Covid. The outbreak from the two poultry factories, which employs over 10,000 workers, aroused fear in the nearby residents at the prospect of Covid running amok in their area.

Today, the Chok Chai district chief Somchai Amphankarn, and other officials had a meeting with executives from the 2 plants to decide on measures to handle the situation. The factories names were not revealed. Full story HERE.

• A survey carried out by the Bank of Thailand shows that nearly half of Thai businesses expect life to return to normal during the first quarter of 2022. Businesses of all sizes were interviewed between July 1 – 22 as part of the business sentiment index.

The findings show that 45% expect people to become more confident spending time outside the home during the first quarter of next year. They also expect travel to return to normal and daily new infections to fall below 50 during the same period. Full story HERE.