Covid UPDATE: New high of 21,838 infections, provincial totals

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.

There are now 20,280,108 people in Thailand who have received at least 1 dose of their Covid vaccination.

Here are all the provincial totals today from NBT…

• The BMA is doubling down on efforts to reverse the rise in new daily Covid cases. BMA spokesman Pongsakorn Kwanmuang said they will issue even more restrictions to reduce people’s mobility, increase beds to accommodate moderate and severe cases and speed up inoculation, especially of the elderly, pregnant women and people with any of seven underlying diseases.

There are 65 community isolation centres in 50 districts across Greater Bangkok and the facilities can accommodate 8,625 patients.

Meanwhile, the BMA is opening 6 more free Covid testing stations as part of active case-finding in communities. The testing units will use antigen test kits, which can produce results in 30 minutes with more than 90% accuracy. Those who test positive will get a secondary RT-PCR test at the unit to confirm the result. – NBT

• 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.