Government says ongoing vaccination and obeying the rules will drive infections down

If everyone obeys Covid-19 restrictions while the vaccination of high-risk groups continues, the Health Ministry predicts a big drop in new case numbers in the coming weeks. According to a Bangkok Post report, Kiattiphum Wongrajit says just a 5% increase in the public’s observance of disease prevention measures would be enough to make a significant difference. He adds that greater cooperation is needed to drive down transmission in the worst-affected provinces.

“At this point, we must work together to contain the outbreak. We’d like to ask every sector to comply with lockdown measures, whether even just avoiding travelling to meet people. This will push down the infections and fatalities.”

Residents of the worst-hit provinces are currently living under tough measures, which Kiattiphum says need to be tightened even further to control the movement of people and drive down an infection rate that is approaching 20,000 cases a day. He is calling on the public to cooperate fully with the government’s attempts to curb the spread, as was successfully done in the first wave last year.

“Please be patient and help us reduce mobility. If we can do it, we will see the situation improve over the coming month in the capital and weeks following in other provinces.”

The Bangkok Post reports that up to 80% of deaths are among elderly people with underlying health conditions, with Kiattiphum saying this is why the government is prioritising this group for vaccination. He adds that both government and private hospitals are nearly full, with over 90% of Bangkok’s hospital beds now occupied.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post