Government says rate of Covid-19 infections on the decline
A government spokesman says there are signs the daily rate of new infections is on the decline, with recovered patients outnumbering new cases for the last 10 days. Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana says that while the Delta variant is contributing to the high infection rate, he’s confident the number of daily new cases will continue to fall.
Today, Thailand has reported 15,972 new infections and 256 Covid-related deaths. According to a Thai PBS World report, Thanakorn says that by the end of the year, Thailand will have taken delivery of 140 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines. The government is currently in talks with the European Union to procure 2 million doses of AstraZeneca every month between September and December, as well as 2.5 to 3 million Pfizer doses during the same period.
Meanwhile, the vaccination of 12 to 18 year olds will get underway in order to allow schools to re-open safely. While over 573,000 teachers have been vaccinated, there are around 4 million students yet to be inoculated. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration is also launching a trial programme, known as “Sandbox Safety Zone in Schools”, in selected boarding schools. Thanakorn adds that by the end of the year, around 70% of the population, including people in high-risk categories, as well as expats and students, will be vaccinated.
The government is moving towards a “living with Covid” approach, with the CCSA approving a model known as, “Smart Control and Living with Covid-19”. This means mass vaccination, mass screening using antigen test kits, and the creation of Covid-19-free work environments. Thanakorn says there will be an ongoing need to adhere to disease prevention measures such as social distancing, the wearing of face-masks in public spaces, and regular hand-washing. He also advocates only leaving home when necessary and using antigen test kits if there’s been a risk of exposure to the virus.
SOURCE: Thai PBS World
