Monday COVID update: 6,166 cases & 50 deaths

Today, Thailand has reported another 6,166 new Covid-19 cases and 50 deaths. 84 of the new infections are in prisons. More news on those figures coming later. Provincial totals will be available early afternoon.

• The Chulabhorn Royal Academy says there will be enough Sinopharm vaccine as long as, “no one exceeds their allocation or jumps the queue”. Millions of doses of Sinopharm vaccine have been ordered for distribution in Thailand, according to the National Broadcasters Thailand.

“However, they cannot be delivered to Thailand all at once because the production process, quality control, and inspection take some time to complete.”

• Chulalongkorn University has reported that the Delta variant is responsible for 70% of new “symptomatic” Covid-19 cases in Bangkok. Over recent weeks, Bangkok and the adjoining provinces have been contributing up to 3,000 of the new infections each day.

Virology Centre Director Dr. Yong Poovorawan says the current third outbreak is being dominated by the Alpha (UK) variant which, transmits 1.7 times faster than the Wuhan strain. But the Delta variant, first reported in India, is steadily making inroads as the current outbreak persists.

“It is 1.4 times more transmissible than the Alpha strain. The study also shows that 70% of new patients are infected with the Delta variant and it is not always possible to tell where people caught it.”

The study predicts the Delta variant will surge, especially in the capital according to NBT.