Vaccination to be accelerated following outbreak in Bangkok’s Klong Toey district

The government is accelerating vaccine administration among shantytown dwellers in Bangkok’s Klong Toey district following an outbreak of Covid-19. Thousands of people live in very close quarters within the slums and travel across the city and to neighbouring provinces for work. The cluster of infections has sparked fear the virus could spread further and overwhelm the healthcare system.

Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang says PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is pushing for an urgent vaccine rollout among the community. The Bangkok Post reports that vaccine administration will take place at Tesco Lotus branches at Rama IV and Klong Toey Withaya School from 1pm today. Officials aim to inoculate 1,000 people by the end of the day, and another 2,000 – 3,000 in the following days.

It’s understood officials are also carrying out daily proactive testing among the Klong Toey community, testing around 1,000 people a day between now and May 19. According to Apisamai Srirangson from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, a total of 39 Klong Toey communities will be tested. She adds that all infected patients have now been hospitalised. Nearly 1,000 people are considered high-risk contacts and are being prioritised for testing.

The Bangkok Post also reports that following the discovery of 60 new infections among the Bon Kai community of Pathumwan district, officials will also carry out mass testing there, with the aim of testing 4,000 people every day. Pongsakorn Kwanmuang from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration says the cluster was sparked by someone who lives in the community and works at a nightlife venue in the Thong Lor district of the capital.

The outbreak in Klong Toey was mostly the result of infection being spread between family members and work colleagues. Pongsakorn says that with 75,000 houses in the Klong Toey slums, it is vital to speed up vaccination in the community.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post