CCSA meets today to extend Covid measures, or ease restrictions

Today’s meeting of Thailand’s peak Covid organisations will decide the continuation, or the juggling, of restrictions as the CCSA and government departments grapple with country’s steady, but worrisome, increases in both new infections and deaths over the past month.

Currently, 29 provinces are Dark Red Zones, classified as the maximum and strict controlled area designation.

The CCSA will meet today and decide if they will extend the current lockdown measures. The extension of the Red Zones, with the highest levels of restrictions and curfews, have been ramped up over the past month but have seen a steady rise in both new infections and deaths, both in the key battle grounds around the city and nearby provinces, and the other provinces as well.

Yesterday Dr. Thaveesilp Visanuyothin said that the operations centre and the Department of Disease Control predict that Covid infections and deaths will increase over the next month.

“Without lockdown measures in place, the number of daily infections is expected to reach 60,000-70,000, with more than 800 fatalities every day.”

He also announced that the CCSA will discuss whether to ease some restrictions, and to allow some essential businesses to reopen on the premises of department stores, as requested by the Thai Shopping Centre Association.

“…the CCSA is aware of the plight of people and businesses affected by the tough lockdown measures.”

He added some ominous predictions, quoted in the NBT yesterday…

“Without lockdown measures in place, the number of daily infections is expected to reach 60,000-70,000, with more than 800 fatalities every day.”

“If the lockdown measures have an efficiency rate of 20%, as they do now, the number of infections will be about 45,000 with about 500 fatalities daily. If the lockdown achieves an efficiency rate of 25% for two months, along with efforts to step up vaccinations for the elderly, people with any of seven types of underlying health conditions and pregnant women, the number of daily infections will be about 20,000 with fewer than 200 deaths per day.”

SOURCE: NBT