Covid UPDATE Saturday: 3,052 new infections and 24 Covid-related deaths

This morning the public health ministry has added another 3,052 infections and 24 new Covid-related deaths over the past 24 hours. Out of today’s new cases, 605 came from the country’s prisons where major clusters have emerged. The daily totals, even without the prison numbers, show a slow upward trend in new cases, the vast majority around Bangkok in high-density housing areas and busy public spaces (like community markets).

We’ll have all the provincial totals online just after lunchtime today.

• Foreigners, any foreigners in Thailand, will be able to register for free vaccination from June 7. According to the Thai Foreign Affairs spokesperson, foreigners are being directed to get their vaccination at hospitals and health centres where they live. A list of designated facilities will be announced shortly. They also urged people to use a hospital if possible where they already had their records.

The announcement follows a month of contradictory statements coming from various government departments concerning if and when foreigners would be eligible for vaccination.

• The BMA has has sealed off a workers camp in the Lak Si district, just south of Don Mueang International Airport, where more than 1,000 people have tested positive for Covid-19. Almost half of the samples tested are of the so-called Indian variant strain of the virus.

1,107 out of 1,667 workers have tested positive forcing the BMA to seal up the facility for at least 28 days to restrict the outbreak. The BMA have committed to providing food and health supplies during the containment. Anyone showing symptoms will be taken to hospital for free treatment.

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Around the capital the outbreaks are focussed on markets and high density housing areas with much of the attention now turned to containing these clusters.

The “Indian” strain has surged through India and is now a “variant of concern” according to the World Health Organisation.