Provincial governor confirms 2 cases of Omicron variant in Khon Kaen

The north-eastern province of Khon Kaen has reported its first 2 cases of the Omicron Covid-19 variant. According to a Thai PBS World report, governor Somsak Jungtrakul confirmed the infections in a press statement yesterday. The governor has urged residents not to panic over the development, assuring them that strict disease control measures were in place.

Addressing a media conference, Somsak said the 2 infections were in a married couple from the neighbouring province of Kalasin. The couple had returned from a trip to Belgium on December 10. Following the end of their minimal quarantine period and a negative test result, the couple flew to Kalasin on a Thai Smile flight and travelled home from the airport in a relative’s car.

According to the Thai PBS World report, the couple travelled to Khon Kaen to renew their passports at the provincial hall on December 13. To return to Kalasin, they used the Khon Kaen – Mukdahan bus service some time between 4.30pm and 6.30pm.

The couple developed a fever and muscle pains 3 days later and were admitted to Kalasin hospital. They tested positive for the Omicron Covid-19 variant and were subsequently moved to a private hospital in Khon Kaen, where they are receiving treatment.

The Khon Kaen provincial health office has issued a statement, urging people who visited the same locations as the couple to monitor their condition and come forward for testing if they develop any symptoms.

SOURCE: Thai PBS World