Health Official Warns Covid Cases Could Reach 70,000 Daily in Thailand

Thailand’s public health department believes daily covid-19 infections could reach 70,000 unless strict lockdowns are employed later this month.

Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman of the governments Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration reported  the Ministry of Public Health’s estimates that daily infections in late August to early September could be around 60,000 to 70,000 patients per day after the current lockdown measures end.

However, if the lockdown measures were extended to September, daily infections would be at around 45,000 patients per day, which is still too high.

“If we were to maintain daily infections at the current rate of around 20,000 patients per day, strict lockdown measures must be employed for at least two months. Followed with vaccinating elderly people and other target groups in wider areas,” said Dr Taweesilp.

“This is the best-case scenario for our public health system. At this infection rate, we will still have adequate hospital beds while the mortality rate will be at a controllable level.

“Lastly, I urge everyone to stay at home as much as you can and follow disease control measures to limit the spread of the virus and make the lockdown as effective as possible,” Dr Taweesilp said.

More record Covid-19 cases and deaths in Thailand

On Saturday Thailand’s health department reported 217 more Covid-19 fatalities and 22,086 new cases over the past 24 hours. There were 21,816 cases in the general population and 270 among prison inmates.

Over the past 24 hours, 23,672 Covid-19 patients were discharged from hospitals.

Since April 1, around when the third wave of Covid-19 began, there have been 856,412 Covid-19 patients, 640,130 of whom have recovered.

Since the pandemic started early last year, there have been 885,275 Covid-19 cases, 667,556 of whom recovered.

The death toll was at 7,249 in the third wave and 7,343 from the beginning of the pandemic early last year.

The high of daily Covid-19 cases was at 23,418 reported on Tuesday and the record high of new daily fatalities was at 235 reported on Friday.

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