The Nakhon Ratchasima provincial administration plans to reopen the COVID-19 monitoring centre next week, in the wake of a rising trend in new infections.

Currently, an average of two COVID-19 patients are dyingeach day in this north-eastern province, with six fatalities reported yesterday (Sunday) alone, most of them elderly people who were not fully vaccinated.

Dr. Jade Boonyawongvirot, deputy director of Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital, said today that he hascoordinated with Governor Siam Sirimongkol about reopening of a COVID-19 monitoring centre next week.

Meanwhile, the hospital is now providing free COVID-19 vaccinations to the public at the Central Plaza shopping mall in Mueang district.

Dr. Jade said that the hospital is now treating about 300 COVID-19 patients each day, with a daily average of two fatalities, adding that he predicts more cases during the festive season, as more people tend to travel and mingle together in crowded places.

The number of COVID-19 infections in Thailand’s north has doubled from about 200 cases a week to about 400 and the death toll has also doubled. Most are people who are over 60 and those suffering from underlying diseases.

Dr. Surachet Arunothong, deputy director of Disease Control Office 1 in Chiang Mai Province said, however, that the increase in infections is predictable and he described it as a “small wave” in Bangkok and tourist provinces, where there are many crowd-gathering activities.

Of the fatalities, he said that 89% were people who are unvaccinated or who have received, at most, three vaccine doses, adding that there are no fatalities yet involving people who have received four vaccine shots.