Private and public sectors urged work from home after New Year holidays

Thailand’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) is seeking cooperation from both the public and private sectors by allowing their employees to work from home after the long New Year holiday, initially for 14 days, as the Omicron variant spreads through 33 provinces, infecting 740 people so far.

CCSA Spokesman Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin told the media today (Wednesday) that the CCSA regards everyone travelling during the holidays to be at risk of infection at group or family activities and would like them to work from home when they return.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha also called on all working people to monitor their heath after their return from the holidays and to work from home if they develop any suspicious symptoms.

He said he is pleased to see that most people in the country wear their face masks when they are outdoors and urged them not to lower their guard over the holidays, during which they will come into close contact with many people and put themselves at risk of being infected or of spreading the disease to others.

According to the CCSA, 133,061 Thais and foreigners arrived in Thailand in November and 260,076 in December, with most of them entering the country via the “Test and Go” program, which requires just one night at an accredited hotel while waiting for results of RT-PCR tests.

171 people were found to be infected with COVID-19 among arrivals in November and 946 among arrivals in December.

2,575 new COVID-19 cases were reported today, including 116 cases among foreign arrivals and 40 cases among prison inmates. The death toll today is 17 and 33,502 patients are still being treated in hospitals, including 614 severe cases with 153 of them requiring ventilators.

Meanwhile, the Medical Sciences Department reported today that the Omicron variant has spread to 33 provinces in Thailand, with 277 in Bangkok, 121 cases in the north-eastern province of Kalasin and 92 in Phuket.

The other provinces where Omicron variant infections have been detected are: