Thailand’s daily COVID-19 cases, confirmed by RT-PCR tests, are forecast by the Disease Control Department to reach 40,000-50,000 cases in mid-April and may reach 100,000 if existing restrictions are further eased, according to the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) today (Thursday).
Strict compliance with the requirements of Thailand’s COVID-19 “Level 4 Alert”, which allows stricter restrictions on restaurant dining, large gatherings, bars, pubs and karaoke joints, may limit the peak to about 20,000 cases a day, said the department. Level 5 is the highest which can involve imposing a curfew.
Thailand’s daily COVID-19 cases today, confirmed by RT-PCR tests, are 23,618, a drop from the record high reported on Saturday of 25,615. A sizeable group of 42,138 people, however, tested positive using rapid antigen tests over the past 24 hours, a new high.
In Bangkok today, there were 2,779 new infections diagnosed by RT-PCR tests. 101,172 people are currently in home isolation and 26,601 are in community isolation facilities.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Health has sought help from hospitals in 14 provinces around Bangkok to help ease the overwhelming workload on outpatient medical facilities in the capital, said Public Permanent Secretary Dr. Kiattibhoom Vongrachit today.
He disclosed that the staff manning the National Health Security Office (NHSO) 1330 hotline centre, which has already been increased to 700, cannot cope with the incoming calls from COVID-19 patients seeking help, adding that there were 70,300 incoming calls yesterday alone.
The consequence is that many calls for help are not being answered each day, or they are left waiting for a long time.
To solve this problem, Dr. Kiattibhoom said the Ministry of Public Health has arranged for hospitals around Bangkok to provide outpatient services to as many as 18,650 people each day, most of whom have tested positive using rapid antigen tests.
The expanded daily outpatient support is as follows:
- 1,500 cases for hospitals in Nonthaburi
- 1,100 cases in Pathum Thani
- 1,670 cases in Ayutthaya
- 1,800 cases in Saraburi
- 600 cases in Nakhon Nayok
- 900 cases in Sing Buri
- 900 cases in Ang Thong
- 1,600 cases in Nakhon Pathom
- 500 cases in Samut Songkhram
- 800 cases in Samut Sakhon
- 1,700 cases in Suphan Buri
- 1,300 cases in Samut Prakan
- 1,930 cases in Chon Buri
- 1,300 cases in Chachoengsao
- 600 cases in hospitals of the Diseases Control Department
- 450 cases in hospitals under the Department of Mental Health
Those who get positive antigen test results and are unable to get medical services in Bangkok can travel to these hospitals for help.
