The number of new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday (25 Jan) dropped slightly from Monday’s number, but new infection clusters – such as one at a boxing gym in Bangkok – are still being detected. Meanwhile, the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) is asserting that vaccines remain a key factor in reducing the severity of Covid symptoms.
Disease prevention measures imposed immediately after the New Year’s period have been credited for changing the direction of the infections graph to a downward course, which reflects the unchanging numbers of new infections at present. The line representing the number of deaths from COVID-19 remains below that which represents outbreaks, as the death rate continues to decrease in line with what has been observed globally despite an increase in infection numbers worldwide.
Citing this development, health authorities have reasserted that getting vaccinated and getting the booster dose is crucial in preventing deaths and severe symptoms. Thailand has administered 112,759,859 doses of Covid vaccines so far.
In Bangkok, where the daily infection numbers have heightened recently, proactive operations teams have been dispatched from the Department of Disease Control and have discovered several infection clusters. One recently found cluster is situated in a boxing gym in Bangkok Noi district, where 11 new patients have been confirmed. The CCSA explained that actions that exposed people in this cluster to Covid risk include eating together, drinking from the same cup, the absence of a disease screening point, and a lack of alcohol gel spots.
The CCSA has also announced that the rollout of the Pfizer vaccine for children aged 5-11 years will commence with the vaccination of children with 7 chronic diseases who are at heightened risk of developing severe symptoms from COVID-19. The subsequent batch of the Pfizer vaccine to arrive from abroad will be distributed to every province and administered to children at the elementary 6 school level.
Meanwhile, Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul has inspected a Covid vaccination center inside MBK shopping center in Bangkok, which has been administering the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines as booster doses to employees inside the mall. The Ministry of Public Health has been accelerating its booster dose campaign in hopes of achieving greater coverage. Mr. Anutin said the optimal time gap between the 3rd and 4th doses of vaccine for individuals at heightened risk of contracting Covid is now being determined by the Department of Disease Control. (NNT)
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