It's no longer just India or Indonesia. People are dying on the streets of Bangkok from Covid-19.
Two of four bodies found lying in the street Wednesay were confirmed to be infected with Covid-19. Whether that is what directly killed them remains to be seen, but there's no doubt that the virus itself or the dire circumstances it caused for the victims played a part.
Three bodies were found in Phra Nakhon District and two tested positive for Covid-19. The test result for the final corpose was not available.
The fourth body was a homeless man, seen lying in front of Tesco Lotus on Rama 4 Road in Khlong Toei. While he tested negative for the coronavirus, Thailand's economic collapse since the virus hit last year may have put him on the street.
The fatalities are the most vivid illustrations yet of how the coronavirus epidemic in Thailand is spinning out of control, fueled by incompetence among the former generals trying to play doctor and their failure to secure ample supplies of Covid-19 vaccines.
Thailand on Thursday reported another 13,655 new Covid-19 cases and 87 deaths. Daily cases have set records nearly every day this month and are 49 percent higher than just a week ago. Meanwile, only about 5 percent of the country has been fully vaccinated, most with inferior Chinese vaccines.
Metropolitan Police Bureau spokesman Pol. Maj. Gen. Piya Tawichai said officials needed to work more carefully in collecting the bodies of suspected Covid-19 cases, so it caused a delay in responding to each case. He insisted that the officials did not abandon those bodies.
The first case was reported to the police that he fainted and collapsed. Emergency service was called to the scene but attempts to save his life failed and he died at 5 p.m. before his body was collected at 10 p.m. The test result later showed he had Covid-19.