More weeks of lockdown. Hard-hit provinces face new curbs. The Public Health Ministry is proposing to extend the lockdown measures in the 13 provinces hardest hit by Covid-19 pandemic for another 14 days as infections have soared in the North and the Northeast. Bangkok Post







More weeks of lockdown

The Public Health Ministry is proposing to extend the lockdown measures in the 13 provinces hardest hit by Covid-19 pandemic for another 14 days as infections have soared in the North and the Northeast.

A Government House source said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has convened a video conference with Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) officials to assess the overall pandemic situation as well as a lockdown and curfew imposed in the 13 provinces.

The measures to contain the virus transmission have been in place for 15 days, having already been extended by two days.

However, despite the lockdown, infections are on the rise with new highs frequently reported.

The CCSA is looking into a proposal by the Public Health Ministry to maintain both the lockdown and curfew and carry on the measures for at least 14 more days, according to the source.

In addition, the CCSA meeting will discuss providing vaccination to workers in factories where transmissions are rampant, particularly in the Central Plains and eastern provinces.

The national vaccination plan will focus on industrial workers to keep industries and the production sector functioning.

Several provinces in the North and Northeast hit record high infection rates in the past two weeks. They will be designated as provinces with high or very high Covid-19 prevalence so that suitable virus containment measures can be tailored and put into practice, the source said.

The country had a record high of 178 new Covid-19 fatalities and 18,912 new cases over the past 24 hours, the Public Health Ministry reported yesterday morning. There were 18,102 cases in the general population and 810 among prison inmates.

Over the past 24 hours, 10,750 Covid-19 patients were discharged from hospitals.

Since April 1, when the third wave of Covid-19 began, there have been 568,424 Covid-19 patients, 364,494 of whom have recovered.

Since the pandemic started early last year, there have been 597,287 Covid-19 cases, 391,920 of whom recovered.

The death toll was at 4,763 in the third wave and 4,857 from the beginning of the pandemic early last year.

The previous high of daily Covid-19 fatalities at 165 was reported on Thursday. The previous high of new transmissions at 17,669 was also reported on Thursday.