The Thai government will need at least four weeks to assess the latest COVID-19 situation, following the long New Year holidays, after which new infections are expected to surge.
It will then decide whether to adjust existing safety and preventive measures, said Government Spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, today (Wednesday).
He explained that it will take two weeks to assess the new infections and another fortnight to assess the numbers of hospitalisations and fatalities before a decision can be made by the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), which is chaired by the prime minister and is due to meet this Friday.
This means that the temporary suspension in accepting new Thailand Pass applications in place since December 22, 2021 may remain until at least the end of January. Those who have applied and been granted the Thailand Pass can still enter the country under the Test and Go programme until January 10, 2022, as per the previous announcement. This also means the reopening of pubs and bars scheduled for January 16 is now unlikely.
Meanwhile, Thanakorn said the prime minister is pleading with the unvaccinated and partially vaccinated to get fully inoculated or boosted, particularly the elderly, pregnant women and those suffering from underlying diseases, because doing so will help reduce the risk of hospitalisation and death.
Those at high-risk of being infected should be socially responsible, by refraining from travel and isolating, so they do not to pose a risk to others and for their own safety, said Thanakorn.