THE PUBLIC Health Ministry said today's (Feb. 4) Covid tally of 9,909 cases and 22 deaths, with another 4,973 people who tested positive via ATK awaiting confirmation by PCR, is within the anticipated range while denying that officials are juggling the figures, Matichon newspaper said.
Dr. Kiattipoom Wongrachit, the ministry's permanent secretary, said the authorities quickly move to control the situation when clusters crop up while also pointing out that the mortality rate is 0.22 percent.
"Today there were 22 fatalities, we are trying to keep the total low, we don't want it to exceed 20 a day. Most of those who died were at risk, they were either not vaccinated or did not complete the doses.
"However when it comes to hospital beds, the situation at the moment is smooth," he said.
Regarding suspicions that Thailand is hiding data, the permanent secretary confirmed that his ministry is not juggling the figures and has always truthfully reported the numbers because they flow in electronically from across the nation.
"When the total number of cases improves, we mention it, when it deteriorates, we also mention it. For example ATK test totals are also reported," he said.
The ministry has earlier stated that today's 9,909 cases raised the cumulative confirmed total since Jan. 1 to 252,197 and since the start of the pandemic 2,475,632, Sanook.com said.
Of the new batch of cases 9,721 were domestic while 188 foreign arrivals tested positive.
The 22 fatalities raised the death toll to 22,250.
Another 7,827 patients were cured taking total recoveries since Jan. 1 to 198,415 with 86,473 still undergoing treatment.
