Twelve of Thailand’s 77 provinces should be able to declare Covid-19 an endemic disease soon, before the national deadline to end the pandemic in July, the Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) said. The Nation

Provinces will transition to an endemic when the Covid-19 death rate drops below 0.1 per cent of cases for two consecutive weeks.

The death rate is currently at 0.31 per cent across Thailand.

The government has set a deadline of July 1 to declare an end to the pandemic.

However, 12 provinces where the death rate is declining are close to declaring an endemic. These provinces are Phetchaburi, Surat Thani, Krabi, Ranong, Trang, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phuket, Satun, Songkhla, Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, CCSA spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin said on Friday.

The timeline for transition to endemic Covid-19 has four phases:

- Combat (level 4): March 12 to early April

- Plateau (level 3): April to May

- Decline (level 2): End of May to June

- Post-pandemic (level 1): July 1 onwards

Another 21 provinces are currently in the combat phase. These are Lamphun, Phrae, Lampang, Phitsanulok, Sukhothai, Kamphaeng Phet, Nakhon Sawan, Sakon Nakhon, Bueng Kan, Loei, Udon Thani, Khon Kaen, Nakhon Phanom, Nong Khai, Yasothon, Maha Sarakham, Sisaket, Nonthaburi, Nakhon Nayok, Kanchanaburi and Uthai Thani.

The remaining 44 provinces are in the plateau phase. These are Bangkok, Mae Hong Son, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Nan, Phetchabun, Uttaradit, Phayao, Phichit, Chainat, Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, Singburi, Lopburi, Tak, Samut Songkhram, Samut Sakhon, Ratchaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Ang Thong, Saraburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Suphan Buri, Phatthalung, Phang Nga, Chumphon, Chonburi, Samut Prakan, Mukdahan, Chachoengsao, Chanthaburi, Rayong, Prachinburi, Trat, Sa Kaew, Nong Bua Lamphu, Amnat Charoen, Ubon Ratchathani, Nakhon Ratchasima, Roi Et, Kalasin, Chaiyaphum, Buriram and Surin.

However, the national Covid-19 death rate is still rising even though the number of infections is likely to drop, Taweesilp said.

Most Covid deaths are among people who have not been vaccinated and have chronic diseases, he added.

The CCSA has adopted the following three-point roadmap for the transition to an endemic:

- Easy, efficient public access to treatment with fatality rate lower than 0.1 per cent.

- More than 60 per cent of the population given booster shots.

- Building public awareness of how to transition from pandemic to endemic Covid-19 safely.

Published : April 24, 2022 

By :  THE NATION