The saying goes, "hope for the best, plan for the worst." After crowded and energetic New Year's Eve celebrations and extensive travel for the New Year's holiday, the CCSA is making plans to handle the inevitable surge in Covid-19 infections. In order to curb any outbreaks resulting from the holiday, the CCSA has readied response teams to deploy to affected areas.

While they brace for new Covid-19 infections, the government insists they do not intend to reinstate any of the harsh lockdowns Thailand has suffered from over the last year. Instead, the response teams are designed to be able to implement disease control measures and treat infected patients quickly to quash viral spread.

Supot Malaniyom, the head of operations for the CCSA and secretary-general of the National Security Council, offered words of encouragement, saying if everyone follows the Ministry of Public Health's regulations the Covid-19 pandemic will pass in time.

He said the government recognises that the New Year's holiday will tempt many people to take part in risky activities and they are concerned for everyone in Thailand. The CCSA has asked public companies to use work from home plans for those who have travelled over the holiday similar to the government's 7-day work from home policy.

The CCSA will meet during this first week of January to assess the Covid-19 situation and follow up on the plans and rules to handle it. Though lockdowns seem to be off the table, tighter regulations and other measures may be enacted if infections rise after the New Year's holiday.

SOURCE: National News Bureau of Thailand

Highlights:

• 289 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Chonburi today

• 171 people recovered and were released from medical care

• No new deaths

The Chonburi Department of Public Health announced 289 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 today with no new deaths, January 1st, 2022.

This makes a total of 113,314 cases of Covid-19 in the current round of infections, with 2,441 people still under medical care/supervision, and with a total of 793 recorded deaths in Chonburi since the start of this recent round of infections in early April.

Additionally, 171 people were also released and recovered yesterday in Chonburi. 110,808 people in total have now been released from medical care and recovered in Chonburi since this current wave of Covid-19 began.

Four people were listed as being in serious condition in Chonburi currently, either on a ventilator or pneumonia, three of them were not vaccinated.

In total, 1,912,927 people in Pattaya and Chonburi have received their first dose of a Covid -19 vaccine which is 82.13 percent of the total Chonburi population. Of those, 298,330 have received their first dose and are what the Thai government calls 608 groups (elders, have chronic health problems, and pregnant) which is 80.64 percent of those in these risk groups in Chonburi.

The details on the cases are as follows:

1. New soldiers in Sattahip, 10 cases
2. Work and stayed in Rayong, transferred from other provinces for medical care, 8 cases
3. Cluster community near Bang Phra beach in Si Racha, 5 cases
4. Cluster, Mino company in Mueang Chonburi, 5 cases
5. Cluster, Koryo company in Mueang Chonburi, 3 cases
6. Risky occupations meeting many people, 19 cases
7. 8 medical personnel
8. Back from other province in Udon Thani, 1 case
9. Close contacts from previously confirmed cases in families – 47 cases, in workplaces – 45 cases, close personal contacts – 29 cases, and joined a party – 5 cases
10. Close contacts of a confirmed patient (under investigation), 12 cases
11. 92 cases close contacts of a confirmed patient (under investigation)