Thailand considers another lockdown to slow COVID-19 spread hinh anh 1A woman receives a dose of COVID-19 vaccine in Bangkok, Thailand on April 7, 2021. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)
Bangkok (VNA) – Another lockdown may be considered to slow the spread of COVID-19 if new cases continue to surge, Thailand’s National Security Council (NSC) secretary-general Natthapol Nakpanich has said.

Gen Natthapol Nakpanich, head of the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA)'s operation centre, said the CCSA would be willing to consider any proposal from the Ministry of Public Health for a lockdown to contain COVID-19 transmissions.

There was no official proposal so far, but if proposed, the centre was ready to consider it, according to him.

Asked whether a lockdown would be imposed only in areas where the Delta variant of the coronavirus was rampant, or for the whole country, Gen Natthapol said emphasis would be placed on Bangkok and surrounding provinces, along with the four southern border provinces. Other parts of the country could be put under semi-lockdown.

Thailand posted a record 75 COVID-19 fatalities on July 8. The previous high of daily COVID-19 fatalities was at 61 last week.

The death toll stood at 2,462 from the beginning of the pandemic early last year.

The country detected 7,058 new cases over the last 24 hours, raising the national count to 308,230.

Due to a rise in cases as a result of the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant, Thailand is predicted to see up to 10,000 new daily cases soon, according to the CCSA.

The Delta variant has become the dominant coronavirus strain in Thailand, which accounted for 52 percent of new cases in Bangkok. The strain has already been found in nearly 50 provinces in the country./.
VNA