Thailand ready to cope with COVID-19 surge after Songkran
Bangkok (VNA) –
Thai health officials nationwide have been ordered to watch for new COVID-19
outbreaks and prepare medication and equipment for inpatients, in
the wake of Songkran festivities.
Health ministry permanent secretary Dr Opas Karnkawinpong on
April 17 said medical and health personnel were instructed to keep local
communities informed, encourage annual vaccination against the pandemic and
ensure adequate medical supplies and equipment were on hand and hospital beds
available for severely ill COVID-19 patients.
Songkran revellers should monitor their health for seven days
and stay clear of elderly people and others with underlying illnesses. If they
feel ill, they should take an antigen test. Besides, people were still advised
to wear face masks in crowded places and get an annual vaccine shot, he added.
Meanwhile, Dr Supakit Sirilak, director-general
of the Department of Medical Sciences, said Omicron remained the dominant
variant of COVID-19 and its XBB.1.16 subvariant should be dominant in the
future.
There was no evidence the new subvariant was more severe than
the currently dominant Omicron subvariants in terms of antibody avoidance and
symptoms, he said./.