Public Health Ministry hopes to declare Covid-19 endemic in 4 months
Thailand is currently working on a Covid-19 transition plan in which the pandemic will be declared endemic in a span of four months.
The transition was decided upon after the Public Health Ministry learned that more than 90 per cent of people who had been infected with the Omicron variant were asymptomatic, although the number of new cases has been increasing fast.
The ministry will suggest its transition plan to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration on Friday.
The plan is divided into four phases:
• Phase 1 (March 12 to early April): This so-called “combat” phase will focus on launching measures to contain the spread of the disease.
• Phase 2 (April to May): Called the “plateau” phase, it will focus on keeping the number of Covid-19 infections low.
• Phase 3 (May-end to June 30): The so-called “declining” phase will focus on maintaining the number of new Covid-19 cases to below 2,000 daily.
• Phase 4 (from July): Called the “post-pandemic” phase, it will focus on transitioning from a pandemic to an endemic disease.
However, the plan still involves vaccinating as many people as possible, especially the elderly and those with chronic diseases, to reduce deaths and provide effective treatment to the vulnerable.
In addition, the Public Health Ministry and related agencies will ease Covid-19 prevention measures according to the situation so people can start living a normal life.
As of Wednesday, Thailand’s total caseload from Covid-19 stood at 3,250,642 – precisely 3,004,752 of whom have recovered, 221,972 are still in hospital and 23,918 have died.
Separately, another 64,791 people were given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, 16,145 their second and 82,328 a booster, bringing the total number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered nationwide to 126,431,235.
