77% of Thais expect Covid infections to surge during Songkran: Anamai poll

The poll showed 77 per cent of respondents think daily infections will spike during over the long Songkran holiday (April 13-17) as people travel back home to visit their families.

The remaining 23 per cent of respondents said the outbreak situation would not change much, as people would obey disease control measures during Songkran activities.

Meanwhile 53 per cent believed venues hosting Songkran activities will be the major source of new cluster cases, while 47 per cent said the biggest danger was to family members at Songkran get-togethers.

Fifty-three per cent of respondents said they would stay away from high-risk venues during the Songkran holiday, while the remaining 47 per cent said they take part in Songkran activities and visit tourist attractions.

More than half of respondents identified the following as high-risk venues for catching Covid-19: Restaurants that serve alcohol, shopping malls, tourist attractions, public vehicles, filling stations, and venues hosting Songkran activities.

Department of Health chief Dr Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai urged people who plan to visit their families or travel over Songkran to obey the Public Health Ministry’s prevention measures. These include getting fully vaccinated, wearing a face mask, washing hands regularly and maintaining a distance of at least one metre from others.

“If you plan to visit high-risk venues, make sure that organisers are following the Covid Free Setting standard, which includes vaccinating their staff, using the ThaiChana app and ensuring space between people in properly ventilated areas,” he said.

On Saturday, Thailand recorded 26,234 new infections and 67 deaths over the previous 24 hours.