Thailand extends state of emergency ahead of COVID-19 vaccine roll-out. - Illustrative image (Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/)Thestate of emergency, whichwas issued in March 2020, has been renewed multiple times, allowing thegovernment to enforce mandatory quarantine measures and coordinate diseasecontrol plans without approval by many different agencies.
Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn, a member of the CCSA,said that the Thai cabinet is expected to back the extension at a meeting on February23.
It is expected that the easing of COVID-19containment measures will be applied to all provinces except Samut Sakhon whichwas hit by the second COVID-19 outbreak.
PM Chan-o-cha said onFebruary 22 that he would be the first Thai to be inoculated with the Sinovac COVID-19vaccine produced by Sinovac Biotech of China.
The proposal cameafter the PM announced that only people under 60 years of age should be vaccinated.
The Food and DrugAdministration (FDA) of Thailand said that the registration for licensing theSinovac COVID-19 vaccine was about to be completed. As scheduled, the firstshipment of 200,000 Sinovac vaccine doses will arrive in Bangkok on February 24 .
Thailand reported 89 more COVID-19infections over the last 24 hours, lifting its national count to 25,504,including 83 fatalities./.
VNA
