A boy gets swabbed for a COVID-19 test at Poonsap community in Bangkok's Sai Mai district on February 21 (Photo: Bangkokpost)Bangkok(VNA) – The Public Health Ministry of Thailand on February 21 raised its COVID-19 alertto Level 4 - the second-highest tier, following asharp increase in Omicron variant infections nationwide.
Ministry spokesman Rungrueng Kijphati posted on Facebook on the same day thata meeting of the ministry's Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) decided that thealert level will be raised nationwide and containment measures stepped up inhigh-risk areas.
Under the new alert, people are advised to workfrom home, avoid non-essential inter-provincial travels, suspend overseas trips,close at-risk venues, and avoid large gatherings.
Meanwhile, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered the armed forces toagain prepare field hospitals amid surging COVID-19 cases nationwide.
According to Defence Ministry spokesman Kongcheep Tantravanich, the PM haddirected all hospitals under the army, navy and airforce to stand ready toreopen their field hospitals due to concerns about the continued spread of theOmicron variant.
Field hospitals of the forces provided about 7,000 beds when they opened toease the workload of public and private hospitals with the emergence of theDelta variant last year. They closed after the Delta outbreak subsided.
The armed forces will work closely with the Public Health Ministry onthe revival date of the military facilities, the spokesman said.
PM Prayut's order came after the daily number of COVID-19 cases in Thailandrose to over 18,000 for three consecutive days. The Interior Ministry of Thailand on February 20also asked all provincial governors to tighten measures after the infectionsituation spiked.
On February 22 morning, Thailand reported additional 18,363 COVID-19 cases and35 fatalities, lifting the total infections and deaths in the Southeast Asiannation to 2,749,561 and 22,691 deaths,respectively./.
