Images from The Nation Thailand/ANN
BANGKOK, March 5 (Xinhua): Thailand plans to vaccinate 40 million people in the country against Covid-19 within this year, said a high-level government official has announced.
The plan, covering 40 million population aged 18 and above, will require a total of 80 million doses of coronavirus vaccines, said Sophon Mekhathon, assistant to Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. The plan will also cover migrant workers.
That would call for procurement of an additional 17 million doses as the country had earlier announced plans to buy a total of 63 million doses of vaccines throughout this year, including 2 million doses from China's Sinovac and 61 million AstraZeneca doses.
However, Anutin said the plan will be subject to approval by the National Vaccine Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
Thailand on Friday (march 5) also confirmed 79 new cases of coronavirus infection, mostly domestic, according to a report of the Center for the COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).
Of the 79 cases, 65 were reported as domestic while 14 others referred to those who had returned from abroad and tested positive for the coronavirus in the country, the CCSA report says.
Those domestic cases included 50 in Samut Sakhon province, southwest of Bangkok, the report says.
Thailand has so far confirmed 26,241 cases of infection, 23,418 of which were reported as domestic while 2,823 others referred to those who had returned from abroad and tested positive in the country.
So far, 25,641 patients have fully recovered and been released from hospitals while 515 others are currently hospitalized and 85 fatalities have been reported.
According to Worldometer, as of 10am on Friday, the number of confirmed cases globally had risen to 116.22 million (up by 446,747), 91.88 million have recovered, 21.75 million are active cases (90,049 in severe condition) and 2.58 million have died (up by 9,955).
Thailand ranks 115th on the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 29.5 million, followed by India 11.17 million, Brazil 10.8 million, Russia 4.29 million and the United Kingdom 4.2.- Xinhua
