BANGKOK, March 8 (The Nation Thailand/ANN): Thailand's Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has urged people to get their vulnerable family members vaccinated now to protect them during next month’s Songkran (Thai New Year festival) get-togethers.
“Please take your elders, small children and those with underlying health problems to get a vaccine before the holidays start,” said deputy CCSA spokeswoman Dr Sumanee Watcharasin has announced.
She explained that the virus is likely to spread over the holiday when huge numbers of people travel between provinces.
She added that interprovincial travel was not banned, but people should be cautious and follow Covid-19 preventive measures on public transport and when gathering with family members, sharing a meal, and pouring water on each other.
People should also avoid crowded areas such as shopping malls, temples and restaurants, or choose Covid-Free Setting destinations if visits cannot be avoided, said Sumanee, who is also director of Risk Communication and Health Behaviour Development at the Department of Disease Control (DDC).
The DDC will propose other measures to contain the spread of Covid over Songkran to the CCSA meeting next week.
This year, Thailand’s biggest holiday will take place over a five-day long weekend from April 13-17.
Thais will travel back to their hometowns to visit families and pay respect via the “Rod Nam Dam Hua” ceremony, where people pour water on elderly relatives’ hands in return for their blessings.
Meanwhile, Covid-19 numbers are also still high in Thailand. Ministry of Public Health reported on Tuesday (March 8) morning that in the past 24 hours there are 18,943 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19, 66 of whom have arrived in Thailand from abroad.
Death toll increased by 69, while 25,005 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.
Cumulative cases in the country since January 1, 2022 are at 843,365.
The country’s total caseload from Covid-19 stands at 3,066,800 – 2,819,103 of whom have recovered, 224,328 are still in hospitals and 23,369 have died. - The Nation Thailand/ANN
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