Luxury hotels for Covid-19 patients in Thailand
Bangkok, Apr 21 (EFE).- Thai coronavirus patients with mild or no symptoms can be admitted to luxury hotels instead of hospitals for $318 a day as a third wave of Covid-19 starts to put strain on health infrastructure.
Thai people who test positive for the coronavirus must be hospitalized for 14 days even if they develop no symptoms, which led to a soar in occupation rates.
At least 40 hotels have been equipped to host coronavirus patients across the country, offering 4,700 beds, a figure that authorities aim to nearly double to 8,000, health ministry sources told Efe on Wednesday.
The occupation rate has reached nearly 50%, according to the most recent official data.
If the patient’s condition takes a turn for the worse, they will be moved to a hospital.
Some coronavirus patients have taken to social media to complain about the difficulties of finding a hospital bed, including Chiang Mai United’s famous player Boworn Tapla and his family.
Authorities, however, say there is no shortage of hospital beds and insist there are nearly 30,000 available across the country.
Thailand’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration on Wednesday reported 1,454 new cases, for a total of 16,780 since 1 April, while the total deaths stand at 110.
A representative for Bamrungrad, one of the capital’s most exclusive hospitals, told Efe that they are cooperating with the five-star Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort to transfer asymptomatic Covid-19 patients or those with mild symptoms to the hotel.
The hotels’ 14-day, full board package starts from 150,000 bhat ($4,700). EFE
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