Health

Thailand records over 20,000 daily Covid cases for first time

Bangkok, Aug 4 (EFE).- Thailand on Wednesday recorded new daily Covid-19 highs of 20,200 cases and 188 deaths, despite strong restrictions imposed in the outbreak epicenter Bangkok and 28 other provinces.

The outbreak, linked to the Delta variant of the virus, has led the Thai government to impose stay-at-home orders, a night curfew, travel bans, gathering limits of five people and closed restaurants, bars, parks and almost all commercial establishments.

For now, the authorities have ruled out approving a 24-hour lockdown and stricter measures against the outbreak detected in April, which has accumulated more than 95 percent of the 672,385 cases recorded since the beginning of the pandemic, and 98 percent of the 5,503 deaths.

Doctors and experts have told media that numbers could be much higher.

Hospitals in the capital are on the brink of collapse with beds overflowing into parking lots and, in some centers, modified freight containers are being used as spaces to treat patients.

Community organizations are providing help to people sick at home and waiting for medical attention.

The health crisis is also affected by the slow progress of the mass vaccination campaign, which is erratic due to the lack of supply.

AstraZecena said on Tuesday that during July it had delivered a total of 5.3 million doses to Thailand.

The country, which has also widely used the Chinese Sinovac vaccine, has administered the complete two doses to 5.7 percent of the population, while about 20 percent have had at least one dose. EFE

nc/tw

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