Thailand maps out scenarios amid spread of Omicron variant
The Public Health Ministry of Thailand has drawn up three possible scenarios in case of the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant, Permanent Health Secretary Kiattiphum Wongrajit said.
COVID-19 vaccination in Thailand (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)
Bangkok (VNA) - The Public Health Ministry of Thailand has drawn up three possible scenarios in case of the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant, Permanent Health Secretary Kiattiphum Wongrajit said.
New COVID-19 infections could surge to 10,000 or even 30,000 cases a day early next year, driven by the variant, he warned.
The warning was issued as the number of new Omicron cases in Thailand soared five-fold, from 104 on December 21 to 514 five days later, Bangkok Post newspaper reported.
In the best-case scenario, the country could be looking at 10,000 new patients and 70 fatalities a day as early as late January, and 15,000 new cases and 100 deaths in the second-best projection.
In the worst-case scenario, the figures could jump to 30,000 new cases and 180 deaths a day if Omicron infections quickly spike.
Daily new infections and deaths currently continue to decline with more people having been vaccinated, but Omicron threatens to reverse that trend.
Kiattiphum said strict health measures, the vaccination campaign and cooperation from the public, including strict observation of social distancing rules, would determine the success or failure of the fight against Omicron.
Thailand reported 2,437 new infections and 18 deaths on December 27, raising the tally to more than 2.21 million and 21,598, respectively./.
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COVID-19 vaccination in Thailand (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) 
