The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has opened more community isolation centres to cope with the surge in cases of Covid-19 in the capital.
Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang said on his Facebook page the BMA is now operating nine hospitals, seven field hospitals, four hospitels (hotel-cum-hospital) and 31 community isolation centres. It plans to open nine more community isolation centres.
The total number of beds will reach 8,441. At present, about 57% of 4,851 beds are occupied.
Pol Gen Aswin said that as the number of Covid infections keeps rising, the BMA will add more facilities to ensure that all patients who need one get a bed.
On Wednesday, Bangkok still had the most confirmed new cases at 3,079, followed by 1,369 in Chon Buri and 990 in Samut Prakan.
About 25,012 patients are in the home isolation programmes, he said.
The BMA will also add new services and volunteers to help patients get treatment including hotlines for its Emergency Operation Centres in 50 districts. Priority will be given to children and pregnant women.
Narong Ruangsri, the BMA's deputy permanent secretary, caught Covid-19 after he attended a ceremony to give cash handouts to people affected by the pandemic on Feb 19.
Pol Gen Aswin chaired the event and had lunch with Mr Narong and other officers.
The BMA's public relations department added in a Line group chat that Pol Gen Aswin had just been made aware of Mr Narong's infection while attending a meeting of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA). Pol Gen Aswin later tested negative via an ATK test and was due to take an RT-PCR test shortly.
Meanwhile, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul was asked how the ministry planned to deal with complaints by thousands of people who claimed they were unable to get through to the 1330 hotline set up by the National Health Security Office (NHSO) for those infected with Covid.
Mr Anutin said most of the busy lines occurred in Bangkok and that more telephone lines should be added and officials deployed to field calls.
He also thanked volunteer groups such as the Sen Dai (Thread) charity group for helping patients find beds.
He said the BMA must make a proposal to the health ministry before any measure can be implemented.
