The number of Covid-19 patients admitted to hospitals in Bangkok has risen by 10% since last month, when entertainment places reopened, the chief of the Department of Medical Services said on Thursday.
Dr Somsak Akksilp, the director-general, said that last month there were about 900 Covid-19 patients at hospitals in the capital, and the number rose to about 1,000 this month.
“It is a 10% increase from last month, when strict regulations were still in place. However, it is normal under the circumstances, with more relaxed regulations and especially the reopening of entertainment places,” he said.
The number of severely ill patients rose accordingly, the director-general said.
Dr Somsak said that two new subvariants of Covid-19’s Omicron variant might have more severe symptoms because they could resist vaccines and antibodies and travel deeper towards the lungs.
There was no evidence so far that the two sub-variants, BA.4 and BA.5, were more transmissible.
Gen Supot Malaniyom, operations chief of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said the CCSA intended to declare the whole nation a green (Covid-19 surveillance) zone and completely restore business and other activities.
With the declaration, entertainment places would revert to their pre-Covid-19 operating hours. Closing hours would be either midnight, 1am or 2am depending on what kind of place and the relevant regulations, said Gen Supot, who is secretary-general of the National Security Council.
Officials have said previously the declaration was expected to take effect on July 1, when the Public Health Ministry was also likely to redefine Covid-19 as an endemic disease.
