Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed health authorities in major tourism destinations to closely monitor the number of Covid-19 cases in their area as the number of new infections continues to surge after the holidays.
The order was issued after Gen Prayut received an update on caseloads between April 16-22 from the Department of Disease Control, which showed the number of new Covid-19 infections was on the rise, said government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri.
Gen Prayut is particularly concerned for individuals who belong in the "608" group, which include senior citizens, individuals suffering from chronic illnesses, as well as medical personnel and frontline workers, Mr Anucha said.
Individuals in this group should seek a booster jab to ensure their Covid-19 vaccinations are up to date, the spokesman said, adding the Public Health Ministry has been instructed to keep an eye on the spread of the XBB.1.16 sub-strain of the Omicron variant.
According to the DDC's projection, the number of new cases this week will be roughly double the number seen last week, especially in and around tourism hotspots such as Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Chon Buri.
Citing the Department of Medical Sciences, he said that XBB.1.16 is a recombinant or hybrid strain of BA.2.10.1 and BA.2.75 sublineages of the novel coronavirus.
It is more highly transmissible and immune-evasive than XBB.1.5, though there is no evidence that it causes severe symptoms, he said.
Mr Anucha went on to say that the Public Health Ministry is expecting to see a surge of Covid infections throughout the rainy season, which will arrive next month.
In anticipation of the surge, the Public Health Ministry has revised its vaccination guideline. It is now recommending everyone to get a Covid-19 booster shot once a year, preferably before the start of the rainy season.
Any type of vaccine will suffice and people should get a booster jab at least three months after receiving their previous shot or recovering from a previous infection, he said, before adding it is safe to get an influenza vaccine at the same time.
People are still advised to take precautions, such as wearing masks in crowded places or public transport, he said.
Tares Krassanairawiwong, DDC's director-general, said that new caseloads have been increasing after Songkran.
There were 1,088 new infections this week, equal to about 155 new cases per day, which represents a 2.5-fold jump from figures seen in the previous week, Dr Tares said, adding the number is expected to continue rising over the next two weeks.
That said, Dr Tares assured that Thailand still has sufficient medical supplies as well as hospital beds to accommodate Covid-19 patients with severe symptoms.
Those who are immunocompromised can opt to receive a long-acting antibody (LAAB) jab at hospitals and medical facilities nationwide, Dr Tares said.
The National Committee on Communicable Diseases on Thursday areed that the 608 group can get a free annual Covid-19 vaccine shot at state-owned hospitals, which can be administered along with a flu vaccine, starting this year.
Sub-strains of the XBB variant have been blamed for the recent spikes in Covid-19 cases across the globe, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to reclassify the XBB.1.16 sub-substrain from a "variant under monitoring" to "variant of interest".
On Tuesday, the Department of Medical Sciences reported that Thailand has detected six new cases of the Omicron XBB.1.16 subvariant, while another patient is infected with XBB.1.16.1.
