From Bangkok Post

The Public Health Ministry will on Monday tell Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt to limit public activities to minimise a possible coronavirus resurgence.

Kiattiphum Wongrajit, permanent secretary for public health affairs, said on Sunday he will call for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to reduce the number of events drawing large crowds.

Dr Kiattiphum said figures showed government hospitals in the capital should brace for a swell of new Covid-19 patients.

About 2,000 people a day are now being treated in hospitals, more than half of them in Bangkok, he said. Worse, 42% of coronavirus inpatients in the capital are seriously ill or showing life-threatening symptoms, he continued.

Dr Kiattiphum said Governor Chadchart chairs the communicable disease committee in Bangkok, and thus has the authority to issue any health measures needed.

The public health secretary did not specify the events he considered highly likely to spread Covid-19.

The latest government manoeuvre is likely to be viewed as politicking, given its waning popularity, its perceived inability to address the Covid-19 pandemic and the landslide election of the former Pheu Thai heavyweight to lead the nation's capital.

Mr Chadchart has initiated several programmes to restore life to Bangkok, including open-air movies and concerts in public parks.

Dr Kiattiphum's position reflects growing worries about a possible spike as doctors and health personnel have warned of the danger of two new subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5, due to their high transmission.

This may be a political ploy but for 42% of the covid patients in Bangkok hospitals to be seriously ill and showing life-threatening symptoms is surely more than worryng.

The governor does not seem intimidated by the Health Ministry, saying yesterday that he would not cancel the open air film festival.

 

The Health Minister is a joke and desperate to take over from the PM.

6 hours ago, PeterRS said:

This may be a political ploy but for 42% of the covid patients in Bangkok hospitals to be seriously ill and showing life-threatening symptoms is surely more than worryng.

The opening post says seriously ill OR showing life-threatening symptoms.

I'd expect covid patients in hospital to be seriously ill, otherwise there is no need to be in hospital.   

 

Analysing the patient data would make sense before they think about more stupid restrictions.   Thailand doesn't even report vaccination data by age properly, but back in March the WHO reported that in the over 60 age bracket only 79% of over 60s had 2 vaccine doses in Thailand.     Compared with something in the high 90s for both the UK and Cambodia.

The death and serious illness rate in the 21% of unvaccinated over 60s is likely to be about 10x the vaccinated level, so it's entirely possible that over half the people who are in hospital are unvaccinated. 

 

 

unfortunately the latest variants appear to be able to evade antibodies from those who were previously infected or who have been vaccinated. From the reports I've seen BA.5 produces an illness that includes the worst sore throat people say they've ever had and more lung/respiratory effects than the other recent variants. Otherwise healthy people appear to recover in a couple of weeks with the most acute symptoms lasting 4 or 5 days. 

Personally I think exercising a lot of caution to cut down the spread as much as possible seems sensible.