As people in Thailand celebrate Songkran, the nation’s daily death toll from Covid-19 has breached the 100 mark for 5 consecutive days from Sunday to today. This morning, the Public Health Ministry reported 115 new Covid-related fatalities and more than 24,100 new infections nationwide.
Yesterday, 106 deaths and more than 23,000 cases were reported. The ministry reported 108, 105 and 101 deaths on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, respectively. But the daily deaths are still way below the peak of the Delta variant in Thailand last year when the Covid-related death toll reached 312 on August 18.
Sunday marked the first time the nation recorded a hundred daily deaths from the virus this year, with the Public Health Ministry reporting more than 25,000 new infections, on par with the approximately 25,000 patients who had recovered were discharged from hospitals. Yesterday, more than 28,050 patients who had recovered were were discharged from hospitals.
After the Songkran holiday, the daily infection rate has been predicted to shoot up to between 50,000-100,000 cases, according to the Head of Siriraj Hospital Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Prasit Watanapa. His prediction has not been repeated by either the CCSA or the Thai government.
The silver lining, he says, is that the daily death toll likely will not not exceed 200 (even though that is approx. twice the current daily toll from Covid-related deaths). If it does, the amount of severe cases would be enough to overwhelm existing treatment facilities in one locations.
Meanwhile, the amount of severe case rose to more than 2,000 over the weekend, according to Dr. Nitipat Jiarakul, director of the Thoracic Society of Thailand, who said the trend is likely to continue before leveling off and eventually declining.
Thailand is one of the few countries in Asia with an increasing daily infection and death rate due to Covid-19.
Starting last Friday evening, Thais began leaving Bangkok and other major cities for domestic vacation destinations or their home provinces. The official Songkran public holiday begins on Wednesday, April 13, and ends on Friday, April 15, though celebrations will begin today and last through the weekend.
Following is the daily death toll so far for the month of April…
April 1: 92
April 2: 96
April 3: 97
April 4: 97
April 5: 91
April 6: 94
April 7: 91
April 8: 89
April 9: 98
April 10: 108
April 11: 105
April 12: 101
April 13: 106
April 14: 115
SOURCE: ThaiPBS | BangkokPost | CCSA