BANGKOK, June 25 (TNA) – Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha remained undecided if Bangkok should be locked down for seven days to control COVID-19, saying the issue needed careful consideration.
Inspecting a Sinopharm vaccine inoculation station by the Chulabhorn Royal Academy, Gen Prayut who is also the defence minister said he was glad that the inoculation for underprivileged people, elderly people and people with disabilities started as Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn provided them with the Sinopharm vaccine through the royal academy.
Regarding a proposal to lock down Bangkok for seven days to contain Covid-19 in the capital, Gen Prayut said he had yet to consider information from all parties and weigh the proposal against the hardships of people.
“The government must set a budget to deal with it. How can you guarantee that the lockdown will end the problem? What if it does not end? I think that if the harsh measure can end the outbreak, it should be done. But if it can’t, there must be additional measures. However, I promise I will do my best,” Gen Prayut said.
Regarding COVID-19 patients’ high demand for hospital beds, the prime minister said he ordered the Public Health Ministry to increase beds for critically ill patients by 100, upgrade beds for green-coded patients to serve yellow patients and improve yellow patients’ beds to serve red-coded patients instead.
Officials would find places and negative pressure rooms and deploy enough personnel. That should be accomplished in a few days, Gen Prayut said. (TNA)
