BANGKOK, Feb 23 (TNA) – The Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration reduced the minimum sum insured for COVID-19 insurance required from each visitor from US$50,000 to US$20,000. The reduction will take effect on March 1.
After CCSA’s meeting at Government House, Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said that the reduction was aimed at relieving the financial burden of visitors and boosting tourism in the country.
Besides, he said, CCSA changed the COVID-19 testing method required on visitors on day 5 after their arrival from RT-PCR to antigen testing. Visitors would receive antigen test kits free of charge and will report test results. The testing change would also take effect on March 1, Mr Anutin said.
Meanwhile, CCSA spokesman Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin said COVID-19 patients occupied 49.1% of hospital beds available for them nationwide as patients with mild symptoms were at community isolation centers and home quarantine. There were 21,120 COVID-19 cases at community isolation centers and 47,373 others had COVID-19 treated at home, he said.
Dr Wantanee Wattana, deputy permanent secretary for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, said yellow and red-coded COVID-19 patients occupied almost all hospital beds at its hospitals and it would seek help from private hospitals.
Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang said the capital had 31 isolation centers where about 1,900 beds remained available. He planned to open nine more isolation centers with altogether 970 beds. (TNA)
