SURIN, March 30 (TNA) – The communicable diseases committee of the northeastern province resolved to postpone its declaration of COVID-19 as an endemic disease from April 1 to after the Songkran festival.
The committee found that Surin still failed to meet many of 13 criteria for the endemic disease declaration and there could be new clusters of COVID-19 cases during the Songkran festival.
The hospital bed occupancy rate in Surin stood at 8% while a criterion caps it at 3%. The communicable diseases committee viewed that less than 20% of local people received their third shot of COVID-19 vaccination and thus the number of seriously ill COVID-19 patients remained high in the province.
Local doctors asked Surin natives to avoid risky areas for seven days before returning to the home province and undergo antigen tests before their home-bound trips. (TNA)
