Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Thursday said the country's public health system will not collapse despite the number of hospital beds and health personnel being at critically low levels.

"The ministry will not allow the public health system to collapse. No one should use this term. We must work together to improve the situation," Mr Anutin said.

Several senior doctors had said the Covid-19 outbreak situation was critical with some suggesting the government should impose a lockdown in the capital for seven days.

A doctor at Ramathibodi Hospital posted on Facebook that: "ICU [intensive care unit] beds are fully occupied. We have to begin to choose who will go on them, and who shouldn't. Don't let your guard down. Precautions are always important."

Another doctor posted on Facebook on Thursday that Chulalongkorn General Hospital had suspended Covid-19 testing for four days from Sunday because of bed and medical personnel shortages.

He said numerous patients came to the hospital after their condition deteriorated since they had been refused admission at other hospitals due to bed and staff shortages there too.

Responding to the suggestion that Bangkok be locked down for seven days, Mr Anutin said the proposal was worth listening to, but it must be weighed carefully.

Mr Anutin insisted he had not received reports that some hospitals have stopped testing for Covid-19 due to bed shortages even though the news has gone viral on social media.

A doctor at the Department of Medical Services said there were only 23 beds at state hospitals left for Covid-19 patients suffering severe symptoms.

The situation is expected to worsen if the number of new cases continues to soar at the current rate, the said.