People urged to keep up guard as crisis wanes

People urged to keep up guard as crisis wanes

The first wave of the Covid-19 outbreak in Thailand has ended as the country has reported zero local transmission of the disease for 48 consecutive days, said Sopon Iamsirithavorn, director of the Bureau of General Communicable Diseases.

Despite the absence of local cases, the infectious disease expert yesterday warned Thais not to lower their guard as a second wave could result.

Dr Sopon said the country's Covid-19 outbreak came to pass but the public should stick to the new normal because the global situation is not easing.

He said several countries have experienced a second wave of infections and the resurgence is largely because people drop their guard and gather in crowded areas as they did before the lockdowns.

He urged Thais in general, who have played a vital role in assisting the public health community in containing the spread of the virus, to maintain their guard and prevent a possible second outbreak. "Thais can learn from this and help avoid a second outbreak by maintaining personal hygiene and using the Thai Chana app as part of the disease control measures," he said.

Meanwhile, a 56-year-old man has died of a heart attack while staying at a state-run quarantine facility in Chon Buri province after his return from India.

Several Thai media outlets reported the unnamed man, who was admitted to the Covid-19 quarantine facility on Friday, had chest pains and was sweating on Saturday. He was then rushed to a nearby hospital, according to the reports.

The man lost consciousness while on the way to hospital and was later diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome. He died shortly after diagnosis. The man had a history of diabetes and kidney disease.

The wife of the patient, who was also unnamed, said she appreciated the efforts of both the hospital and the Covid-19 quarantine centre, according to the reports.

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration yesterday reported an imported Covid-19 case, bringing the confirmed total cases to 3,217.

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