More than a million antigen test kits (ATK) donated by Switzerland have been allocated to "maximum and strict" control zones in the 13 hardest-hit provinces, according to government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri.
Swiss authorities donated 1.1 million kits and 102 ventilators to Thailand to be distributed to residents and support mass testing against Covid-19 in communities, in a batch which arrived on July 29.
Mr Anucha said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed agencies to expedite the distribution of the ATKs to match the needs of patients in the most stricken areas.
Mr Anucha said Gen Prayut had expressed his confidence that the equipment donated by the Swiss, of which 200,000 kits will be allocated to Bangkok, will help Thailand contain the spread of the virus.
Nonthaburi and Pathum Thani will receive 75,000 kits each, with a further 70,000 kits going to Ayutthaya, Samut Sakhon, Nakhon Pathom, Chon Buri, Samut Prakan and Chachoengsao.
Another 45,000 will be allocated to the southern provinces in Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala and Songkhla, while 150,000 kits will be held in reserve at the Public Health Ministry.
Distribution of the ventilators has yet to be finalised but will be arranged in terms of need, Mr Anucha said.
Meanwhile, Health Administration Division director-general Kornkrit Limsommut unveiled an allocation plan of 8.5 million antigen test kits bought by the National Health Security Office (NHSO).
Dr Kornkrit said each area will receive at least 40,000 kits to enable residents to self-test, while 1.5 million kits will be reserved as spare stock. The distribution is slated to finish in a week.
NHSO specialist Kritiya Sriprasert said the Government Pharmaceutical Organization will send the ATKs to provincial public health offices and the Health Department of Bangkok according to criteria set by the Public Health Ministry. Afterwards, the ATKs will be distributed to service units or Tambon Health Promoting Hospitals.
The unit must ask for an authentication code from residents first and provide guidance for self-testing and how to interpret the result, before giving out the ATKs. Each unit will receive reimbursement of 10 baht per kit, she said.
Home isolation will be a choice for those who test positive. If they request community isolation, they must undergo a RT-PCR test first, she added.