Covid-19 daily caseloads could top 100,000 by the Songkran festival in the middle of next month in the worst-case scenario, according to the Department of Disease Control (DDC).
Whether the level of infections will drop or intensify in the weeks ahead depends on how strictly Covid-19 precautions are adopted, said the DDC.
The precautions include refraining from group activities, working from home more, delaying non-essential travel, maintaining a high vaccination rate and practising the VUCA (Vaccine, Universal Prevention, Covid-19 Free Setting and ATK) measures.
The DDC said the most optimistic outlook is one where the precautions are fully implemented, in which case the daily infections will taper off and be maintained at about 20,000 starting in the middle of this month.
In a less optimistic outlook where precautions are being exercised at the current level, daily caseloads are predicted to rise to 50,000 until the Songkran festival.
In the worst-case scenario, in which precautions are not sufficiently practised, infections may well spike to 100,000 a day every day until the middle of next month, said the DDC.
The country reported 22,311 new Covid-19 cases during the previous 24 hours, the second consecutive day of declines from the peak of 25,615 on Saturday, the Public Health Ministry announced on Monday morning. There were 42 more coronavirus-related fatalities.
Apisamai Srirangson, spokeswoman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said on Monday that a total of 213,645 people are being treated for Covid-19, of whom 83,479 are in hospitals. Of those hospitalised, 82,499 or 98% had minor symptoms.
She said people with few or no symptoms should stay home and not seek admission to hospitals in a bid to free up beds for patients with more severe symptoms.
Dr Apisamai suggested experts, who have made forecasts about a rapid surge in caseloads which may cause panic among people, also offer views on how to reduce infections.
Also from today, a revised Test & Go scheme will go into effect. A second RT-PCR test previously required by the scheme on Day 5 of entering the kingdom will be scrapped and replaced with ATK testing.
The revision also requires only one night of SHA Extra Plus or Alternative Quarantine accommodation booking on the day of arrival, instead of two nights.
