Thailand is preparing to return to business as usual -- as before the pandemic struck -- with antigen test kits (ATKs) administered to high-risk groups only.
The move comes ahead of the government officially announcing the downgrade of Covid-19 from a "dangerous communicable disease" to a "communicable disease under surveillance" status this Saturday.
The state of emergency imposed to deal with the pandemic will be lifted on Friday and the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) disbanded.
Following the announcement, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul yesterday said operations will return to normal for most government agencies while the Communicable Diseases Act 2015 will remain in place should the next government face a similar crisis.
The Health Ministry has also published an operational plan on the control of Covid-19 and other contagious diseases at a community level for cabinet consideration.
Patients can still seek treatment at any facility free of charge under the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients (UCEP) scheme, he said, although migrant workers will have to rely on insurance offered by employers.
Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Department of Disease Control (DDC), said the situation has improved despite various recent outdoor activities, with figures from April and May showing overall immunity has now hit 92% among the general public due to either vaccination or infection.
"It is expected that Covid-19 will become a seasonal disease like influenza," said Dr Opas.
ATKs will be reserved for diagnostic purposes among high-risk groups only, he added.
