Eight provinces, including Bangkok, are still under surveillance for new Covid-19 infections and deaths associated with the virus, the Department of Disease Control (DDC) said on Sunday.
The sentinel surveillance programme is being conducted in Bangkok, Pathum Thani, Chiang Mai, Tak, Udon Thani, Sa Kaeo, Songkhla, and Chon Buri, said Dr Sophon Iamsirithaworn, deputy director-general of the DDC.
These provinces need special surveillance even after Covid-19 has already been downgraded to a communicable disease under monitoring because they are in border areas or are considered a tourist district, he said.
"No signs of irregularities have been detected in the past three weeks since the surveillance programme began. The number of new infections isn't unusual," he said.
"We also have been on the lookout for signs of new sub- lineages of the BA.5 sub-variant [of Omicron]. But none has been detected here so far," he said.
The overall Covid-19 situation in Thailand is now on a downward trend while the number of new Covid-19 infections in Europe has continued rising in the past three weeks, he said.
Normally, it usually takes two to three months before the same epidemic pattern first experienced in Europe begins here in Thailand. This is also a reason why the country needs to keep monitoring Covid-19 infections closely, and why we may need to bring back the regular practice of mask wearing, he said.
When the time comes, Thailand also may have to consider heightening some Covid-19 prevention measures such as mask wearing, particularly in certain risk-groups, he said.
The new Omicron sub-variant, known as the XBB, was recently confirmed to have been driving a significant surge of cases in Singapore. At this point it has not caused a significant rise in severe cases, said Dr Sophon.