The Public Health Ministry said it is keeping its guard up against the XEC variant of Covid-19 as it is now spreading seven times faster than the regular flu.
Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said it is diverting resources and manpower to protect vulnerable groups while being watchful of the spread of the virus in schools.
Mr Somsak said that since Jan 1, the country has officially entered its 21st week of implementing certain disease control measures. Some 108,891 XEC cases have been recorded so far, with 27 deaths.
The fatalities this year have primarily affected the so-called "608 group", which includes the elderly, with 80% of the deaths occurring among senior citizens.
Children have also been impacted by the virus. The latest outbreak stems from the XEC variant, a descendant of Omicron.
While this strain is not exceptionally severe, its rapid transmission poses a heightened risk to vulnerable populations. Despite the relatively low fatality rate, health authorities stress the importance of taking preventative measures.
Dr Teera Woratanarat, from Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Medicine, said this strain of Covid-19 is spreading nearly seven times faster than influenza.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has urged schools to monitor cluster infections among students closely.
According to Dr Teera, Covid-19 remains the most common infectious disease across all age groups, affecting young children, teenagers, working-age adults, and the elderly.
Over the past week, 43,213 hospital patients were recorded as having it -- both in-patients and outpatients -- marking a 35.5% increase from the previous week.
Three recent deaths were reported in the provinces of Kanchanaburi and Sukhothai and in Bangkok Noi district.
