Thai government continues to cover all COVID-19 treatment costs
The Thai government will continue to pay for COVID-19 treatment at private hospitals, government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said on January 5.
A health worker takes care of a COVID-19 patient at a hospital in Thailand (Photo: AFP/VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - The Thai government will continue to pay for COVID-19 treatment at private hospitals, government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said on January 5.
Thanakorn said the Thai cabinet did not stop the payment although organisations proposed the government stop bearing COVID-19 treatment costs at private hospitals and paying for the treatment of infected and unvaccinated people to save national budgets.
There was also a proposal that vaccinated people who were infected with COVID-19 exercise treatment rights under their Social Security or universal health insurance scheme.
The Thai government covered COVID-19 treatment at public, private and field hospitals, as well as treatment at home and people should not be worried about the financial burden, the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, Bangkok Governor Asawin Kwanmuang warned that Omicron variant infections were likely to rise especially because of New Year celebrations involving large gatherings.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has prepared medical staff, equipment, medication and patient beds in case there is a new surge of Omicron infections, he said.
As many as 25,345 beds have been reserved for patients in main hospitals, hospitals for COVID-19 treatment, and hospitels, according to the Public Health Ministry’s Department of Medical Services.
Additionally, the BMA has prepared 40 community isolation sites with a capacity of 5,066 beds to treat Omicron cases.
The BMA has urged related organisations to closely monitor the spread of the new variant and asked the agencies to implement strict measures, especially after the New Year holidays.
Thailand reported 3,899 new COVID-19 cases and 19 deaths on January 5, raising the national count to nearly 2.24 million infections and 21,769 fatalities.
The country logged 2,338 Omicron cases across 55 out of its 77 provinces and cities./.
The Public Health Ministry of Thailand has drawn up three possible scenarios in case of the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant, Permanent Health Secretary Kiattiphum Wongrajit said.
Thailand's tourism industry is once again on the brink due to the impact of entry restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant, although the local COVID-19 situation is basically under control and vaccination progress is accelerated.
Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health will recommend that the reopening of the Test & Go quarantine-free travel scheme be postponed until the end of January amid reports of 229 new Omicron COVID-19 cases.
Thailand’s Ministry of Education has postponed its annual Children’s Day event at the Teachers Council Auditorium in Bangkok to prevent a resurgence of COVID-19 cases.
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The facility was established in response to a growing shift in the Filipino labour force from the Middle East to Japan, where workers are seeking safer working environments.
In the latest Indonesia-US trade agreement in July, the US administration agreed to reduce the reciprocal tariff, which was initially set at 32% by US President Donald Trump last April, to 19%.
Real estate agency ERA Singapore estimated that there are 2,703 condo developments in Singapore today, of which 836 or 31% are at least 30 years old. In 10 years, this number is expected to climb to 1,160, assuming none is sold en bloc.
The new framework is designed to ensure that incoming investments deliver tangible national benefits, such as the creation of high-quality jobs for Malaysians and the development of local company ecosystems and technologies.
Singapore led with a total of 8.8 billion USD in realised investment, followed by Hong Kong and mainland China, Malaysia, and Japan with 8 billion USD, 1.7 billion USD and 1.6 billion USD, respectively.
Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai on August 7 outlined his strategy for tackling drug problems in Thailand, aiming for a "Zero Drugs Thailand" within three months.
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A health worker takes care of a COVID-19 patient at a hospital in Thailand (Photo: AFP/VNA) 
