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BANGKOK, March 16 (Bloomberg): Thailand closed a large market complex in Bangkok after it emerged as a new cluster of Covid-19 cases, prompting authorities to increase testing and order vaccination for people. at high risk of infection.
The Bang Khae market complex, which houses six markets selling everything from fresh vegetables to raw meats and cooked foods, will be closed for three days after cleaning and disinfecting on Tuesday, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration said.
The Thai capital reported 100 new infections on Tuesday, most of which came from active case-finding efforts to curb the spread, authorities said.
The spike in cases comes as the Southeast Asian nation accelerates a national vaccination program before further easing quarantine rules for foreign visitors.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha was among the first to receive the AstraZeneca Plc vaccine on Tuesday after a local panel of health experts said the injection posed no clotting risk, a key reason cited by some European countries. to suspend its use.
Although the number of reported infections in the Bangkok group is still low, an outbreak at a seafood market in a neighboring province in December triggered the largest wave of infections in the country.
Authorities seek to contain the outbreak ahead of a peak travel period during the Thai New Year next month.
The Bangkok mayor’s office will begin vaccinating people at high risk of infections in the Bang Khae area from Wednesday, spokesman Pongsakorn Kwanmuang said on Tuesday. The office plans to make 6,000 doses of vaccine available to the area and aims to test 10,000 people in the next 10 days.
Thailand reported 149 new cases on Tuesday, bringing the country’s total case count to 27,154.
The country has administered more than 46,000 doses of the Sinovac Biotech Ltd. vaccine since the start of an inoculation program on February 28 – Bloomberg
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