Thailand is preparing to return to company as usual — as before the pandemic hit — with antigen test kits (ATKs) administered to high-risk groups only.
The proceed comes ahead of the authorities officially announcing the particular downgrade of Covid-19 from a “dangerous communicable disease” to a “communicable disease under surveillance” status this Sunday.
The state of emergency imposed to deal with the pandemic will be lifted upon Friday and the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) disbanded.
Following the announcement, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul yesterday said functions will return to regular for most government firms while the Communicable Diseases Act 2015 will stay in place should the following government face a similar crisis.
The Health Ministry has also published an operational plan on the power over Covid-19 and other transmittable diseases at a neighborhood level for cupboard consideration.
Patients can still seek treatment at any facility free of charge under the General Coverage for Crisis Patients (UCEP) system, he said, although migrant workers will need to rely on insurance offered by employers.
Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Division of Disease Control (DDC), said the situation has improved regardless of various recent outside activities, with figures from April and could showing overall immunity has now hit 92% among the general public because of either vaccination or even infection.
“It is anticipated that Covid-19 will end up a seasonal disease like influenza, inch said Dr Opas.
ATKs will be reserved intended for diagnostic purposes among high-risk groups only, he added.