According to the government, there are enough beds to cope with the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in Bangkok and surrounding provinces.
As of Thursday, 61% of the 20,652 beds at hospitals, field hospitals and hospitels in the capital were used and 7,905 beds are available, said deputy government spokeswoman Ratchada Dhanadirek.
Across the capital’s 12 health zones, 39% of 40,648 beds were occupied and 24,786 were still free, she added.
The beds are being used by patients in the red and yellow groups – those with serious and moderate symptoms, respectively.
Since Greater Bangkok continues to account for more than half of all new cases nationwide, the number of beds at the Busarakam field hospital at Impact Muang Thong Thani in Nonthaburi will be increased by 1,000, she said. The facility opened with 1,200 beds and has room for as many as 5,000 if needed.
The Ministry of Public Health is also working closely with private hospitals to find more beds for patients with serious symptoms.
Discussing the management of the construction workers’ camp in Laksi district where the Indian variant of the coronavirus was detected for the first time outside quarantine facilities, Ms Dhanadirek said authorities had agreed on a number of measures for the cluster.
The people there are not allowed to leave and officials are taking care of and monitoring them. First-aid teams are stationed there and those who develop symptoms will be sent to hospitals.
More than 1,100 people have tested positive at the Laksi camp, with 36 shown to have the more infectious Indian strain of the virus.
Meanwhile, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Health Office will continue to test people in risk areas until 30th September, she said.
