Thailand sends Covid-19 infected people home for treatment, Alpha variant rampant in Cambodia
The world has nearly 555,000 new infections and more than 9,200 deaths from Covid-19 in the past 24 hours.
According to the global statistics site Worldometers, as of 6:00 a.m. on July 28,Covid-19 pandemiccontinues to rage in 220 countries and territories, infecting nearly 196 million people and killing more than 4.19 million. The number of recoveries has reached over 177.6 million.
In the past day, the US again led the world in the number of new infections, adding 51,250 cases to the total of more than 35.3 million people positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. With 300 more deaths, the number of people who have died from Covid-19 in this country is now 627,370.
Regarding the number of deaths from Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, Indonesia ranked first with a record 2,069 cases, followed by Brazil with 1,320 cases and Russia, 779 cases.
The epidemic situation in Indonesia continues to be serious, with the country recording 45,200 new infections, a sharp increase from the previous day. The number of seriously ill patients is also increasing rapidly, causing Indonesia to need 2,500 tons of medical oxygen per day to meet treatment needs.
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| Thai authorities began a program to bring Covid-19 infected people in Bangkok back to their hometowns for treatment from July 27. Photo: AP |
Thailand sends Covid-19 infected people in Bangkok back to their hometown for treatment
Since July 27, Thailand has begun transporting Covid-19 infected people from Bangkok to their hometowns for quarantine and treatment. The means of transport used is the train.
The first train carrying more than 100 Covid-19 patients and medical staff has left Bangkok and headed northeast. According to the schedule, the train will stop in 7 provinces and local medical staff will pick up the patients and take them to hospitals for treatment.
The aim of the program is to ease the burden on Bangkok's health system, where public hospitals are full.
According to Thai Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, the program will be implemented until Bangkok no longer has Covid-19 patients without beds for treatment.
In addition to trains, buses and small trucks, even fighter jets, can also be mobilized to transport Covid-19 patients from Bangkok to the provinces.
Alpha variant rampant in Cambodia
While the Delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is dominant in many countries, the majority of Covid-19 infections in Cambodia are of the Alpha variant.
First detected in the UK, Alpha spreads faster than the original strain and causes higher hospitalisation rates.
According to the Khmer Times, the Alpha wave emerged in February when four Chinese nationals bribed Cambodian security guards to leave their quarantine hotels before completing their 14-day period. At least two of the four women, who arrived in Cambodia from Dubai, visited a crowded nightclub in Phnom Penh after contracting the Alpha variant, making it a super-spreading event.
In addition to Alpha, Cambodia also faces concerns about the Delta variant, as Southeast Asia and many other parts of the world are being heavily attacked by this variant.
Record infections re-set in Tokyo
The Japanese capital has just experienced a day with a record number of Covid-19 infections: 2,848 cases.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said the Delta variant was spreading rapidly and "We ask people to stay at home and avoid unnecessary travel."
Several other prefectures also reported record numbers, with Okinawa recording 334 cases and Saitama having 593 cases on the same day.
Japan has gone through four waves of the virus and three states of emergency. A fourth state of emergency is in place in two places - Tokyo and Okinawa - until mid-August, and the country appears to be in the midst of a fifth wave.
