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| The stadium is one of many testing centres across the city, and can screen up to 3,000 people per day.(Photo by=AFP) |
[Asia News Communication = Reporter Reakkana] Hundreds waited in grim silence at a Bangkok stadium to get free COVID-19 tests on Saturday (Apr 17) as a spiralling infection rate gripped Thailand, on a fourth consecutive day of more than 1,000 new cases, AFP reported.
The capital appears to be the epicentre of the kingdom's third wave after infections were traced back to a nightlife district earlier this month. In the past 10 days, the national infection total has jumped from 29,900 to more than 40,500 - the sharp increase probably due to a highly infectious variant of the virus originally found in Britain. "Nearly 10,000 new cases were found within this week," said Taweesin Visanuyothin, a spokesman for Thailand's COVID-19 task force. He added that nearly 12,000 patients were still receiving treatment in hospitals, including temporary field sites.
At the stadium testing centre, health workers in full-body PPE shepherded people through a disinfection cabin and directed them to wait in lines for the nasal swab. New restrictions will bite from Sunday, including an alcohol ban in restaurants and bars, while entertainment venues will be shuttered across the country for two weeks. Authorities have instated interprovincial travel restrictions right before Songkran new-year festivities this week - usually, a period when Thais vacation or return to their hometowns.
