Thailand Detects First Potential Omicron Variant

By Linda Khoo BANGKOK, Dec 7 (Bernama) -- Thailand on Monday reported its first potential case of Omicron variant – a male American traveling from Spain, a senior health official said Monday. Director-General of the Medical Science Department Dr Supakit Sirilak said the 35-year-old man had tested positive on Dec 1 and underwent treatment at hospital. He said the man was tested 99.2 per cent positive for Omicron variant, but he will be subjected to another test. “The man has exercised safety precautions, therefore there is no close contact with the case. However, there are 19 people including hotel and airport staff who have been in contact with the man. The health authorities are conducting further tests on these people,” he said at a press conference here Monday. Meanwhile, Dr Supakit denied the report that there is an African patient who tested positive for Omicron. “The patient is tested for Delta variant,” he said. At the start of December, Thailand joined the growing number of countries that has banned travellers from eight African countries following the discovery of the Omicron variant. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan o-cha urged the public not to panic following the potential first case of Omicron variant in the kingdom. Government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said the prime minister has instructed health experts to closely monitor the situation. “The prime minister urged the public not to let their guard down and continue practice the safety measures such as wearing face masks, observing social distancing, and washing hands regularly. “He (Prayuth) also urged the public to get vaccinated against the COVID-19. For those who have been called to receive the booster shot should go and get it,” he said. Thanakorn said the dominant strain in Thailand is Delta which is about 66 per cent followed by Alpha (32.5 per cent). Meanwhile, Interior Permanent Secretary Suthipong Chulacharoen has instructed the governors in the southern provinces -Songkhla, Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and Satun to tighten border security in bid to prevent illegal crossing. Over the last 24 hours, Thailand reported 4,000 new COVID-19 cases and 22 new deaths, taking the tally to more than 2.1 million cases and 20,966 deaths since the pandemic started last year. -- BERNAMA