Provincial governors have been ordered by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to prepare contingency plans to cope with rising COVID-19 infections, as daily new infections are exceeding 18,000, Government Spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said this morning (Friday).

He said the prime minister wants all governors to intensify publicity campaigns, through their networks of village heads and community leaders, urging people to comply strictly with basic safety measures. Those in border provinces have been instructed to look out for illegal migrant workers and to report “suspicious-looking strangers” in their communities to the authorities.

He also said that police and labour officials have been told to check factories in their localities, to make sure that they are not hiring illegal migrants, and to crack down hard on human trafficking gangs smuggling workers from neighbouring countries to work in Thailand.

Citing data from the COVID-19 Information Centre today, Thanakorn said that 18,066 new infections were reported nationally in the past 24 hours, including 17,898 locally-acquired cases and 168 among arrivals from abroad.

Cumulative infections since January 1st this year are 451,042, with 27 COVID-19 related fatalities. 12,511 people recovered today and 149,589 are still being treated.

In total, 121,035,637 vaccine doses have been administered in Thailand. 52.9 million of these were first doses, 49.3 million second doses, 17.3 million third doses and 1.4 million fourth doses.

Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service