Thailand Ministry of Health reports 17,349 new COVID-19 cases and an additional 22 deaths since yesterday. The ministry also announced an additional 11,561 recovered patients.
The Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Education approved covid zones for Mathayom 6 students. Students who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms will be able to take the university entrance examinations.
Department of Health Deputy Chief Dr. Sarawut Boonsuk made the announcement on Wednesday. “Any student who is infected with Covid-19 [with mild symptoms] will not be denied the opportunity to take an entrance examination. Each university must arrange a special area for them.”
Universities are required to have three exam zones for the students. “The first zone should be reserved for confirmed Covid-negative students. The second zone should be for students considered a possible health risk. The third will be for confirmed Covid-1 infected students who have shown mild or no symptoms. This is part of the understanding that all students will be treated equally,” he said.
Apart from zoning, the ministry also discussed possible solutions for COVID-19 that do not involve the closing of schools. He added that it was agreed that both boarding and non-boarding schools should carry on with onsite classes despite the detected presence of Covid-19 cases in schools. He added the present isolation system will continue at boarding schools where infected students can learn onsite in isolated buildings until they recover from the disease. They will all the while be under close medical supervision by public health teams. These will all be submitted to Gen Supoj Malaniyom, head of operations at the CCSA for approval. The meeting will be chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.