When is a hotel a hospital, or “hospitel?” When health officials are scrambling to accommodate thousands of stricken patients during an overwhelming surge in daily COVID-19 cases that has outstripped capacity.
After outfitting the Bangkok Arena Sports Center into the capital’s fourth field hospital with 400 cardboard-box beds, health officials said today they want the government-approved hotels which have been used to quarantine travelers given over to house those with the disease.
Thares Krainairawiwong of the Health Service Support Department said more than 100 quarantine hotels, which are already partnered with private hospitals, could provide as many as 10,000 beds. So far, 34 hotels have agreed, adding about 7,200 beds.
Health officials said yesterday they need another 4,000 beds to accommodate the overwhelming influx of patients, as Thailand requires all those infected to be admitted.
Since Wednesday, Thailand has seen more than 1,000 new cases every day after its third-wave outbreak ignited in downtown nightlife venues last month. Health officials yesterday announced 1,390 new cases, 293 of which were found in Bangkok. Three more deaths were reported, raising the toll to 104, and all were linked to the latest outbreak.
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