A huge crowd packs Khao San Road for the Songkran celebration in Bangkok on April 16. (Photo: VNA)

Bangkok – Thai health officials nationwide have been ordered to watch for new COVID-19 outbreaks and prepare medication and equipment for inpatients, in the wake of Songkran festivities.

Health ministry permanent secretary Dr Opas Karnkawinpong on April 17 said medical and health personnel were instructed to keep local communities informed, encourage annual vaccination against the pandemic and ensure adequate medical supplies and equipment were on hand and hospital beds available for severely ill COVID-19 patients.

Songkran revellers should monitor their health for seven days and stay clear of elderly people and others with underlying illnesses. If they feel ill, they should take an antigen test. Besides, people were still advised to wear face masks in crowded places and get an annual vaccine shot, he added.

Meanwhile, Dr Supakit Sirilak, director-general of the Department of Medical Sciences, said Omicron remained the dominant variant of COVID-19 and its XBB.1.16 subvariant should be dominant in the future.

There was no evidence the new subvariant was more severe than the currently dominant Omicron subvariants in terms of antibody avoidance and symptoms, he said.