Thailand government debunks fake news on New Year festival cancellations

The Thai government has issued a warning against fake news claiming that COVID-19 outbreaks will force the cancellation of New Year festivities. Deputy Government Spokesperson Ploytalay Lakmisaengchan clarified that online messages citing Chulabhorn Hospital and the Ministry of Public Health regarding a dangerous ‘deltacron XBC’ variant are false.

Official data from the Department of Disease Control indicates that the current situation follows seasonal patterns. The primary variant being monitored in Thailand is Omicron (NB. 1. 8. 1), which is not more dangerous than previous strains and has a very low mortality rate of approximately 0.01%. The government confirmed that the healthcare system has sufficient medicine and medical supplies to manage patients and that there is no need to cancel any scheduled festivals or activities.