Thailand seeks more COVID shots amid record surge in cases | Coronavirus pandemic News

Thailand sees record new cases in recent days blamed on the highly transmissible B.1.1.7 variant as the pace of immunisation remains slow.

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has announced plans to secure 35 million more doses of COVID-19 vaccines this year, on top of existing orders of nearly 65 million doses, as the country deals with a record surge in infections.

Health authorities on Wednesday announced 1,458 new coronavirus cases, and two more deaths, a figure lower than Sunday’s record high of 1,767 infections.

The latest figures take Thailand’s total to 46,643 cases and 110 deaths. A third of the total infections have come this month alone.

“Many new cases are people who were in contact with previously confirmed cases and this raises the number of infections among family members and the local community,” said Dr Apisamai Srirangson, spokeswoman for the country’s…