The Deputy Government Spokesperson warned the public not to believe fake news claiming the government plans to cancel the New Year festival due to the COVID-19 outbreak, affirming that Thailand has sufficient medication to manage the situation.
On 31 Aug 2026 GMT+7, Ms. Ploytale Lakshamisangchan, Deputy Spokesperson of the Prime Minister's Office, clarified the case of circulating online warnings about the severity of COVID-19, citing information from Chulabhorn Hospital and the Ministry of Public Health that the government is preparing to announce the cancellation of the New Year festival due to the spread of the "Deltacron XBC" variant, which is claimed to be three times more dangerous.
“The government confirms that such information is "fake news" that was originally created in 2022 to cause panic and is now being recycled with distorted messages.”
Ms. Ploytale said that according to surveillance data from the Department of Disease Control, the current COVID-19 outbreak is proceeding as expected for a seasonal infectious disease. The Thai public health system is well-prepared with adequate medicines and medical supplies to support patients. There is no need to cancel any events or festivals as rumored. Surveillance with the Department of Medical Sciences shows that the main variant being monitored and found in Thailand is Omicron (NB.1.8.1), not the Deltacron XBC variant mentioned and circulated on social media.
Furthermore, epidemiological data confirms that the NB.1.8.1 COVID-19 variant does not cause more severe symptoms and has a very low fatality rate of only 0.01%, with most patients experiencing symptoms similar to the common cold. Severe cases continue to be found only among the 608 high-risk group.
The government urges the public to "not believe or forward" information without clear sources to prevent misunderstandings and public panic. People are asked to follow official news only from government agencies.