The Latest Breaking News from Anutin Charnvirakul

National Telecom (NT), Bitkub World Tech and the National Health Security Office (NHSO) have joined forces to develop a national health platform to level up the comprehensive public health services in the country, capitalising on digital tech.

Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has urged business operators on Khao San Road to forget plans to hold water-splashing activities during this year's Songkran holiday period, saying their patience and cooperation are needed to avoid the risk of another disruptive coronavirus outbreak.

Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is calling on some 2.1 million elderly citizens who have yet to complete their Covid-19 vaccinations to do so before Songkran in April.

Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Monday brushed aside speculation about an early House dissolution, saying the government still has enough support from coalition MPs to survive a no-confidence motion.

A legislative bill is being expedited to pave the way for people to grow cannabis legally for both medical and economic purposes following the recent delisting of cannabis and hemp as narcotic substances, Anutin Charnvirakul, Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister, said.

The Public Health Ministry plans to seek cabinet approval for a new scheme that will cover the costs for Covid-19 patients who require emergency treatment for moderate to severe symptoms.

The government has agreed to relax entry requirements for overseas arrivals by replacing the second RT-PCR test with an antigen test kit (ATK) and reducing health insurance coverage for foreign visitors from at least US$50,000 to $20,000.

The government will on Wednesday weigh up whether it will scrap the second RT-PCR test for overseas arrivals under the Test & Go scheme, Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said.

The government has decided to delay a plan to remove Covid-19 treatments from the list of conditions covered by the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients (UCEP) scheme, as the number of new infections continues to rise.

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul insists the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients (UCEP) scheme for treating Covid-19 sufferers is not being scrapped following his signing off on changes to the programme.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has brushed aside a Bhumjaithai member's threat that the party will leave the coalition, if the government refuses to support the bill promoting cannabis as a cash crop.