Jakarta (VNA) – The Indonesian government plans to distribute 300,000 packages of therapeutic medicines to asymptomatic patients and mild symptoms, according to Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.

Speaking at a press conference held virtually on July 12, he said, the drugpackages will be allocated to almost 210,000 asymptomatic patients, patientswith symptoms of fever and anosmia and those with symptoms of fever and coughwith 10 percent, 60 percent and 30 percent, respectively.

The distribution will be carried out in the coming months, Luhut said, addingthat the move was made following the direction of Indonesia President JokoWidodo.

Meanwhile, Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health has decided to switch itsvaccine strategy from double doses of Sinovac to a combination of Sinovac andAstraZeneca jabs, the Nation newspaper reported.

Minister of Public Health Anutin Chanvirakul announced on July 12 thatAstraZeneca would be given as the second short three or four weeks after theSinovac jab.

A combination of the two vaccines would provide better defence against theDelta variant which is becoming dominant in Thailand, he said.

Anutin also said front-line health workers, most of whom have had two Sinovacjabs, will also get the AstraZeneca to boost the protection.

Meanwhile, Thailand has applied tougher measures to curb the soaringCOVID-19 infection rate as the number of new cases hit8,685 and the death toll reached 56 in the last 24 hours.

Some 145 checkpoints, of which 88 are in Bangkok, have been set up to controlthe movement of people. A curfew has also been applied in the capital.

Residents are barred from gathering in groups of more than five people, whilepublic transport networks will be closed from 9 pm./.