Doctors at private and public hospitals across the country are growing increasingly frustrated with the government’s policy on vaccines which they say has endangered frontline workers and threatened the country’s Covid-19 response, several doctors told Thai Enquirer on Monday.

Doctors at private and public hospitals grow increasingly frustrated with government policy

July 12, 2021

Doctors at private and public hospitals across the country are growing increasingly frustrated with the government's policy on vaccines which they say has endangered frontline workers and threatened the country's Covid-19 response, several doctors told Thai Enquirer on Monday.

The frontline workers, including doctors, nurses, and hospital administrative staff have been inoculated with Sinovac vaccines since April.

However, increasing evidence points to Sinovac's ineffectiveness in preventing the transmission of the Covid-19 virus and its variants and its ineffectiveness in stopping symptomatic Delta variant transmissions.

Doctors around the country have called for the government to give frontline workers booster shots.

They are also increasingly speaking out about the ineffectiveness of the Sinovac Vaccine, which the government still insists on buying, and are petitioning the government to bring in more mRNA vaccines like Pfizer and Moderna.

Many healthcare professionals have started changing their profile pictures with banners displaying the hashtag #MakeMRNAVaccinesthePrimaryVaccines to protest the ineffective government policies.

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"Not only do we want the government to change our primary vaccines to something that would actually help the people and stop Delta variant transmissions, I believe they should do an investigation on who is making money on these Sinovac purchases," a senior doctor at Siriraj Hospital told Thai Enquirer on condition of anonymity.

"It is unclear why we are spending more money on a vaccine that is less effective but costs more than mRNA doses."

Another doctor at Bumrungrad Hospital told Thai Enquirer that the government was not willing to backdown on its importation of Sinovac because they would lose face.

"Right now, if they give us booster shots and change course with the primary vaccine they would lose much credibility and possibly be investigated for their failures," said the doctor.

"But to not do so is criminally negligent because it is literally costing the lives of not only our patients but our healthcare workers as well." 

The Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has reported that Thailandhas the 8th highest number of serious or critical COVID-19 cases in the world, as defined by worldometers.info CCSA spokesman Dr Thaveesilp Visanuyothin announced a jump in the number of patients with severe symptoms to 2,738, with 717 on ventilators. Thailand also logged 9,326 new cases and recorded 91 fatalities on 10 July. Pattaya Mail

Thailand has world's 8th highest number of serious coronavirus patients

July 12, 2021

Dr Thaveesilp announced a jump in the number of patients with severe symptoms to 2,738, with 717 on ventilators. Thailand also logged 9,326 new cases and recorded 91 fatalities on 10 July.

The Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has reported that Thailandhas the 8th highest number of serious or critical COVID-19 cases in the world, as defined by worldometers.info

CCSA spokesman Dr Thaveesilp Visanuyothin announced a jump in the number of patients with severe symptoms to 2,738, with 717 on ventilators. Thailand also logged 9,326 new cases and recorded 91 fatalities on 10 July.



Bangkok has the most, with 3,191, followed by 672 in Pathum Thani, 603 in Samut Prakan, 551 in Samut Sakhon, 359 in Chonburi, 334 in Nonthaburi, 225 in Songkhla, 207 in Lop Buri, 175 in Saraburi and 173 in Pattani. Bangkok also led with the most deaths (51), followed by Samut Prakan (9), Nonthaburi (8), Pathum Thani (5) and Nakhon Pathom (4).

The CCSA also reported new clusters in three provinces, namely at a tap water plant in Ayutthaya's Bang Pa-in district, Sompob market in Nakhon Pathom's Sam Phran district, a plastics plant in Nakhon Pathom's Nakhon Chaisri district and at an electronics company in Ratchaburi's Ban Pong district. (NNT)



Domestic COVID-19 cases July 12

 

😱😢😱😢😱😢Chonburi announces 399 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 with two new deaths, a new high - The Pattaya News

Chonburi announces 399 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 with two new deaths, a new high

Monday, 12 July 2021, 10:41

Chonburi – 

The Chonburi Department of Public Health announced 399 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 today with two new deaths, July 12th.

399 is a new record high for cases in the province. However, 363 people were also released and fully recovered yesterday in Chonburi, also a high number, as most cases continue to be mild or asymptomatic locally according to health officials.

This makes a total of 12,031 cases of Covid-19 in the current round of infections, with 4,045 still under medical care/supervision, and with a total of 67 recorded deaths in Chonburi since the start of this recent round of infections in early April.

Additionally, 7,921 people in total have now been released from medical care and fully recovered since this current wave began. 363 people were released yesterday.

The district-level new cases were as follows today:

Mueang Chonburi 86, Si Racha 107, Banglamung (Pattaya) 113, Panat Nikhom 10, Sattahip 15, Ban Bueang 33, Pan Thong 22, Bor Thong 1, Nong Yai 8, and 12 new cases transferred from other provinces for medical care.

The details on the cases are as follows:

1. Proactive case finding at Rattanakorn Market in Si Racha, 37 cases

2. Close contact from previous confirmed cases, 20 cases

3. Pupan ice factory in Huayyai, Banglamung, 11 cases

4. Huay Yai Jeen ice factory in Huayyai, Banglamung, 10 cases

5. Workers camp in Borwin, Si Racha, 9 cases

6. Risky occupation, meets a lot of people, 8 cases

7. Close contact from a previously confirmed case (party), 2 cases

8. Medical staffers, 2 cases

9. Close contact from a previously confirmed case from worker camp of Syntec Corporation company, 2 cases

10. Cluster Chumpae Moo Kata buffet in Banglamung, 3 cases

11. Cluster at an unnamed business in Ban Bueang, 3 case

12. Went to a risky area in Pathum Thani, 2 cases

13. Contact from a previously confirmed case traveling from risky areas in Bangkok, 2 cases

14. Maxxis International company in Rayong, 2 cases

15. Bridgestone Specialty Manufacturing Thailand in Rayong, 1 cases

16. Vossen Manufacture Company in Rayong, 1 case

17. Contact with previously confirmed patients:

8. • In families, 111 cases
   • In workplaces, 67 cases
   • Previously confirmed patients (Which are under investigation), 43 cases
   • Currently investigating 63 cases

A total 1,525 of close contact searches were received today with 1,259 initial proactive searches, and more proactive search reports are pending.

Chonburi Public Health issues urge people to continue to follow Covid-19 precautions and when in doubt stay home and avoid gatherings, especially parties or with alcohol.

There are currently, in Chonburi, clusters of outbreaks in 11 establishments and five markets, 10 construction worker camps, and three communities.

Three more infections were found among tourists who arrived under the Phuket Sandbox programme, raising the total to six, provincial health office chief Kusak Kukiatikoon said on Monday. Bangkok Post

Three more Covid infections under Phuket Sandbox scheme

Hotel drivers wait for passengers at Phuket airport, as the province reopens to overseas tourists on July 1. (Photo: Reuters)

PHUKET: Three more infections were found among tourists who arrived under the Phuket Sandbox programme, raising the total to six, provincial health office chief Kusak Kukiatikoon said on Monday.

Dr Kukiat said the figures were from a report reaching his office on Sunday.

The three new cases were a 45-year-old Myanmar national who arrived in a family of seven, a 28-year-old African who came with two friends, and a 13-year-old Swiss who arrived in a family.

People who had been in close contact with them had been under a disease control process, he said.

Of the total 3,917 tourists who had arrived in Phuket from July 1-10, six of them had tested positive for Covid-19 - one from the United Arab Emirates, three from Myanmar, one from Africa and one from Switzerland, Dr Kukiat said.   

A sad, vicious cycle. It has been a scourge on Thailand to be led by clueless and directionless leadership since the pandemic broke last year. Its ramifications have made the situation deteriorate in the course of months, with thousands of cases reported daily and a spike in fatalities. Their efforts to vaccinate the nation against the virus have also been a flop and the country's health system is in shambles and has been unable to cope with the rising number of infected patients. The impact this has had on the average Thai has been insurmountable.





A sad, vicious cycle

It has been a scourge on Thailand to be led by clueless and directionless leadership since the pandemic broke last year. Its ramifications have made the situation deteriorate in the course of months, with thousands of cases reported daily and a spike in fatalities. Their efforts to vaccinate the nation against the virus have also been a flop and the country's health system is in shambles and has been unable to cope with the rising number of infected patients. The impact this has had on the average Thai has been insurmountable.

In times like this, we question the role of a leader. Isn't he supposed to run the country with the public's interest in mind? Someone who takes the form of a father figure and thus has your back no matter what?

Unfortunately, when this coveted post is in the wrong hands, which happens often in Thailand, it is the citizens that suffer most. It is very much like the saying: "the sins of the father are visited upon the children", which basically refers to how children often suffer for the bad things their parents do.

As far back as my recollections take me, we have never had a government that has truly prioritised the public's well-being.

Among other things, the head of a nation should possess the ability to hold himself accountable for his actions, have a clear vision and focus, not to mention serve his country with integrity.

What we see today is that when this mandate is trivialised, lines are blurred, and deemed unnecessary, apathy sets into every action, not to mention the growing public resentment that ensues.

It is hard to decipher whether people enter politics with the wrong motives from the start or if it is a gradual process. I would opt to believe that not all come with ill intentions to swindle the country dry, but rather have good intentions at first and are later led astray.

Some of the common vile practices seen in governance today include corruption taking place at the highest level, turning a blind eye towards the wrongdoings of cabinet members, operating with impunity, lack of transparency, and allowing the bureaucracy to continue so one person manages the melting pot.

Again, who suffers from the transgressions of such leaders? You guessed it, the public.

The latest incident to add to Thailand's string of miseries this year was the catastrophic explosion at the Ming Dih chemical factory, located on the outskirts of Bangkok. The factory produced highly flammable expandable polystyrene foam and the incident resulted in fatalities, dozens injured and hundreds who had to evacuate.

The cause of the explosion has not yet been determined, however, it is a well-known fact that such incidents could easily have been averted if everyone was doing their job.

Time and again it is the people who suffer the consequences of the corrupt and inept.

The fact of the matter remains that this is a vicious cycle, which will not stop until we create a society that decides to change the course of the direction our government system has been taking for decades. Sadly, the pit of hell is where the rich are getting richer and the poor poorer.

People I have spoken to on the country's current predicament paint a rather gloomy picture of the future. One said that it will take generations to make any difference in improving our governance because change would mean taking on a new perspective to what we are used to.

Politics is a dirty game. Politicians who take office with the best of intentions can be easily swayed into dirtying their hands to benefit themselves if they lack a moral compass to help them base their decisions on what is right and wrong.

Thus, it comes back to what type of example we as parents, teachers, and guardians set for our own children. Through our actions, are we showing that corruption is fine as long as no one is getting hurt? Do we condone patriarchal and bureaucratic practices as being part of our culture and make it no big deal?

If we desire to see youngsters, the future of our country, have a moral compass guide them, we need to teach them a set of values and objectives that guides a person with regards to ethical behaviour and decision-making.

We can also benefit from eradicating patriarchal and bureaucratic practices that have led to incompetence at the highest level. While we are at it, let's also address the need to get rid of the I, me, myself attitude and unlearn the conditioning instiled in us.

As the country is going through a rough patch, with no proper solution in sight, I would recommend everyone to do their part in becoming a moral compass for the youth and making sure they have morals that will help them to lead by example one day.

Yvonne Bohwongprasert is a feature writer for the Life section of the Bangkok Post.

Update Covid-19 in Asean countries. The Nation



As authorities in Phuket revealed on Sunday that the Delta variant had been detected on the island and a further two tourists had tested positive, the story of two European visitors, German Stefanie Korényi and Norwegian trainee medical student Hans Erling Skallevold, who have ended up out of pocket and in Alternative Local Quarantine (ALQ) facilities on Phuket, has highlighted the fear and confusion being caused by red tape and regulations designed to protect public health but which are strangling the confidence of prospective tourists and generating increased negativity towards a scheme which initially was supported enthusiastically by many fans of Thailand. - Thai Examiner

Top tourists soured by red tape, hyper regulation is killing off enthusiasm for the Phuket sandbox

Carla Boonkong & Pranee O' Connor

Two more foreign tourists within the Phuket sandbox test positive while the province has just announced its first Delta virus case as schools close for two weeks with a worrying uptick in infection rates announced on Sunday, it is clear that public health officials have a job to do to defend against the new virus wave but it is also quite apparent that the overly restrictive regulations themselves are a turnoff for potential tourists and dampen enthusiasm.

As authorities in Phuket revealed on Sunday that the Delta variant had been detected on the island and a further two tourists had tested positive, the story of two European visitors, German Stefanie Korényi and Norwegian trainee medical student Hans Erling Skallevold, who have ended up out of pocket and in Alternative Local Quarantine (ALQ) facilities on Phuket, has highlighted the fear and confusion being caused by red tape and regulations designed to protect public health but which are strangling the confidence of prospective tourists and generating increased negativity towards a scheme which initially was supported enthusiastically by many fans of Thailand.

Dr Kusak Kukiattikoon on Saturday confirmed that two tourists aged eight and nine with a family from Myanmar have tested positive on the second COVID-19 test on Day 6. His comments come as German woman Stefanie Korényi (bottom right) explains how her dream holiday was shattered last Wednesday when she was ordered into state quarantine and received no assistance or support from Thai officials. Similarly, Norwegian trainee doctor, Hans Erling Skallevold (top left), on his 27th visit to Thailand, was told just hours before his flight departed, on June 29th, that his Certificate of Entry for the Phuket Sandbox was being rejected as his certified vaccination was with mixed doses, a policy reversed this week on July 5th. Mr Skallevold was then told by officials he had agreed to 14 days quarantine on entering the country and must abide by this.

On Friday last, July 9th, the Governor of Phuket, Narong Woonsiew, published the full regulatory text for the Phuket Sandbox scheme on the 'Phuket Info Centre' where it was listed as Order 3858/2564.

There is no explanation from officials for this and on examination of the text in English, it does not appear that there were any significant changes to the protocols.

We do know that, on July 5th, the position regarding the issuance of Certificate of Entry from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for mixed vaccination types was changed and there are concerns about the policy forcing all at-risk passengers on a flight into more expensive alternative quarantine hotels given the rising risk level to would-be holidaymakers as the Delta virus rises around the world.

Party of 13 tourists who rejected quarantine flew home over the weekend, one German woman stayed

Officials in Phuket confirmed on Sunday that a party of 13 tourists flew off the island on Saturday night after being ordered into alternative quarantine holiday accommodation following the positive test confirmed last Tuesday night which has cast doubt over the scheme, given the initial protocols which insist that high-risk individuals on each flight must be placed in the costly Alternative Local Quarantine (ALQ) scheme on the island at their own expense for 14 days.

Stefanie Korényi from Berlin in Germany, however, was the one tourist who accepted her fate and is currently staying at an Alternative Local Quarantine (ALQ) hotel on Phuket which has left her €1,000 out of pocket, placed her in inferior accommodation and completely curtailed her holiday experience.

German translator and media expert is on the trip of a lifetime and is a regular visitor to Thailand

Like many of the foreign tourists to Thailand, Stefanie is a repeat visitor to the kingdom and her trip extends beyond a short two week holiday which may be one of the reasons why she opted to follow the programme and comply with the regulations unlike all of the other at risk passengers on Emirates Flight EK 383 which arrived last Tuesday afternoon at Phuket International Airport.

The German, who sold up her life in Germany and is embarking on a once a lifetime journey, beginning with Thailand, is part of a growing cohort of people worldwide with a genuine affinity for the kingdom.

This again demonstrates the overlap between foreign tourism and international migration from western countries which Thai planners have already identified and moved in recent months to accommodate with several initiatives including special visas.

Ms Korényi is a professional translator as well as an independent media professional producing blogs and photographic material.

First stop had to be Thailand, Ms Korényi had earlier booked and paid for 10 days in an Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) hotel in Bangkok

In her statement on Facebook, this week, she said she intended to return to work eventually in Germany and had prepared for her extended trip for over six months including selling off her belongings and possessions.

'It was obvious to me that the first stop should be Thailand,' she said.

Stefanie had initially booked a 10-day Alternative Quarantine Scheme hotel in Bangkok. The German woman had just paid for the stay there when she found out the regulations had changed and instead stipulated a 15 day quarantine period.

This occurred at the same time as the Phuket Sandbox scheme was confirmed.

So she figured that a 14 day holiday in Phuket was more attractive to her than paying for the 5 days extra quarantine in Bangkok, so she wrote off her already paid for stay in the capital.

Uplifting flight from Frankfurt to Dubai with a sense of adventure and looking forward to being in Thailand, her favourite destination

Finally last week, Stefanie's trip to Thailand began. 

'Remaining are 1 large travel bag, 1 small backpack and 1 helmet. That's all I own! I don't even have keys. I'm officially homeless,' she noted as she set off for Frankfurt Airport and the Emirates flight in the first leg of her trip to Dubai.

Her initial flight was quite relaxing with plenty of room on the plane and filled with a sense of adventure within her that, at last, she was on her way to Thailand, one of her favourite places in the world.

Things changed somewhat on the flight from Dubai to Phuket.

At first, there was plenty of room but she soon found herself surrounded by a large family, a group from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

Stefanie revealed she developed an instant dislike to a young twenty-something passenger who sat near her with a facemask that dipped below his nose.

She wondered whether she should have asked to be moved and now regrets not doing so.

Papers checked three times at the airport in Phuket, happy to wait overnight for her COVID-19 test result

The German woman arrived at Phuket Airport where her papers were checked over three times and, after an hour or so, she was transferred to her SHA-1 hotel in Rawai Beach.

She was told that she would have to wait overnight for her test result to come through but, as she was tired and the room was so beautiful overlooking the pool with a fully stocked mini-bar, she was more than happy to just settle in for the night.

The next morning she was told she was in the clear with a negative test so she hired a scooter and set off for Nai Harn Beach and Windmill Viewpoint to begin her vacation.

She arrived back at the hotel for lunch and enjoyed some cold beers at the pool where she met several Israelis.

Later, she went up to her room to change and get herself ready for dinner. A call from reception broke the spell. 

Stefanie was told she had to move into an Alternative Local Quarantine facility without any support or help from officials, only an instruction to her hotel

Stefanie was told, unfortunately, she had been identified as an 'at risk' visitor after a -UAE passenger on her flight had tested positive and she was to be removed at once to an Alternative Local Quarantine hotel and to be placed officially under a quarantine order.

12 tourists in Phuket placed in quarantine ask to be flown home after their island holiday was ruined

The German woman tried to contact the German Embassy and the German Consulate in Phuket for assistance but it was no use.

 'I was practically left to my own devices. The instruction to go to an ALQ only went to my hotel,' she recalled.

Her best and only friend appeared to be a very kind girl working at the reception desk at the Rawai Palm Beach Resort who worked to help the hotel guest and eventually found her one of what appeared to be scarce Alternative Local Quarantine hotel rooms within her budget in Patong.

The cost was ฿52,000 or ฿37,000 extra, the equivalent of €1,000.

'I really wonder what they do with tourists who just can't make an extra €1,000? Do they go to jail? To the hospital?' she asked this week from her room in quarantine.

Given one hour to pack her bags, she was met at the hotel by a secure transport vehicle with two men heavily suited and protected.

There was even a partition to keep her apart as they drove her to the new hotel in Patong.

Staff at the new, less luxurious but far more expensive hotel were very sympathetic to the German woman

The German goes out of her way to acknowledge the kindness and the sympathy she was shown at her new hotel but alas, it was 'middle class' and a far cry from her earlier, less expensive, but far more luxurious accommodation.

Dinner was waiting for her in her room in plastic containers and since then all her food has been served lukewarm like this and the containers disposed of afterwards.

She has a balcony in her room but the internet is not good although she has been promised a sim card with unlimited internet for her phone and is grateful to have soft drinks brought from the local seven eleven convenience store.

Questions for Thai authorities from tourist

Sitting as a virtual prisoner in her ALQ suite, the German woman has had time to ponder key questions for Thai authorities that she feels she has the right to ask given that she has paid the price. They are these:

Why was there no help at all from officials when she was told she was being quarantined, no representative or liaison person on hand?

Why was she offered no active assistance from authorities when this catastrophe befell her as her dream holiday turned sour?

Why does she, a fully vaccinated European visitor, have to be quarantined for 14 days? She had already cleared two tests, one before travelling and one on arrival. Would not the clearance of the second test on Day 6 be sufficient?

'Why does it have to be the full 14 days? How likely is it that I, as a fully vaccinated person, will infect someone even after the second negative corona test?' she asks.

Young Norwegian had a similar jolting, expensive and catastrophic experience just hours before leaving for Thailand, his vaccinated status was rejected

Stefanie is not the only foreign tourist who is asking searching questions about the inconsistency and sheer unfriendliness of the red tape and regulation that surrounds the scheme and the operation of the Certificate of Entry process linked with it.

Hans Erling Skallevold is a trainee doctor who has worked as an internet medical student at Thai medical facilities in Bangkok and Phitsanulok.

The young Norwegian is another example of what Thailand's real tourist industry looks like and the loyalty of this market to the kingdom.

This latest visit by the young man, who has a beautiful Thai girlfriend, was his 27th but alas it is the first time he has been made to feel, according to his girlfriend's words, unwelcome in Thailand.

Hans stayed in an ALQ facility in December 2020

Hans had booked himself into the Phuket Sandbox programme and was looking forward to spending time with his girlfriend who had timed her one week off work to meet him on the holiday island. 

The Norwegian had even stayed in the Alternative Local Quarantine (ALQ) on a visit before this in December 2020.

However, his problems began shortly before he was to leave Norway for Thailand when he was informed that, as he had a mixed vaccine combination of both the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccine, his vaccination certificate was not being accepted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok and that, consequently, he would have to enter into quarantine in Thailand.

The young man received this information at 3 am on the 29th of June which he only saw at 8 am that morning not long before he was due to depart from Norway to Thailand to arrive on July 1st.

Caught up in confusion over Certificate of Entry at the launch of the scheme from the 29th June to July 1st

He was also one of those who were caught up in the debacle that followed when it emerged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Thailand was unable to issue Certificates of Entry until the Phuket Sandbox regulations were published in the Royal Gazette on June 30th.

Phuket tourists fly in but the success of the plan is uncertain due to red tape and needling restrictions

'This is the first time he has felt unwelcome in his visit to Thailand. He prepared all the documents. At first, it wasn't a problem. But just hours before leaving for Phuket, his initial COE was denied, now he feels like he is in prison,' the girlfriend explained later.

฿60,000 out of pocket after being moved over into 14 days Alternative Quarantine entry regime when his vaccination certificate was rejected

The last-minute shock, and change of accommodation required, cost the young medical professional ฿60,000 but he paid it as he wanted to at least be a step closer to his sweetheart in Phuket as promised.

Hans' reluctant acceptance of the change of plan and Certificate of Entry under state quarantine was rewarded by being turned away from the first flight as it was not prepared, ironically, to handle the protocols for passengers travelling into quarantine in Phuket.

He was very lucky to get on a second flight to Thailand the next day only due to the direct intervention of authorities in Phuket itself who were actively trying to smooth over problems arising from the scheme and snags caused by red tape.

Since then, Thai authorities have changed the regulations from July 5th last to allow mixed vaccinations which Thai doctors have endorsed as providing more effective immunisation.

Hopes last week dashed when he was told he must stay in quarantine since he agreed to it at the beginning

However, although Hans was then told that he could transfer to the sandbox programme this week because of this change of policy, it was later shot down by officials who stipulated that as he had agreed to enter into the 14-day quarantine arrangement, then he must remain there. 

The experience, just as with Stefanie, has left a strong and ardent supporter of Thailand and its people with a somewhat bitter taste in his mouth and a suspicion that the government's overbearing regulation is certainly part of the problem here.

'I'm a practising dentist from Norway, a medical student and a university researcher. I also work with COVID-testing and vaccinating, and treatment. This is my 27th time in Thailand, being involved in several hospitals and universities here, so I'm fairly familiar. I Was in ASQ last December,' he said this week. 'I have been involved in promoting Phuket and the Sandbox, and have been among their most engaging supporters. Sadly, I am not much of a supporter anymore. To put it simply, our plan for Phuket was perfect, the government's was not. This is their way of treating one of Thailand's biggest fans.'

Defence of the Phuket sandbox protocols by authorities is that they must initially make sure to protect public health before conditions may be eased

Thai authorities have countered the critics in the last week by pointing out that they were obliged to insist on strict conditions of entry to protect the health of the Thai public but that, in time, they can adjust the measures for more ease and convenience. 

On Saturday, the Head of the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office, Dr Kusak Kukiattikoon, reported that two more tourists, an eight and nine-year-old, who were part of a seven-member family from Myanmar, had tested positive on the second test after their arrival in the country on the 6th day as required.

The top public health official made the announcement as he also revealed a disturbing pick up in infections locally in Phuket.

Eleven more cases were reported on Sunday including five foreigners.

Schools closed on the island with an uptick in infections among foreigners and the first Delta case 

The rise in infections has caused authorities in Phuket to issue an order closing all schools on the island from July 12th to 23rd with the local committee on communicable diseases also recommending stricter screening of incoming visitors from other parts of Thailand particularly among students travelling to attend school.

There is concern for unvaccinated adults in Phuket, despite its 70% vaccination rate, and those aged under 18 years of age.

On Saturday, Dr Kusak also revealed the first case of the Delta variant had been detected after a businessman tested positive. He is believed to have contracted the disease from a visitor who flew in from Bangkok.

The island is also home to the South African Beta variant of the disease and the Alpha strain or UK variant which is currently being overtaken nationwide with the far more infectious Delta strain.

Children admitted to hospital as Myanmar family is quarantined and their movements are checked

Dr Kusak told the media the two children had been admitted to hospital and the Myanmar family had been quarantined. The group comprised of two families. He did not mention the circumstances under which they had been quarantined.

He indicated that officials were checking the movements of the family from the mandatory Mor Channa app and could not yet determine whether the children had picked up the disease on the island or whether it had been incubating when they arrived.

Don't panic says public health chief

At the time of the briefing, 3,287 people had arrived in Phuket under the Sandbox scheme.

On Sunday, the public health chief repeatedly emphasised to the press that the population should have confidence in the public health office to manage the situation and that there was no cause for concern or alarm at this stage.

'Don't worry. The Phuket Public Health Team can handle it. Please everyone be confident, don't panic.'

A doomed atmosphere, characterised by mixed feelings of despair, disappointment, anger, and frustration among many of us, seems to have engulfed society as Covid-19 infections and deaths from the virulent virus are rising by the day. Bangkok Post

Crisis sees acclaimed response unravel

A group of students protest last Wednesday in front of the Ministry of Public Health over the mishandling of Covid vaccine management. (Photo: Chanat Katanyu)

A doomed atmosphere, characterised by mixed feelings of despair, disappointment, anger, and frustration among many of us, seems to have engulfed society as Covid-19 infections and deaths from the virulent virus are rising by the day.

Blame the Delta variant coronavirus for turning Thailand upside down? Remember how proud we were just a year ago when the country was hailed by the World Health Organization (WHO), especially our medical community and the "unsung heroes and heroines", the public health volunteers, for their outstanding success in containing the first wave of the pandemic.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was all smiles. We were too. Then, Thailand was ranked below 240 in the world in terms of total infections.

That was yesteryear's sweet memory. Today is a painful reality.

The sight of people spending the night in the compound of a temple in Bang Khen district to get a ticket for a Covid test is heartbreaking.

These poor souls want to know whether they are infected but cannot afford the high fees charged by private hospitals for a test (I spent 3,000 baht for a test with a 24-hour turnaround for the result at Kasemrad hospital about a month ago).

Private hospitals in Bangkok and across the country have stopped providing the service, fearing they will have to accept those who test positive for treatment and the hospitals have no spare beds for them.

Testing facilities in Bangkok are provided by the City Administration. But they are not widespread and each has set a limit of only 900 tests.

Only a few days ago the Public Health Ministry introduced a rapid antigen test that shows results in less than half an hour to help solve the problem of congestion at testing facilities. Those who test positive are then given an RT-PCR test.

Now, everyone who is not inoculated is scrambling for a vaccination, both free and paid. But there are no decent vaccines, especially the much-coveted mRNA Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna formulas; people are left with the Chinese-made Sinovac currently being administered by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), which is widely seen as inferior.

The Mor Mai Thon group of doctors and other medical personnel have demanded a third jab of mRNA vaccine as a precaution, claiming several colleagues who were fully inoculated with Sinovac have contracted the disease, resulting in a general hesitance to receive Sinovac jabs despite their abundance.

Somehow in wake of the mRNA vaccine shortage and public confusion about the efficacy of Sinovac, some businesspeople with an eye for a moneyspinner have begun procuring supplies of Moderna through the Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO), as vaccine makers will only deal with governments or governmental organisations.

But the deals are now an issue after the GPO was lambasted by a business group for being slow and ineffective in importing alternative vaccines; some of these investors even alleged foul play by the government.

Indeed, sluggish progress in the deal was the outcome of private sector reluctance to hand out any money upfront as a guarantee for GPO vaccine procurement -- a prerequisite for all vaccine deals. The deal failed to materialise.

There is opportunity in every crisis, as the popular saying goes. But during this particular crisis, when Thailand and its people are suffering, anyone who tries to exploit it for their own benefit are shameful indeed.

Meanwhile, demand for full disclosure of all vaccine procurement deals by the Mor Mai Thon and others will be futile because this problem of non-transparency in vaccine trials and secrecy over deals between governments and drug companies is a worldwide problem. Transparency International and Toronto University have even conducted a research study titled "For Whose Benefit?" on this issue.

Released on May 25, they conducted an in-depth study of 200 contracts and data from clinical trials and the sale of the world's top 20 Covid-19 vaccines, including popular brands such as AstraZeneca, Sputnik V, Sinopharm, Sinovac, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.

They found a pattern of "poor transparency" and a "disturbing trend" of governments censoring key details of their orders from drug companies, opening the window for the selective reporting of results or manipulation of data.

The research analysed registered clinical trials for the top vaccines and found that just 45% of these trials had been announced.

Of this figure, 41% had provided only top-level results via a press release or press conference, with the full data not made available for media scrutiny or academic review.

After all, Covid vaccines are a buyers' market and it's generally a "take it or leave it" scenario.

Meanwhile, the death toll is climbing by the day. Sadly, most are anonymous, faceless poor souls. Many have died at home because they could not be admitted due to hospital bed shortages.

The saddest cases is those family members who have no chance to be at the victim's bedside of their loved ones before they are cremated. The absence of a single wreath from the government to express its sorrow over the deaths is heartless.

For those who are still alive and not infected yet, what does the future hold in store for us? There will be no mRNA vaccines until the fourth quarter of the year which could be too late. And there is still a lot of confusion about the efficacy of Sinovac vaccine. What should we do?

How come the country has reached such a low point? Don't blame the Delta variant; mutations are the virus's means of survival and should have been expected.

In the meantime, forget about the prime minister's fantasy of reopening Thailand in 120 days. He is living in a dreamland. If crisis creates a leader, as people say, then this one has proved he is NOT among those to prove the maxim true.

---

Veera Prateepchaikul is former editor, Bangkok Post.

Calls to give medical workers a booster shot are growing after a 30-year-old nurse died after contracting Covid-19 despite having received two doses of the Sinovac vaccine. Bangkok Post

Calls for booster jabs grow after nurse's death

Calls to give medical workers a booster shot are growing as they face higher risks of infection. (Photo: Pornprom Satrabhaya)

Calls to give medical workers a booster shot are growing after a 30-year-old nurse died after contracting Covid-19 despite having received two doses of the Sinovac vaccine.

News of the death was first shared on Sunday by a Facebook user who goes by the name "Siwakorn Rattanakuntee", who wrote that her cousin "Donut" -- a nurse at a group isolation ward -- died after contracting the virus from her workplace.

"She had received two doses of vaccine that senior public health officials claim can reduce the severity of symptoms and lower mortality. My cousin died today, a week after being infected," she wrote.

Ms Siwakorn said her cousin's death raised questions about the safety of frontline medical workers.

She asked if her cousin would still be alive had she received a more effective vaccine.

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration had insisted two doses of the AstraZeneca and Sinovac Covid-19 vaccines are about 90% effective in preventing severe symptoms from developing, and deaths. However, many have doubts about the efficacy of the Chinese vaccine in particular.

Thiravat Hemachudha, Chulalongkorn University's Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases chief, reacted to the post by demanding the government urgently give frontline medical workers a booster shot.

He said frontline health personnel face higher risks of infection, and once they are infected, many others will have to be isolated due to the nature of their profession.

Dr Thiravat said Sinovac's jabs were found to be most effective against the virus up to 30 days after a second dose.

From that point onwards, immunity would begin to drop to 30-40%.

He said the booster shot should be a different type of vaccine, citing findings which suggest that another jab confers immunity against more strains, including the highly-infectious Alpha and Delta variants.

"We're not VIPs and we don't have privileges. But it will help us carry on with our work and prevent us from infecting others," Dr Thiravat wrote.

🔴 #COVID19 Update on Monday: 8,656 cases & 80 deaths. Richard Barrow

 





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