Thailand’s Transport Ministry says unused areas of Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports will be used for the setting up of field hospitals. Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob said on Sunday that the arrangement for another 7,000 beds was being made due to the current COVID-19 situation, leading to a large number of patients waiting for treatment. Pattaya Mail

Field hospitals set up at Bangkok's airports to accommodate 7,000 beds

Pattaya MailJuly 13, 2021

Mr. Saksayam said the arrangement for another 7,000 beds at both the airports was being made due to the current COVID-19 situation, leading to a large number of patients waiting for treatment.

Thailand's Transport Ministry says unused areas of Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports will be used for the setting up of field hospitals.
Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob said on Sunday that the arrangement for another 7,000 beds was being made due to the current COVID-19 situation, leading to a large number of patients waiting for treatment.



He said the government has finalized a temporary lease with Airports of Thailand(AOT), because the lease for Bussarakham Hospital at Impact Muang Thong Thani in Nonthaburi province will expire in August.
According to Mr. Saksayam, the hospital at Suvarnabhumi Airport will be able to accommodate more than three times the number of patients at Bussarakham Hospital. In addition, Don Mueang Airport is in the process of preparing a warehouse building for the setting up of a field hospital, which will contain approximately 2,000 beds for patients with mild symptoms. (NNT)

THE World Health Organisation’s chief scientist yesterday (July 12) advised against people mixing and matching Covid-19 vaccines from different manufacturers, calling it a “dangerous trend” since there was little data available about the health impact. “So it’s a little bit of a dangerous trend here. We’re in a data-free, evidence-free zone here as far as mix-and-match. There is limited data on mix and match. It will be a chaotic situation in countries if citizens start deciding when and who will be taking a second, a third and a fourth dose,” Soumya Swaminathan said during an online briefing. – Thai Newsroom / WHO

Dangerous trend: WHO warns against mixing and matching Covid vaccines

July 13, 2021  TNR Staff

By Reuters Staff, published by India Today, and Thai Newsroom

THE World Health Organisation's chief scientist yesterday (July 12) advised against people mixing and matching Covid-19 vaccines from different manufacturers, calling it a "dangerous trend" since there was little data available about the health impact.

"So it's a little bit of a dangerous trend here. We're in a data-free, evidence-free zone here as far as mix-and-match. There is limited data on mix and match. It will be a chaotic situation in countries if citizens start deciding when and who will be taking a second, a third and a fourth dose," Soumya Swaminathan said during an online briefing.

Infectious disease experts are weighing whether people who received Johnson & Johnson's single-dose vaccine should receive a booster of the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA-based vaccine which are said to be more effective against the highly contagious Delta variant.

One of those who did mix and match, Dr. Angela Rasmussen, a researcher at the University of Saskatchewan's Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organisation, made headlines after she said on Twitter that she had gotten a dose of Pfizer's vaccine in June after receiving J&J's in April.

She also advised other J&J recipients, especially those living in areas with low vaccination rates, to talk to their doctors about doing the same.

In Thailand the National Communicable Disease Committee yesterday approved giving  either AstraZeneca or Pfizer booster shot to frontline medical workers with the majority having received two Sinovac jabs over three months ago.

The Thai Public Health Ministry also early this morning said there were 8,685 new coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours with 8,539 being among the general public and 146 in prisons and detention centres, Sanook.com said.

Another 56 patients died taking the death toll 2,847. The total number of patients in the current wave that began in April has now increased to 353,712.

Altogether 3,797 patients were cured over the past day taking total recoveries to 255,455.

Separately, Pfizer is pushing US and European regulators to authorise a third booster shot to supplement its two-dose regimen. But health officials, including the WHO's Swaminathan, have said there is no medical evidence that a third Pfizer shot is necessary.

"It has to be based on the science and the data, not on individual companies."

Instead of offering booster shots to highly-vaccinated, wealthy nations, the WHO's director-general yesterday said companies like Pfizer should send those vaccines to the WHO to give to poorer countries whose unvaccinated citizens desperately need them against a Delta variant she described as "ripping around the world at a scorching pace."



Another new daily record of Covid-19 cases in Chonburi today. The Chonburi Department of Public Health announced 459 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 today with one new death, July 13th.- The Pattaya News

Chonburi announces 459 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 with one new death, another new daily high

Tuesday, 13 July 2021, 10:26

Chonburi –

The Chonburi Department of Public Health announced 459 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 today with one new death, July 13th.

459 is a new record high for cases in the province. However, 97 people were also released and recovered yesterday in Chonburi.

This makes a total of 12,490 cases of Covid-19 in the current round of infections, with 4,404 still under medical care/supervision, and with a total of 68 recorded deaths in Chonburi since the start of this recent round of infections in early April.

Additionally, 8,018 people in total have now been released from medical care and recovered since this current wave began.

The district-level new cases were as follows today:

Mueang Chonburi 113, Si Racha 128, Banglamung (Pattaya) 129, Panat Nikhom 10, Sattahip 7, Ban Bueang 37, Pan Thong 19, Bor Thong 2, and 14 new cases transferred from other provinces for medical care.

The details on the cases are as follows:

1. Cluster at a company connected from Syntec worker camp, 11 cases
2. Cluster at Syntec worker camp, 4 cases
3. Cluster at a business in Ban Bueang, 4 cases
4. Cluster at Thai Kotchasarn company in Si Racha, 2 cases
5. Cluster at Chumpae Moo Kata buffet in Banglamung, 1 cases
6. Cluster at another business in Ban Bueang, 1 case
7. Contact from a previously confirmed case from a party, 1 case
8. Vossen Manufacture Company in Rayong, 2 cases
9. AH Brake Thailand Company in Rayong, 1 case
10. Risky occupation, meets a lot of people, 10 cases
11. Medical staffers, 4 cases
12. Officer at a prison, 1 case
13. Close contact from a previously confirmed case, 28 cases
14. Back from another provinces

14.1 Bangkok, 8 cases

14.2 Samut Prakan, 1 case

15. Contacts from a previously confirmed case traveling from another provinces

15.1 Samut Sakorn, 2 cases

15.2 Chachoengsao, 1 case

16. Contact with previously confirmed patients:

• In families, 98 cases
• In workplaces, 117 cases

17. Previously confirmed patients (Which are under investigation), 91 cases

18. Currently investigating, 71 cases

A total 673 of close contact searches were received today with 957 initial proactive searches, and more proactive search reports are pending.

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

The Chonburi Governor released several new orders last night, July 12th, 2021, effective tomorrow, Tuesday, July 13th, 2021.

Chonburi Governor releases new order: Stay at home request for cooperation overnight, Closure of many businesses overnight

The Chonburi governor has ordered six checkpoints to prevent the spread of Covid -19.

Banglamung and Chonburi officially starts operating checkpoints screening to prevent the spread of Covid – 19







The government’s errors in evaluating the situation and flawed decision-making is responsible for the latest Covid-19 wave and the worsening of the pandemic situation, the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) said in a recently published report. The Nation



TDRI report blames government blunders for worsening Covid situation

The government's errors in evaluating the situation and flawed decision-making is responsible for the latest Covid-19 wave and the worsening of the pandemic situation, the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) said in a recently published report.

The TDRI was critiquing the performance of the Prayut Chan-o-cha government in the middle of its second term with focus on containing the outbreak and vaccine management.

The TDRI said that though Thailand was doing great in controlling the outbreak in the first wave (before December 2020), it had made some glaring blunders subsequently, which was responsible for the current situation.

From around 150th in the world for most number of cases a few months ago, Thailand has fallen to 60th.

"One of the government's major erroneous decisions was to allow the Songkran holidays in 2021 without proper disease control measures for travellers, despite the third wave having already started in early April. This has led to the infections spreading to all regions of Thailand," it said in the report.

"The government's crisis management is also confusing," it added. "It announced a lockdown in Bangkok on the night of June 26 while a day earlier the government had insisted that there would be no lockdown of the metropolitan areas."

The TDRI pointed out that the Prayut government lacked proper situation evaluation, preparedness and rehabilitation plans for affected people. This was reflected in abrupt measures in locking down construction sites and shutting down restaurants with no clear assistance measures.

The report also faulted the administration's vaccine policy.

"The government's vaccine management plan is also a mistake, as it relies heavily on the domestically produced AstraZeneca vaccine," said TDRI. "Also, the government should have branched out to several manufacturers from the start to procure a variety of vaccines instead of focusing on obtaining only Sinovac, which later proved to be significantly less effective than others in preventing infections."

The institute suggested that a special independent committee be formed to investigate and analyse the mistakes in handling the Covid-19 situation to learn from them and avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future.

"The committee should work in the similar fashion as Bank of Thailand's financial and economic study committee that had been established after the Tom Yum Kung financial crisis in 1997 to learn from the mistakes and improve the country's economic stability," it added.

Published : July 13, 2021

Think twice before sandboxing with children. It’s always a good idea to read the small print before opening the carton. The instructions might tell us to “use with caution.” That should apply to the Phuket Sandbox if you are planning family travel. | TTR Weekly

 Think twice before sandboxing with children

July 13, 2021

PHUKET, 13 July 2021: It's always a good idea to read the small print before opening the carton. The instructions might tell us to "use with caution." That should apply to the Phuket Sandbox if you are planning family travel.

Popular Thailand blogger, Richard Barrow, tweeted an alert at the start of the Phuket Sandbox warning families of the potential risk when booking a Phuket holiday under the sandbox rules. 

The small print was a mite too small for most of us to read or grasp, but a week after the first international flight arrived, 1 July, the risks made prominent headlines. Two young children (eight and nine) failed their second round of testing. Health workers whisked them off to the designated Covid-19 hospital for treatment. Their parents headed in a different direction, leaving their comfortable hotel of choice for a mandatory 14-day quarantine in an Alternative Local Quarantine hotel. It's the unthinkable outcome, the worst-case scenario, and it should make families think twice about travelling to the Phuket Sandbox or any other destination under strict Covid-19 measures.

Being below the threshold age for vaccinations, the children boarded the airline with just RT-PCR negative test results. They tested negative again on arrival in Phuket but failed the third test seven days later. They were halfway through the 14-day stay on the island. 

We can imagine the traumatic experience that unfolded as the health workers dressed head-to-toe in protective suits directed operations that separated children from parents in what would seem a strange and foreign land.

Fortunately, health authorities recognised this and adapted the rule to allow the father to stay with them. He will have to quarantine for another 14 days once the children leave the hospital.

The small print should be much bigger and bolder. Parents with young children below the vaccination age need to gain more clarity on the risks and scenarios that could unfold if a swab test turns positive before they start the booking process. 

Health rules apply that will separate families if something goes wrong, and for young children, that risk should be unacceptable. It's called "duty-of-care." The destination's influencers and authorities must be much more precise when telling travellers what they could encounter when they land in the Phuket Sandbox. Reword the packaging: "Not recommended for children below the vaccination age."

Another case last week involved a traveller who occupied the unlucky seat on a flight from Dubai, just a row from a passenger who tested positive on arrival in Phuket. She and 13 others headed for quarantine when the test results came in the following morning. Sitting two rows in front or behind a person who tests positive sends you automatically to quarantine. The good news is your pre-paid hotel accommodation is then credited to the quarantine venue. Unfortunately, your holiday in Phuket is in tatters. You posted negative results along the way only to be tripped up by a seat row allocation that placed you close to someone who would test positive on arrival.  Even though you tested negative, your status abruptly changes to "high-risk", and you transfer to quarantine.

More than 4,500 travellers have landed in the Phuket Sandbox, 1 to 11 July. Just five have tested positive, which is an acceptable risk for adult vaccinated travellers.  But for families with young children, think twice. Take a rain check.

The government will pass an emergency decree this week aimed at battling disinformation but critics say the act is open to abuse and could be used to silence dissidents. According to the government, this emergency decree, emergency order number 27, is meant to suppress harmful information that could cause the public to panic during the coronavirus pandemic. Thai Enquirer





 





The government will pass an emergency decree this week aimed at battling disinformation but critics say the act is open to abuse and could be used to silence dissidents.

According to the government, this emergency decree, emergency order number 27, is meant to suppress harmful information that could cause the public to panic during the coronavirus pandemic.

The government has said that misinformation about its policies have caused undue panic and unwarranted criticism, something it wants to cut down on.

However, critics warns that the way the act is written means that the government could use it to silence critics and dissidents.

"The new order is very vague," said Yingcheep Atchanont, a leading activist at the Internet Law Reform Dialogue (iLaw).

"The government does not define what kind of information could be deemed as information that is "creating fear amongst the public."

He said that a similar order which came out last year clearly identified fake news as news that would cause undue panic among the public.

However, this new order changes the wording from "causing the public to panic" to "creating fear amongst the public" and they have left out the part which said that such information must not be real.

The new order also bans information that would "detablise the state" which is broader than the previous order.

"With the changes in the wording, the new order is even broader than the last one," Yingcheep said.

He said in a normal situation, a bill must pass the parliament's scrutiny before it becomes law.

However, the emergency decree allows the Prime Minister to come up with executive orders that bypasses the legislature.

Yingcheep argues that this is extremely problematic because a wide ranging law that could curtail the public's freedom of speech has never been looked over by the public's representative.

🔴 #COVID19 Update on Tuesday: 8,685 cases & 56 deaths. 7 July: 6,519 - 54 dead 8 July: 7,058 - 75 dead 9 July: 9,276 - 72 dead 10 July: 9,326 - 91 dead 11 July: 9,539 - 86 dead 12 July: 8,656 - 80 dead. Richard Barrow







Antibody levels in people fully vaccinated with the Sinovac vaccine decline by half every 40 days, according to findings from a joint study between Thammasat University's faculty of medicine and the National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (Biotec). Bangkok Post

Sinovac-produced antibodies 'halve every 40 days'

Antibody levels in people fully vaccinated with the Sinovac vaccine decline by half every 40 days, according to findings from a joint study between Thammasat University's faculty of medicine and the National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (Biotec).

The findings were revealed by Anan Jongkaewwattana, director of Veterinary Health Innovation and Management Research Group of Biotec.

Mr Anan wrote on Facebook that their study of 500 people, who received two doses of Sinovac, indicated that the level of antibodies drops by 50% every 40 days. The level of antibodies in people who received a second jab more than 60 days after the first was on average lower than that of those who got the second dose in less than 60 days, he said.

Mr Anan said the vaccine potency within 60 days of the second shot is between 60%-70% against the original strain. The potency against the original strain declines to about 50% in those receiving the second shot for over 60 days.

However, no data is available about the potency of two doses of Sinovac against variants, especially the highly contagious Alpha and Delta strains.

The overall level of immunisation is likely to drop in older people, he said, adding those aged over 40 showed lower antibody levels than those younger.

Meanwhile, Chalermchai Boonyaleepun, deputy chairman of the Senate committee on public health, posted on Blockdit that vaccines have done their job in lowering Covid-19 infections and fatalities in healthcare workers despite reports that some of them who had received the vaccines still caught the virus.

He did not mention the vaccine types but most medical workers received two doses of Sinovac.

Citing information from the De­partment of Disease Control, he said of the 700,000 who were fully vaccinated, 707 became infected, a ratio of 101:100,000. Of the 21,000 not vaccinated, 173 were infected, a ratio of 823:100,000. The rate among medical workers not vaccinated is eight times higher, he said.

Seven medical workers have died from Covid-19, two of whom were vaccinated. The death rate in the vaccinated group was 0.28% while in the non-vaccinated group it was 2.89%.

Govt lambasted for wasting early success. The government has mismanaged the Covid-19 pandemic and supply of vaccines, which has plunged the country into a crisis and stifled opportunities to recover, according to new research by the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI). Bangkok Post

Govt lambasted for wasting early success

Tents were set up on a sports field under the elevated expressway in Klong Toey district, Bangkok, on Monday to isolate asymptomatic Covid-19 cases in a bid to control the virus. (Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)

The government has mismanaged the Covid-19 pandemic and supply of vaccines, which has plunged the country into a crisis and stifled opportunities to recover, according to new research by the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI).

The institute has also called for the setting up of an independent committee to study the mishandling of the pandemic with the aim of drawing up a blueprint to prevent similar mistakes occurring in the future as it evalues the government's performance after two years in office.

Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said the government will hold a press conference to respond to the TDRI's assessment on Tuesday.

According to the report, Thailand succeeded in containing the first wave of the pandemic thanks to hard work from the medical and public health community and public cooperation, albeit at the expense of the economy. The country's tourism-dependent economy saw a sharp 6.1% contraction in 2020, its worst in 22 years.

However, although that initial success gave the government a chance to prepare for a second wave and hasten the reopening of the country, flawed policy squandered the early boost and also played a part in triggering the second wave, it added.

That second wave began in December last year at a shrimp market in Samut Sakhon, where ensuing events shed light on lax border controls where migrant labour is concerned.

The third wave, which started in late March was linked to entertainment venues in Bangkok's Thong Lor-Ekkamai area, and a clear sign of the government's poor preparations, the report concluded.

The government was slow to spend the 45-billion-baht healthcare budget, drawn from the 1-trillion-baht borrowing, to strengthen the public health system. By early June, only 11.6 billion baht, or 26.1%, had been disbursed.

According to the TDRI, the public health system is now under considerable strain and many hospitals have had to ask the public to donate essential medical equipment.

Total infections up to the end of March this year stood at 28,000, but then rose sharply to 317,000 by July 9. Deaths also surged from 94 to 2,500 during the same period.

"People must be held responsible and there should be an independent committee to gather facts and study the situation to prevent the same mistakes in the future," said the report.



Govt shifts stance on Sinovac. The Public Health Ministry has decided to start administering AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine as a second dose to those who had received a Sinovac jab for their first shot, in what is seen as a major shift in the government's vaccination policy. Bangkok Post

Govt shifts stance on Sinovac

The road outside the Grand Palace is almost empty of traffic in the late evening, hours before the lauch of the 9pm-4am curfew on Monday night as part of wider measures to limint the transmission of Covid-19 in the 10 hardest-hit provinces, including Bangkok. (Photo: Pornprom Satrabhaya)

The Public Health Ministry has decided to start administering AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine as a second dose to those who had received a Sinovac jab for their first shot, in what is seen as a major shift in the government's vaccination policy.

The AstraZeneca jab will be administered three to four weeks after the first Sinovac injection, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Monday, adding a combination of the jabs will confer greater immunity against the Delta variant of the coronavirus.

That said, Mr Anutin stopped short of explaining what those who have had two shots of the Sinovac vaccine should do once the change in policy comes into force, or how it would affect people who are waiting for their first or second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The change was announced after the National Communicable Diseases Committee convened a meeting to discuss measures to deal with the rapid spread of the Delta strain, which was first detected in India and is rapidly becoming the dominant strain in Thailand.

The move also came amid growing questions about the efficacy of the Sinovac and AstraZeneca jabs against the Delta strain.

A source at the Public Health Ministry said from now on, a combination of the vaccines will be administered in the national inoculation campaign.

"We won't administer Sinovac jabs as the first, second or booster shot anymore. According to research, a shot of Sinovac, followed up by an AstraZeneca shot, can trigger an immune response that is almost equal to two shots of AstraZeneca's," the source said.

The minister also announced the start of a booster shot drive, which would launch before the end of the month, for frontline medical workers who had received two shots of Covid-19 vaccine.

The third shot, he said, would be administered three to four weeks after the second shot.

"The booster shot will be mainly the AstraZeneca vaccine," Mr Anutin said. "Daily fatalities could exceed 100 and new cases above 10,000 a day if no adjustments were made to the current programme."

The committee also approved the use of rapid antigen test kits in hospitals to reduce queues for RT-PCR tests.

The rapid antigen test kits must be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), he said, adding that the test kits will be used at more than 300 hospitals nationwide.

Mr Anutin said that the committee is expected to allow at-home Covid-19 testing soon, adding the Department of Disease Control will order provincial communicable diseases committees and Bangkok's communicable diseases committee to ensure at-home tests are carried out correctly.

Speculation about the government moving to allow at-home testing has grown since testing centres and units were unable to cope with the increasing demand for Covid-19 tests after infections soared across Bangkok and its neighbouring provinces.

The committee also approved home isolation and community isolation for asymptomatic Covid-19 patients and those with mild symptoms, with the National Health Security Office (NHSO) working with hospitals to handle the matter, Mr Anutin said.

Kiattiphum Wongrajit, permanent secretary at the Public Health Ministry, said 188 Comprehensive Covid-19 Response Teams (CCRT) will be deployed to conduct proactive testing in communities in Bangkok, using antigen test kits (ATKs).

The move is a collaboration between the Public Health Ministry and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

Dr Kiattiphum said that the FDA is expected to propose to allow ATKs, which are currently allowed for use by health professionals only, to be sold at pharmacies to facilitate at-home testing.

NHSO secretary-general Jadej Thammathat-aree said that NHSO will work with the Institute for Urban Disease Control and Mahidol University's faculty of medical technology to conduct proactive case finding in Bangkok for about two weeks.

The aim is to test about 10,000-12,000 people a day. Rapid antigen test kits will be used, with results to be known in 30 minutes, Dr Jadej said.

During a TV show interview, Boon Vanasin, chairman of the Thonburi Healthcare Group, said that private hospitals are collaborating with state agencies to import mRNA vaccines from BioNTech in Germany as well as Novavax in the United States.

About 20 million doses of the vaccines will be bought, he said.

"Prices, including storage and transport costs, are estimated to be around 900 baht per dose, excluding taxes," Dr Boon said. "If the deal is a success, the vaccines will arrive this month because we have been in contact since October last year."

Phuket Sandbox information July 12th.

 

Bangkok Post highlights 13/7



😲😲😲😲😲😲😲BREAKING NEWS CHONBURI 😲😲😲😲😲😲. Pattaya News

 BREAKING:

Chonburi has released new orders with major changes. Effective tomorrow, July 13th, 2021, essentially all businesses that are not essential services like the hospital or law enforcement must close from 9:00 P.M. to 4:00 A.M. to "stop the spread of Covid-19". Additionally, people are REQUESTED to stay home during these hours, although it is not a mandate like Bangkok and other provinces.

Closing from 9:00 PM to 4:00 AM are: gas stations, restaurants, department stores, retail, convenience stores like 7-11, all markets, massage shops, pools, water parks, game and internet cafes, amulet shops, beauty clinics, tattoo shops and all prior closure orders like nightlife being closed period apply. Essentially, all businesses are ordered closed.

People are also being REQUESTED to stay home, although it is not a mandate like Bangkok, effective from tomorrow, during these hours.

This will be until further notice.

A construction worker was found to be simultaneously infected by both the Alpha and Delta COVID-19 variants, while six others were infected with a hybrid strain of the two, according to Director-General of the Medical Sciences Department Dr. Supakit Sirilak today (Monday). Thai PBS World

Thai construction workers infected by hybrid of Delta and Alpha variants

views  389

A construction worker was found to be simultaneously infected by both the Alpha and Delta COVID-19 variants, while six others were infected with a hybrid strain of the two, according to Director-General of the Medical Sciences Department Dr. Supakit Sirilak today (Monday).

Expressing shock by the finding, while reassuring the public the seven cases were not severe, Dr. Supakit said this is why it was necessary to seal worker housing facilities in and around Bangkok late last month.

The cases remain, however, of concern and follow-up monitoring is needed, to prevent infections by two virus strains at the same time from spreading to the point that the combination of the strains in a single host result in a new variant.

The Medical Sciences Department has analyzed over 15,000 COVID-19 samples and found that 74% are of the Alpha variant and the rest Delta, but warned that the Delta strain is steadily spreading and will soon become dominant in Thailand.

The Delta strain has been found in most COVID-19 cases in Udon Thani and Nakhon Sawan, with 40 cases in each province and 32 cases in Chon Buri.

The Beta variant has mostly been found in southern provinces, said Dr. Supakit adding, however, that one case was found in a Thai man, who had returned from Taiwan, in the northeastern province of Bueng Kan.

Close scrutiny of the man's Beta variant infection shows no link with the Beta variant found in Taiwan or southern Thailand and, hence, the need for further investigation, he added.

It was also found recently that a 90-year-old Belgian who died from the coronavirus in March has been infected by both the Alpha and Beta variants at the same time.

The economy faces significant downside risks and could perform below baseline forecasts, the central bank said on Monday, as the tourism-reliant nation deals with a recent jump in coronavirus infections. Thailand's biggest outbreak so far has seen a spike in cases and deaths this month, prompting tougher containment measures in the capital and nine provinces from Monday. BoT / Bangkok Post

Economy may miss forecasts as Covid cases spike - BoT

The AirAsia counter is closed as lockdown and travel restrictions are imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) at Don Muang Airport in Bangkok on Monday. (Reuters photo)

The economy faces significant downside risks and could perform below baseline forecasts, the central bank said on Monday, as the tourism-reliant nation deals with a recent jump in coronavirus infections.

Thailand's biggest outbreak so far has seen a spike in cases and deaths this month, prompting tougher containment measures in the capital and nine provinces from Monday. 

The restrictions would have a bigger-than-expected impact on the economy, Chayawadee Chai-Anant, a senior director at the Bank of Thailand (BoT), said at an analyst meeting.

"This policy may be more severe than expected and will likely affect economic activity more than forecast," she said.

The prolonged outbreak and virus mutation could delay herd immunity and reopening plans and dent confidence, she said.

"It's highly likely that the baseline (projections) will shift lower," Ms Chayawadee said.

Last month, the BoT cut its 2021 GDP growth forecast to 1.8% from 3.0% and the 2022 outlook to 3.9% from 4.7%, due to anticipated lower numbers of foreign tourists.

The BoT has left its benchmark rate at a record low of 0.50% since mid-2020 after three cuts to ease the impact of the pandemic.

Monetary policy will remain accommodative and the central bank is ready to use policy tools as necessary to ease the impact of outbreak, the central bank said.

The BoT will closely monitor the outbreak and assess whether existing measures are sufficient, said Deputy Governor Mathee Supapongse. "A combination of financial, fiscal and public heath measures should be done appropriately," he said.

In May, the King approved a further 500 billion baht of borrowing to cope with the outbreak.

Thailand started its mass vaccination drive last month but has had limited vaccine supply. So far, 3.27 million out of Thailand's more than 66 million people are fully vaccinated.