Statements from the Ministry of Public Health yesterday reported by Daily News indicated that Thailand's vaccine rollout was continuing to gather pace.
Dr Kiatphoom said that the country was on the way to having perhaps 5,000 daily infections by the New Year though he cautioned that four main measures were needed as the country reopened its activities or this could spike again to 30,000.
He said that lockdown measures were now losing their effectiveness.
He cited the UK with a roughly similar population as an example of having a large number of daily infections though the daily death toll there was a manageable 143.
This was because of their advanced vaccination program.
Thailand ranked 26th for Covid severity at the moment, he said, announcing 11,200 infections and 113 deaths.
57 million does of vaccine had been administered that was 33.7 million first doses, 22 million second and 1.6 million third.
59.3% of the elderly had been vaccinated with a first jab and 62% of those with seven underlying health conditions.
There is a target of 4 million 12 - 17 year old high school students to get jabbed to allow schools to open - so far just 74,000 have been vaccinated or 1.7%.
By the end of October it is expected that 61% of the Thai population will have got a first jab, 37% a second.
With vaccinations picking up pace this would be 75% first and 55% second at the end of November and by the end of the year 85% of the population would have got a first dose and 70% a second.
He noted that Bangkok and surrounding areas were seeing a good drop in infections and this was generally being seen in the provinces except in four far southern provinces where greater measures were needed.
He described Thailand as being at a crossroads now with four main areas needed - the progress of the vaccine rollout, universal protection measures, testing and strict protocols in places like movie theaters and restaurants and other settings where many people would gather.
The gist of the Daily News report was that Thailand was finally on track with its vaccine rollout and there were positive signs but experience in other countries should drive the country's next phase of responses.
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Thailand must reopen soon if it wants to survive: FTI
The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) is concerned that tourists may not be interested in Thailand if the country takes too long to open its doors.
FTI chairman Suphan Mongkolsuthee said it is safe for Thailand to open since 40 to 50 per cent of its population has been vaccinated.
Also, he said, the number of daily cases has dropped, and Thailand has the facilities to treat Covid-19 patients. However, he said, the authorities should speed up the vaccination rate in the business sector before reopening the country.
Suphan predicted that Thailand's gross domestic product will grow by less than 1 per cent as the number of tourists visiting under sandbox schemes was lower than expected.
He said that though the economy is showing signs of recovery and economic activities have resumed after the lifting of lockdown, the government still needs to lend a helping hand to small businesses. He said most SMEs cannot reopen due to liquidity problems.
Chonburi new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 drop to 687 with 1 new death
User Review
5 (1 vote)
Highlights:
687 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Chonburi today
940 people recovered and were released from medical care
1 new death
The Chonburi Department of Public Health announced 687 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 today with 1 new death, October 8th.
Additionally, 940 people were also released and recovered yesterday in Chonburi. 81,631 people in total have now been released from medical care and recovered in Chonburi since this current wave of Covid-19 began.
This makes a total of 92,523 cases of Covid-19 in the current round of infections, with 10,252 people still under medical care/supervision, and with a total of 640 recorded deaths in Chonburi since the start of this recent round of infections in early April.
The new death yesterday is a 61-year-old man who contracted Covid-19 from a previously confirmed case. The Chonburi Public Health Office said he was at-risk due to his age, although did not specifically state if he had any other conditions.
The district-level new cases were as follows today:
Mueang Chonburi 166, Si Racha 152, Banglamung (Pattaya) 99, Panat Nikhom 17, Sattahip 94, Ban Bueang 16, Pan Thong 28, Bor Thong 15, Ko Chan 1, Nong Yai 2, soldiers in Sattahip 10, and 87 people transferred from other provinces for medical care.
The details on the cases are as follows:
Cluster, soldiers in Sattahip, 10 cases
Cluster, PP Solution and Partner company in Si Racha, 27 cases
Cluster, Thep Nimit Marketing company in Mueang Chonburi, 7 cases
Cluster, Colgate Palm Olive company in Mueang Chonburi, 4 cases
Cluster, Louis Adhesive Tape in Mueang Chonburi, 4 cases
Many establishments in Rayong Province brought to Chonburi for medical care, 58 cases
A risky occupation, meeting a lot of people, 18 cases
2 medical staff
Back from a risky area in Rayong, 11 cases
Close contacts of confirmed patients in the family – 245 cases, in workplaces – 120 cases, close friends – 17 cases and joined parties, 7 cases
Close contacts of confirmed patients (under investigation), 33 cases
124 cases are under investigation in general as to the cause of the disease
There are currently clusters of outbreaks in 79 establishments and five markets, 10 construction worker camps, and four communities.
OBS! OBS! FÖR ALLA SOM RESER MED OA RETIRED VISA OCH DE SOM ÄMNAR GÖRA EXTENSION MED OA RETIRED!!!
STOR FÖRÄNDRING HAR SKETT/SKER!
(8/10-21)
För alla dessa har det gällt att ha ett dokument ifyllt som heter "Foreign Insurance Certificate (FIC)" Där det skulle framgå att man hade en försäkring som täckte 400 000B IP + 40 000B OP.
Igår kom första nekandet av denna blankett och en ny måste skickas in. De nya kraven på denna är att den skall täcka 3MB IP (enbart) samt att det skall vara ett Thailändskt försäkringsbolag eller ett Internationellt med kontor/bolag i Thailand!
Detta villkor uppfylls tills vidare bara av LUMA Thailand Pass! (Även AXA gör det men de har hittills vägrat att skriva ut OA intyg, antar pga att de då missar affärer på sina egna rena sjukförsäkringar?)
Av de vanligaste reseförsäkringarna!
Alla sjukförsäkringar (Thailändska eller de med kontor i Thailand) som har miniminivån på 3MB IP fungerar numer också, typ April Thailand för att nämna ett exempel.
OBS! Som ni ser på blanketten så står det för 1 år. Så om/hur/vad som kommer att gälla de som reser kortare tid kan jag/ingen svara på ännu. Återkommer garanterat i detta ärende.
Som ni säkerligen märkt sker stora förändringar med visum hanteringen när nu allt skall ske online (evisa). Det blir en strulig tid ett tag men tror faktiskt det är ett måste och förhoppningsvis klart rakare regler på sikt. Det hoppas jag verkligen!
Thai Tourism Minister says five areas planned to reopen to vaccinated foreign tourists from November 1st will happen, includes Pattaya and Bangkok
PHOTO: Thansettakij
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National –
Tourism and Sports Minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, is completely positive about the reopening plan to vaccinated foreign tourists without a strict in-room quarantine happening in five provinces/areas, including Bangkok and Chonburi, initially scheduled from November 1st.
The planned areas to welcome back foreign vaccinated tourists without a strict quarantine include Bangkok, Chiang Mai (Mueang District, Mae Rim District, Mae Taeng District, and Doi Tao District), Prachuap Khiri Khan (Hua Hin), Phetchaburi (Cha-am), and Chonburi (Pattaya, Bang Lamung District, and Sattahip District).
However, large and severe clusters of Covid-19 infections must not be found prior to the reopening before November 1st, especially in Bangkok as it was considered the first and popular destination for most foreign tourists to visit before traveling anywhere else, noted Phiphat. TPN media notes that the final decision on any reopening does not rest with the tourism minister but with the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) and the Thai Prime Minister, Prayut Chan O'Cha. The CCSA in particular has shown to be exceedingly cautious and is composed of mostly doctors and medical experts.
The reopening plan in November would be a semi-normal opening which will be different from the Phuket Sandbox and the Samui Plus Model because the project is not in an experimental period like four previously reopened provinces, added Phiphat in an interview yesterday afternoon, October 7th, 2021, with the associated Thai press.
Phiphat did not expand on what would be different from the current plan in Phuket, Samui, etc. which requires fully vaccinated visitors to have mandatory Covid-19 insurance, multiple Covid-19 tests at one's expense, a required and prebooked stay in a SHA+ hotel (where all staff is vaccinated and meets multiple Safety and Health Administration standards) for seven days, a compulsory tracking application on one's cell phone, the requirement that one must stay within their zone for seven days before traveling around the country, and last, but certainly not least, a Certificate of Entry from one's embassy or consulate in their home country.
TPN media notes that these requirements, especially the Certificate of Entry, have driven much criticism and negative feedback on social media from potential visitors, claiming that the requirements are still "too much" compared to some other destinations and countries.
Moreover, Krabi and Phang Nga will fully welcome foreigners to the whole province during the same period, according to Phiphat.
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports expected that the reopening in five major tourist destinations would generate tourism revenue at 1.5 trillion baht or about 50 percent of the average normal income before the Covid-19 outbreak which was 3.4 trillion baht.
Meanwhile, TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn revealed that 2021 is probably the worst year of the Thai tourism industry EVER as Thailand has reached tourism revenue of 815,624 million baht from the foreign market and 328,758 billion baht from the domestic market, accountable for a 60 percent decrease from 2020. 2020, of course, was nearly as bad having been compared to 2019 which was a record-breaking year with almost 40 million foreign tourists.
"The tourism situation in Thailand has just gradually started to get better in October, partly from foreign tourists in Sandbox projects and two government domestic stimulus campaigns. The government should speed up the readiness of the reopening scheme as domestic tourism alone cannot significantly boost the entire tourism industry from the almost two-year impact of the Covid-19 pandemic," the governor added.
Thailand removed from the UK "red list", list reduced to only seven countries
Pattaya Thailand - 26 July 2019 Beautiful landscape and cityscape of pattaya city in Thailand
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5 (1 vote)
Thailand/UK-
According to the UK government, only seven countries will remain on the so-called "red list" that requires mandatory quarantine at a government quarantine center upon return and is a major deterrent to travel
Thailand, a previous country on the list, has been REMOVED, despite rumors earlier in the day (which TPN media did NOT report on) that it wasn't being removed. This means visitors from the UK can now travel to Thailand without a mandatory quarantine upon return, only having to take a Covid-19 test on the day after their arrival back into the country.
Only seven countries will remain on the UK red list from a previous list of 54.
The seven countries that will remain on the red list are Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Venezuela.
This will be effective from Monday, October 11th, 2021, according to the UK government.
The announcement was made by UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, who stated the following:
"With half-term and winter sun around the corner, we're making it easier for families and loved ones to reunite, by significantly cutting the number of destinations on the red list, thanks in part to the increased vaccination efforts around the globe.
"Restoring people's confidence in travel is key to rebuilding our economy and leveling up this country. With fewer restrictions and more people traveling, we can all continue to move safely forward together along our pathway to recovery."
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Chonburi new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 rise to 752 with 1 new death
Highlights:
752 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Chonburi today
740 people recovered and were released from medical care
1 new death
The Chonburi Department of Public Health announced 752 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 today with 1 new deaths, October 7th.
Additionally, 740 people were also released and recovered yesterday in Chonburi. 80,691 people in total have now been released from medical care and recovered in Chonburi since this current wave of Covid-19 began.
This makes a total of 91,836 cases of Covid-19 in the current round of infections, with 10,506 people still under medical care/supervision, and with a total of 639 recorded deaths in Chonburi since the start of this recent round of infections in early April.
The new death yesterday is a 57-year-old woman who had diabetes.
The district-level new cases were as follows today:
Mueang Chonburi 202, Si Racha 187, Banglamung (Pattaya) 113, Panat Nikhom 21, Sattahip 74, Ban Bueang 6, Pan Thong 40, Bor Thong 7, Ko Chan 9, Nong Yai 3, soldiers in Sattahip 26, and 64 people transferred from other provinces for medical care.
The details on the cases are as follows:
Cluster, soldiers in Sattahip, 26 cases
Cluster CL Engineering company in Mueang Chonburi, 16 cases
Cluster Vanda Pac in Mueang Chonburi, 4 cases
Active case finding at a rural community near a mangrove forest in Nong Maidang, Mueang Chonburi, 4 cases
Active case finding at Nern Sai community in Nong Plalai, Banglamung, 4 cases
Active case finding at local fishery village in Si Racha, 6 cases
Cluster, PP Solution and Partner company in Si Racha, 6 cases
Exit Plan Sor Siwadon company in Si Racha, 2 cases
Cluster, SCCG company in Pan Thong, 4 cases
Cluster, Triumph Motorcycles in Pan Thong, 4 cases
Many establishments in Rayong Province brought to Chonburi for medical care, 45 cases
A risky occupation, meeting a lot of people, 16 cases
5 medical staffer
Back from risky area in Chiang Rai – 2 cases, Rayong – 1 case and Samut Prakan – 1 case
Close contacts of confirmed patients in the family – 208 cases, in workplaces – 165 cases, close friends – 37 cases and joined parties, 3 cases
Close contacts of confirmed patients (under investigation), 41 cases
142 cases are under investigation in general as to the cause of the disease
There are currently clusters of outbreaks in 79 establishments and five markets, 10 construction worker camps, and four communities.
'Lionlock' to Hit Thailand by Tuesday, Pushing Thailand's Flood Crisis to Critical Levels
Floodwaters have started to permeate low-lying areas of Bangkok with Thai officials looking uneasily at a tropical depression that could develop into a full-blown typhoon by Tuesday.
Dubbed "Lionlock" – not to be confused with the 2016 typhoon called "Lionrock" that caused significant flooding and casualties in North Korea and Japan – the storm is growing from a tropical depression in the South China Sea and could strengthen into a typhoon by the time it hits northern Vietnam over the weekend.
By Tuesday, it will move into Thailand, bringing more heavy rain that the Northeast and Central can ill afford – despite assertions by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha that prayers could keep more major storms away.
"What we expect is that if they don't have any more heavy rain in the coming week, we should be safe," Nattapon Nattasomboon, director-general of the Thai Meteorological Department, told the Associated Press.
But now, not only is Lionlock bearing down on Thailand, but another storm is brewing near the Philippines with no one sure which way it will go.
The Meteorological Department issued a warning Oct. 7, saying Lionlock was moving at 55 kilometers an hour and would move into Vietnam Oct. 10.
From Oct. 7-11, the rather strong southwest monsoon will bring waves of up to three meters to the Andaman Sea and and Gulf of Thailand.
Eight people died and one remains missing in the flooding triggered by Dianmu and normal rainy season storms. Almost 287,000 homes have been damaged in 32 provinces, although waters have begun to recede in 14 of them.
Queues of people wait in line at UK citizens arrivals at Heathrow Airport in London on Sept 1, 2021. (Reuters photo)
LONDON: Britain dropped its advice against all but essential travel for 32 countries and territories on Wednesday as it continued to simplify its coronavirus travel regime after progress in fighting Covid-19 across the world.
The change will allow people to travel more easily to destinations such as Algeria, Malaysia and Senegal as many travel insurance firms exclude cover for places where the government advises against travel, the Foreign Ministry said.
Britain recently replaced its so-called traffic light system with a single red list and has reduced testing requirements for fully vaccinated travellers.
The government is still advising against all but essential travel for scores of countries and territories on its red list which include Brazil, Mexico, South Africa and Thailand.
"The FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office) advise against all but essential travel to the whole of Thailand based on the current assessment of Covid-19 risks," the ministry said on the website.
For security reasons, it continued to advise against all but essential travel to Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and the southern part of Songkhla.
"We're striking the right balance between keeping people safe which remains our priority and giving them the freedom to exercise personal responsibility, while supporting the travel sector," Foreign Minister Liz Truss said.
Mahidol University has announced findings on the new domestic travel trends in the "Neo Tourism" era in Thailand, Chonburi a top destination
Pattaya Thailand - 26 July 2019 Beautiful landscape and cityscape of pattaya city in Thailand
Bangkok, 6th October 2021- College of Management, Mahidol University (CMMU) has reporter on the Post-COVID-19 tourism business guidance.
Its"NEO TOURISM: the Traveler's Insight" research has found that Thai tourism will never be the same. 2022 will be the year of a tremendous change in the tourism industry where resilience is needed to catch up with the so-called "Next Normal" trend. Results found that the group that is ready to travel right after vaccination is the young neo travelers and family neo travelers. The most popular type of tourism is nature tourism. The top three provinces that young neo travelers want to explore are Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Chonburi respectively while Chiang Mai, Prachuap Khiri Khan, and Chonburi are the top three destinations for families.
In terms of budget, young neo travelers plan to travel from 3-4 days with the maximum budget of 5,000 baht while families plan their travels at a lower budget of 3,000-5,000 baht per family. The results also found that the types of business that will benefit most from the reopening of the country's tourism are restaurants, cafes, and COVID-19 related travel insurance.
However, there are three key trends for the tourism industry during this "NEO TOURISM" era. First, customers will focus on nature tourism. Second, hygiene is the top priority for the customers. Finally, service conditions have to be flexible.
Assistant Professor Dr. Boonying Kongarchapatara, Head of Marketing Program, College of Management Mahidol University (CMMU), said that CMMU has conducted a large-scale survey on different groups of travelers and has analyzed the findings of its"NEO TOURISM: the Traveler's Insight" research to enable tourism business to gain resilience for the NEXT NORMAL trend or the post-COVID-19 era and to adapt to the changing customer's behavior.
The research was conducted with 1,098 participants which were divided into 2 groups namely young neo travelers and family neo travelers. Young neo travelers are those at 18-35 years of age with no children. This is the first group that the entrepreneurs have to take into consideration and adapt their services to match with the behavior of this group of customers. Family neo travelers are those at 27-45 years of age with children. This group consists of at least 2 generations of family members, is the majority of current Thai society, and has higher spending per trip than other groups. New information for travel business is found as follows:
Factors enabling travelers to resume their trips are 1) less than 500 persons per day infection rate. Both groups agree on this factor at 48%. 2) over 70% of the vaccinated population across the country and 3) their reception of mRNA vaccines which they are confident in. Having a look at the statistics on travel needs, it is found that 45.8% of young neo travelers and 52.2% of family neo travelers are still worried and would wait for the COVID-19 situation to ease up. 43.8% of young neo travelers and 28.3% of family neo travelers want to travel as soon as possible while 10.4% of young neo travelers and 19.6% of family neo travelers are indifferent to traveling.
Beautiful girl in white dress walking in Margaret flowers fields, Chiang mai in Thailand.
Nature tourism will be the most popular type of tourism after COVID-19. The results found that 45% of young neo travelers and 61% of family neo travelers want to explore nature after having had to spend a long period of time at home. Domestic tourism will be the most-wanted alternative for the travelers with the results of 71% for young neo travelers and 92% for family neo travelers. The top three provinces that young neo travelers want to explore are Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Chonburi respectively while Chiang Mai, Prachuap Khiri Khan, and Chonburi are the top three destinations for families. In addition, according to an interview with a family, they want to "explore the beaches and mountains as well as to see the sunrise and take a deep breath of natural breeze after working from home for five months in a row". One of the young neo travelers added, "I want to travel in nature because I can get clean air and be less worried about being contacted with COVID-19".
Assistant Professor Dr. Boonying added that post-COVID-19 tourism businesses that will profit most are restaurants and cafes because young neo travelers love to look for good places to eat which are not too crowded and have outdoor areas so they can confidently take off their masks while eating. They also look for places that are surrounded by nature where they can enjoy the scenery.
For families, the focus is on in-house relaxation. They would rather have their meals at the hotel's restaurant where they are confident of the hygiene and choose to do activities at the hotel to avoid risks from moving about. The hygiene measures, atmosphere, and services are what travelers will consider more and will be willing to suggest the place to other guests when they feel impressed.Another interesting finding is that COVID-19-related travel insurance might be popular because 59.4% of young neo travelers and 71.7% of family neo travelers are interested in buying a policy.
As for the budget and time that the travelers plan to spend for their trip after the COVID-19 situation, it is found that there is a slight change. Young neo travelers prefer a 3-4-day trip in a group of 3-4 people with a budget of 3,000-5,000 baht. Family neo travelers prefer a 3-4-day trip with their families with a budget of 3,000-5,000 baht per family. 70.7% of young neo travelers and 65.5% of family neo travelers agree that a post-trip swab test is needed.
For the online channel of pre-trip information, 31.1% of young neo travelers go on Facebook for their information while 29.45% and 21.9% look for their information on Google websites and YouTube respectively. For family neo travelers, 38.6% prefer to look for their information on the Google website while 29.8% and 19.8% prefer Facebook and YouTube respectively. The information they look for are 1) COVID-19 measures of the places of destination 2) the number of infected people in the area and 3) information of services such as operating hours, etc.
In addition, one of the significant changes in the travelers' increasing preference in contact directly with the hotel (Direct to Hotel: D2H) with 2% increase among young neo travelers and a 6% increase among families. There is a decrease in reserving rooms via online travel agents such as Booking.com and Agoda with a 5% decrease among young neo travelers and a 3% decrease among families. As for the booking conditions, both groups agree to pay more to get an amendable reservation. Both groups are worried about traveling by plane. As for traveling with public transport, young neo travelers are slightly worried while families are very worried and view that traveling in private vehicles is safer.
"Those in tourism business should consider more D2H or Direct to Hotel to adapt to this changing customers' behavior with increasing preference in booking a room or requiring information such as hygiene measures, operating hours, booking conditions, directly from the hotel to via applications or online agents which has limitations in giving further information. Therefore, those in the tourism business should try to focus on direct contact with customers via different platforms such as LINE OA, Facebook, and Instagram, etc. to facilitate the so-called Frictionless Contact. Other than that,the Direct to Customer channel such as online advertising can increase the inspiration and consideration for business tourism as well".
Miss Thornchaya Suksaichon, a Master student at the College of Management, Mahidol University, and Head of the research team, said that the research analysis found three NEO TOURISM TRENDS to be emphasized which are 1) Nature Seeking 2) Hygieneaholic and 3) Flexi Needed and the "ROADMAP STRATEGIES" which are new tourism marketing strategies for dealing with NEO TOURISM of 2022. The summary is as follows:
R: Reliable Service – Clear measures are needed whether it is hygiene measures, goods and service measures, or personnel willingness to give service.
O: Optimized Experience – New tourism experience is needed and has to adapt to changing customers' behavior.
A: Anti-Disease – Cleanliness and safety have to be focused on and a clear operations procedure is required to give confidence to the travelers, for example, replacing a welcome drink with a welcome hygienic kit set including masks with screened hotel logo or an antigen test kit (ATK) for home use.
D: Direct to Hotel – A direct channel of contact with the customers need to be established. This is a way to eliminate the middle person and reduce the communication gap as well as to tailor the services to customers' needs.
M: Media Matching – This is to use various communication channels for different target groups.
A: Alliance – Business alliance is a good way to cooperate and render perfect services.
P: Part of Community – This involves being a part of the community through the distribution of income to the locals, giving environmental-friendly services, and developing to become a sustainable business.
The College of Management, Mahidol University (CMMU) has been organizing a seminar on marketing under the theme "Neo Tourism – the Traveler's Insight" via Facebook Live on Facebook Page: Neo Tourism – the Traveler's Insight. For those who are interested in pursuing a Master's Degree in Management (Thai or International Programs), the application is now open until 15th October 2021 at https://apply.cm.mahidol.ac.th/web/. For further information, please call 02-206-2000 or visit the CMMU Mahidol Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/CMMUMAHIDOL).
The preceding was a press release from CMMU. Their thoughts and opinions are entirely their own.
Chonburi Governor orders more Covid-19 related temporary targeted closure of work camps and company
Chonburi –
The Chonburi Governor, Phakkhrathon Thianchai, has announced last night (October 5th) the temporary closure of work camps and a company in Mueang Chonburi.
The order was posted by the Chonburi Public Relations office last night. The orders conclude, "Many Covid -19 confirmed cases were being found at worker camps and a company in Mueang Chonburi."
"In order to control the spread of the virus, the Chonburi communicable disease committee has ordered the following temporary closure of the places below."
"A work camp act at the construction site of Golden Town Ang on Sila -Sukhumvit Road in the Samet sub-district, Mueang Chonburi from October 5th to October 28th, 2021."
"Work camp and construction site at a house of the KK Concrete company in the Samet sub-district, Mueang Chonburi from October 5th to October 29th."
"Glory Plan company in Don Hualor, Mueang Chonburi from October 6th to October 19th."
"Any necessary reasons to enter or exit must have permission from a Chonburi Public Health Official. Owners and operators must strictly follow the orders."
With some 56 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered so far, Thailand has made considerable progress in protecting its population of 70 million. However, Thais should take note that a high vaccination rate does not guarantee herd immunity – as shown by the recent spike in infections overseas.
Prominent virologist Prof Dr. Yong Poovorawan, who heads Chulalongkorn University's Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology, recently dismissed hope that herd immunity will ever be achieved where COVID-19 is concerned.
"That hope was high at the start of mass vaccinations. We believed that if most people got jabbed, herd immunity would materialize," he said. "However, a review of what has happened overseas rules out that possibility."
What happened overseas?
Israel emerged as a vaccination leader early this year. By the end of February, more than 60 percent of its population had received the Pfizer-BioNtech jab. This widespread coverage came with encouraging signs – significant drops in both infection and mortality rates. However, the curve was only flattened for a few months.
At the beginning of July, an alarming rise in new COVID-19 cases in Israel prompted the government to roll out booster shots for its double-jabbed citizens. Now, only those who have received a booster or have recently recovered from COVID-19 can enter indoor venues.
Singapore too boasts of an impressive vaccination rate, with about 80 percent of its people fully inoculated against coronavirus so far. Yet the island state recently saw a surge in new infections. Like Israel, Singapore is now offering a booster dose, but only for the elderly for now.
What is herd immunity?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "herd immunity" or "population immunity" is protection from an infectious disease that occurs when enough individuals develop immunity through vaccination or previous infection.
For instance, more than 90 percent of children in the US get the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab by their second birthday. Such widespread vaccination generates herd immunity – protecting even those not vaccinated – by cutting the amount of virus in circulation.
Not applicable to COVID-19
However, experts point out the new coronavirus mutates quickly into vaccine-blunting variants – unlike measles, mumps and rubella. Yong compared COVID-19 to tetanus. Neither disease can be eradicated, only controlled with regular booster shots.
Records also show that breakthrough infections are common among COVID-19 vaccinees.
Herd immunity from recovered patients?
In April, India plunged into crisis as new COVID-19 cases soared past 400,000 per day. By July, a serosurvey conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research showed that two-thirds of India's population had antibodies against COVID-19 infection, indicating they had already caught the virus and recovered.
As of October 3, only 17.9 percent of India's population had been vaccinated, yet the daily infection rate has fallen below 20,000. As of press time, the number of active cases in India had dropped to 252,902 – the lowest in 201 days according to the authorities. More than 449,000 people in India have succumbed to the virus so far.
WHO, meanwhile, advises against a policy of "passive" herd immunity, saying that allowing the virus to spread freely will only result in unnecessary infections and deaths.
Advice from experts
Even though widespread COVID-19 vaccination does not promise herd immunity, people are still strongly urged to get a jab because it will help reduce the severity of symptoms. The risk of hospitalization and death drops significantly once vaccinated.
"Though mass vaccination will not eradicate the virus, it promises to curb the severity of the infection to a point where COVID-19 will become just another respiratory illness that people can deal with one day," Yong said. "We can expect better medicines for the virus in the future too."
Chonburi new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 rise to 601 with 7 new deaths
PHOTO: Bangkok Metropolitan Administration
Highlights:
601 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Chonburi today
717 people recovered and were released from medical care
7 new deaths
The Chonburi Department of Public Health announced 601 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 today with 7 new deaths, October 6th.
Additionally, 717 people were also released and recovered yesterday in Chonburi. 79,951 people in total have now been released from medical care and recovered in Chonburi since this current wave of Covid-19 began.
This makes a total of 91,084 cases of Covid-19 in the current round of infections, with 10,495 people still under medical care/supervision, and with a total of 638 recorded deaths in Chonburi since the start of this recent round of infections in early April. The details on yesterday's 7 new deaths was not given, which is standard for the health department.
The district-level new cases were as follows today:
Mueang Chonburi 159, Si Racha 110, Banglamung (Pattaya) 110, Panat Nikhom 28, Sattahip 46, Ban Bueang 16, Pan Thong 32, Bor Thong 11, Ko Chan 4, Nong Yai 9, soldiers in Sattahip 7, and 69 people transferred from other provinces for medical care.
The details on the cases are as follows:
Cluster, soldiers in Sattahip, 7 cases
Cluster, construction site, RMS power plant B. Grimm Power company in Laem Chabang, Si Racha, 9 cases
A risky occupation, meeting a lot of people, 19 cases
5 medical staff
Many establishments in Rayong Province brought to Chonburi for medical care, 21 cases
Back from risky area in Kanchanaburi, 3 cases, Khon Kaen, 1 and Rayong, 1 case
Close contacts of confirmed patients in the family – 196 cases, in workplaces – 116 cases, close friends – 31 cases and joined parties, 8 cases
Close contacts of confirmed patients (under investigation), 30 cases
154 cases are under investigation in general as to the cause of the disease
There are currently clusters of outbreaks in 79 establishments and five markets, 10 construction worker camps, and four communities.
