More easing of Covid-19 curbs likely. Relaxing expected despite Omicron. Further easing of Covid-19 curbs, reopening of border checkpoints in the south and guidelines for New Year celebrations are expected to be debated by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Monday. Bangkok Post

More easing of Covid-19 curbs likely

People at Sampheng market in Samphanthawong district shop for gifts for the festive season in Bangkok on Saturday. This daytime market is getting busier with rows of stalls selling a range of goods. (Photo: Apichit Jinakul)

Further easing of Covid-19 curbs, reopening of border checkpoints in the south and guidelines for New Year celebrations are expected to be debated by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Monday.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will lead the CCSA's meeting to assess the Covid-19 situation and high on the agenda are further relaxations of restrictions including the reopening of border checkpoints in the southern region.

Rachada Dhnadirek, deputy government spokeswoman, said the proposed reopening, tentatively scheduled on Thursday, will be discussed following the discovery of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.

She said the CCSA meeting is one of Gen Prayut's highlights of the upcoming week, adding the premier is scheduled to visit Yala and Pattani on Wednesday and join the Southern Border Province Administrative Centre (SPBAC) meeting.

According to a source, guidelines for New Year celebrations and adjustments to the colour-coded control zones by the ministries of Public Health and Tourism and Sport will be tabled for consideration.

The Ministry of Public Health will also submit to the CCSA a vaccination plan for next year and revised preventive measures for inbound passengers, according to the source.

Government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said Gen Prayut has urged business operators to strictly comply with a government policy on the hiring of migrant workers to help with the fight against Covid-19.

He said the government's decision to allow entry of migrant workers under memoranda of understanding (MoU) between Thailand and neighbouring countries will help ease labour shortages.

Meanwhile, Dr Chawetsan Namwat, director of the Emergency Health Hazard and Disease Control Division, said on Saturday there haven't yet been any local infections of the Omicron variant in Thailand.

He said three Omicron cases have been confirmed -- the first being an American businessman travelling from Spain and Dubai and the two others being Thai women returning from Nigeria.

He said a fourth potential case is a Thai national returning from DR Congo and while the result of full genome sequencing of the patient's samples is not ready, chances are high that he is infected with the new variant. 



🔴 #COVID19 update on Sunday: ⬇️ 3,787 new cases ⬇️ 20 deaths. Richard Barrow



Bangkok Post highlights 12/12



Covid cases ‘increasing in Bangkok, 6 other tourism provinces’. BANGKOK GOVERNOR Pol. Gen. Asawin Kwanmuang said today (Dec. 11) there are signs that Covid infection is increasing at communities and business outlets in Bangkok and six other tourism pilot provinces despite reduction in overall daily tallies, Siam Rath newspaper said. Thai Newsroom

Covid cases 'increasing in Bangkok, 6 other tourism provinces'

December 11, 2021 TNR Staff

BANGKOK GOVERNOR Pol. Gen. Asawin Kwanmuang said today (Dec. 11) there are signs that Covid infection is increasing at communities and business outlets in Bangkok and six other tourism pilot provinces despite reduction in overall daily tallies, Siam Rath newspaper said.

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has arranged joint inspection teams consisting of its officials, police, soldiers as well as other related parties to survey entertainment venues and tourist attractions to ensure that they are complying with and strictly enforcing preventive measures.

They will also be collaborating with relevant agencies in enforcing stricter inspection of establishments that serve alcoholic beverages to ascertain that they meet the Safety and Health Administration (SHA) standards.

These teams will also be going to tourist attractions to publicise and raise awareness of Covid Free Setting measures and emphasise that entrepreneurs, business owners as well as foreign tourists have to comply with them.

BMA has also implemented proactive screening measures to find Covid cases by randomly checking people in  communities, markets and various establishments every two months. This was undertaken throughout this year and will continue in the New Year as well.

Meanwhile the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) said this morning that there were 4,079 new cases over the past 24 hours, down from 4,193 yesterday, and 39 deaths, up from 28 yesterday.

Of the new batch of cases 4,063 were domestic with 19 getting infected in prisons and detention centres while 16 foreign arrivals tested positive. This raised the cumulative confirmed total since the start of the pandemic to 2,164,859.

Today's 39 fatalities increased the death toll to 21,151.

Another 7,302 patients were cured taking total recoveries to 2,090,253. A total of 53,455 patients are still undergoing treatment with 26,249 being in hospitals and 27,206 in field hospitals and other centres while 1,115 are critically ill with 315 being on ventilators.

Omicron: What we know so far - A little more than two weeks since the discovery of Omicron, a lot has been learned about the latest coronavirus variant. A lot remains to be discovered. Rapid spread clearly established but many questions remain about severity and vaccine efficacy. Bangkok Post

Omicron: What we know so far

A traveller receives a Covid test at a Histopath testing clinic at Sydney Airport in Australia on Dec 7. (Bloomberg Photo)

A little more than two weeks since the discovery of Omicron, a lot has been learned about the latest coronavirus variant. A lot remains to be discovered.

Early data from South Africa, the epicentre so far, shows that the virus appears to spread far faster than earlier strains but also doesn't appear to be causing severe disease.

Nothing is definitive yet, so the world is still somewhat in the dark. With Omicron cases doubling every few days in the United Kingdom, policymakers and investors are grasping at any clues; the spread in Britain could be a harbinger of things to come across Europe and the United States.

Health officials had been moving toward the end of year with a little hope that the Covid era was shifting into a newer, more manageable phase.

But now it's not clear yet if 2022 will succeed where 2021 has been defeated: suppress the spread of the virus enough to stop the rolling infection waves and finally end social restrictions.

Initial laboratory studies indicate Omicron is much more transmissible than even Delta, the strain that spread rapidly across the globe, filling hospitals and boosting death rates. They also show that it can infect the vaccinated or those who have already been ill with Covid-19.

What's not known yet is how it developed, and whether it will cause more severe disease in countries with older populations than South Africa. Also unclear is whether it can out-compete Delta in places where that version is dominant now, such as Europe and the US.

New cases in South Africa, following a severe Delta-led third wave, were negligible for weeks before the unwelcome emergence of Omicron.

Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, said this week that information so far points to a less severe mutation.

"The big challenge we're going to have is confirming that over the next two weeks," he said on his Osterhom Update podcast. "From there, then we can figure out what does it mean in terms of the next leg of the pandemic for the world."

This is what we know so far:

How fast is Omicron spreading?

In Gauteng, where South Africa's outbreak is currently centred, the reproduction rate — how fast the virus spreads — is over 3. That's the highest it's been and means that every infected person on average infects three more.

Cases in South Africa are rising at a near-record pace, and the rate of increase has outstripped the three earlier waves the country experienced.

Omicron is 4.2 times more transmissible than Delta, according to a study in Japan.

The UK says the new strain is growing much faster than Delta, and it expects Omicron to become the dominant variant by the middle of December, accounting for more than half of new cases. On Friday, the UK reported almost 58,200 new Covid cases overall.

How severe are the infections?

With the outbreak just a few weeks old, it's too early to tell definitively, but doctors have reported patients with fatigue and headaches and little more. That's a big contrast to Delta's racing pulse rates and respiratory problems.

South Africa's three biggest private hospital operators say cases are much milder than in earlier waves. There are few people on oxygen or ventilators and only a slight uptick in deaths.

Currently there are about 5,000 people with Covid in South African hospitals, a quarter of the peaks seen in the previous two waves.

Does it affect children differently from earlier variants?

Initial hospital admissions in South Africa saw a higher number of children under the age of 5 than previously.

Still, most only stay in hospital for a short time, and Health Minister Joe Phaahla says there are no reports of respiratory complications.

Do vaccines work?

Yes and no.

The Africa Health Resource Institute was the first to isolate the virus and test it against the Pfizer shot. Omicron is able to largely, but not completely, evade the antibodies generated in response to the inoculation, the research showed. Pfizer's own study backed that up.

The UK said Friday that two shots from AstraZeneca or Pfizer/BioNTech provided much less protection against symptomatic infection with Omicron, compared with the Delta strain. But a booster lifted that to 70% to 75% in the early days after the shot, according to preliminary data from a small study.

Data from South African hospitals in the municipal area of Tshwane presented on Dec 3 showed that 68% of coronavirus hospital admissions were in people under age 40. That compares with individuals over 50 accounting for 66.1% of hospitalisations during the first weeks of the third wave. South Africans over 60 are about twice as likely to have been vaccinated than those under 34.

Where did it come from?

There are three theories:

The first is the virus mutated in someone who was immunosuppressed and harbored the pathogen for a long time, allowing it to change and then infect others. South Africa has 8.2 million people carrying HIV, which causes the immune system disease Aids.

The second is that the coronavirus crossed back into an animal, mutated, and then reinfected a human.

The third is that it developed by circulating somewhere with little genetic sequencing and not much access to healthcare. It was then picked up in South Africa, where sequencing of samples is comparatively common. Some of the world's weakest health systems are in Africa.

So where to from here?

Depends who you listen to.

Richard Friedland, the chief executive officer of Netcare Ltd, South Africa's biggest private hospital group, is optimistic.

"I actually think there is a silver lining here and this may signal the end of Covid-19, with it attenuating itself to such an extent that it's highly contagious, but doesn't cause severe disease," he said. "It's early days, but I'm less panicked. It feels different to me on the ground."

The World Health Organization is remaining cautious for now given so many unknowns, and the concern that any variant is a risk.

"If they're allowed to spread unchecked, even though they're not individually more virulent or more lethal, they generate more cases, put pressure on the health system and more people die," said Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO emergencies programme.

"We should hope for the best outcome, but in this particular case, hope is not a strategy. We need to be very careful on making any final determinations on severity."

Health dept issues strict prevention guidelines for restaurants to follow. The Nation

Health dept issues strict prevention guidelines for restaurants to follow

With the holiday season coming up, the Department of Health has advised all restaurants to strictly adhere to the following prevention measures:

• Clean tables immediately after customers leave and display a sign showing they have been cleaned.
• Disinfect all contact points and toilets every one to two hours.
• Keep utensils clean and provide a separate spoon for shared dishes.
• Provide customers with gloves at buffets or self-service counters.

• Place a bottle of alcohol gel at every table or keep one within easy reach. In food courts, every stall should have a bottle of alcohol gel for customers to use.
• Maintain a one to two-metre distance between tables. If there is no space, then each table should be separated with a partition. In airconditioned restaurants, each table should be two metres away and diners should not be allowed to sit directly across from each other. Restaurants cannot be crowded.
• Allow diners to stay for no more than two hours.
• All restaurants should be well-ventilated and must open all doors and windows at least half an hour before turning on the air-conditioners. If possible, restaurants should ventilate the area every hour and keep ventilation fans on at all times.

Covid-19 vaccination update December 11th.

 

Expert virologist Dr Yong Poovorawan offered advice on tackling the Omicron variant in a Facebook post on Saturday. He said initial studies show that Omicron is easily transmissible and that vaccines do not provide enough protection. This means even fully vaccinated people will need to build more immunity to fight against the variant even if they have mild or no symptoms, he said Read More: https://www.nationthailand.com/life/40009862 . The Nation



Thailand on Alert After Bird Flu Kills Chinese Woman, Infects 61. The recent announcement came amid recent reports by the World Organization for Animal Health revealing that the number of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza infection cases has risen continuously since January, with 61 patients found infected with the H5N6 virus this year. 11 December 2021. Bangkok Herald

Thailand on Alert After Bird Flu Kills Chinese Woman, Infects 61

11 December 2021

Thailand livestock officials have gone on high alert over reports out of China that a woman died of bird flu.

Department of Livestock Development Director-General Sorravis Thaneto said Friday the Chinese government announced that a 54-year-old woman from Sichuan Province has died from the H5N6 influenza virus on Nov. 23.

The recent announcement came amid recent reports by the World Organization for Animal Health revealing that the number of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza infection cases has risen continuously since January, with 61 patients found infected with the H5N6 virus this year.

The department is currently delaying the import and export of animals from infected countries in order to prevent the virus from spreading into the country.

The director-general assures that there are no reports of any bird flu infections in both humans and animals. However, the department has instructed officials to keep a close watch on livestock along the border provinces and maintain preventive measures in their respective areas.

Sorravis also requested farmers' assistance to closely monitor the health of their animals. He asks people to immediately notify officials if they found abnormal symptoms or deaths so that authorities could provide immediate assistance.

Chonburi announces 140 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 and three new deaths - The Pattaya News

Chonburi announces 140 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 and three new deaths

Saturday, 11 December 2021, 9:24

Highlights:

• 140 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Chonburi today

• 167 people recovered and were released from medical care

• Three new deaths

The Chonburi Department of Public Health announced 140 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 today with three new deaths, December 11th.

This makes a total of 109,401 cases of Covid-19 in the current round of infections, with 1,838 people still under medical care/supervision, and with a total of 775 recorded deaths in Chonburi since the start of this recent round of infections in early April.

Additionally, 167 people were also released and recovered yesterday in Chonburi. 106,788 people in total have now been released from medical care and recovered in Chonburi since this current wave of Covid-19 began.

Three people were listed as being in serious condition in Chonburi currently, either on a ventilator or pneumonia, and were not vaccinated.

Three new deaths today are at the average age of 71. They all had personal health problems. One of them was not vaccinated.

In total, 1,875,211 people in Pattaya and Chonburi have received their first dose of a Covid -19 vaccine which is 80.51 percent of the total Chonburi population. Of those, 293,105 have received their first dose and are what the Thai government calls 608 groups (elders, have chronic health problems, and pregnant) which is 79.24 percent of those in these risk groups in Chonburi.

The district-level new cases were as follows today:

Mueang Chonburi 21, Si Racha 44, Banglamung (Pattaya) 49, Panat Nikhom 1, Sattahip 4, Phan Thong 3, Bor Thong 2, Nong Yai 4, and 12 people transferred from other provinces for medical care.

The details on the cases are as follows:

1. Work and stayed in Rayong, transferred from other provinces for medical care, 10 cases
2. Cluster, Celestica (Thailand) company, Si Racha, 11 cases
3. Cluster Meyer Industries company in Si Racha, 2 cases
4. Cluster, Siam Compressor Industries in Si Racha, 2 cases
5. Risky occupations meeting many people, 4 cases
6. 1 medical staffer
7. Close contacts from previously confirmed cases in families – 32 cases, in workplaces – 31 cases, and close personal contacts 3 cases
8. Close contact of a confirmed patient (under investigation), 19 cases
9. 25 cases , close contacts of a confirmed patient (under investigation)