tisdag 4 januari 2022

Phuket hotels desperate as "insured" foreign tourists with Covid denied coverage, refuse to go to hospital - "Hospitel" shortage admitted. Hotels want them off the premises and sent to hospitals but the insurance companies are refusing to honor policies saying they have to pay for hospitals. ASEAN NOW


9pm.jpg

Picture: Manager

 

Manager reported from Phuket saying there was a severe crisis among increasing numbers of foreigners on the holiday island testing positive for Covid-19 at the start of their stay. 

 

Their sources indicated - following similar suggestions on social media - that an increasing number of asymptomatic foreigners were testing positive for Covid on day one.

 

These are the so called "Green Cases".

 

Hotels want them off the premises and sent to hospitals but the insurance companies are refusing to honor policies saying they have to pay for hospitals.

 

The foreigners are pointing out that they are insured and won't pay for hospitalization.

 

This, said the source, meant that a large number of foreign tourists are refusing to budge at hotels.

 

This could mean, despite protocols being in place, that staff get infected and hotels are forced to shut down.

 

He called on immediate government action to address the growing crisis in Phuket.

 

Meanwhile Dr Kusak Kukiatkul of the Phuket health authority confirmed that the "Green Cases" didn't want to go to hospitals as they came from countries where asymptomatic cases could just quarantine at home. 

 

And he admitted that there were simply not enough places in so called "hospitels" to accommodate them.

 

He accepted that insurance companies were not covering these eventualities when it came to hospital coverage for green cases and foreigners didn't want to pay insisting they were covered. 

 

So they were just staying in the hotels.

 

Dr Kusak said there were negotiations underway to help with the situation. 







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The Chonburi Department of Public Health announced 499 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 today with no new deaths, January 4th, 2022. - The Pattaya News

Chonburi, led by Banglamung with 336, announces 499 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 and no new deaths
PHOTO: Covid-19 Center

Highlights:

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

  • 172 people recovered and were released from medical care

  • No new deaths

The Chonburi Department of Public Health announced 499 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 today with no new deaths, January 4th, 2022.

This makes a total of 114,606 cases of Covid-19 in the current round of infections, with 3,235 people still under medical care/supervision, and with a total of 794 recorded deaths in Chonburi since the start of this recent round of infections in early April.

Additionally, 172 people were also released and recovered yesterday in Chonburi. 110,577 people in total have now been released from medical care and recovered in Chonburi since this current wave of Covid-19 began.

Two people were listed as being in serious condition in Chonburi currently, either on a ventilator or pneumonia, one of them was not vaccinated. According to the Chonburi Department of Public Health, the vast majority of recent cases are mild or asymptomatic.

In total, 1,913,159 people in Pattaya and Chonburi have received their first dose of a Covid -19 vaccine which is 82.14 percent of the total Chonburi population. Of those, 298,357 have received their first dose and are what the Thai government calls 608 groups (elders, have chronic health problems, and pregnant) which is 80.65 percent of those in these risk groups in Chonburi.

The district-level new cases were as follows today:

Mueang Chonburi 16, Si Racha 94, Banglamung (Pattaya) 336, Panat Nikhom 4, Sattahip 17, new soldiers in Sattahip 5, Ban Bueng 1, Phan Thong 6, Nong Yai 1, and 19 people transferred from other provinces for medical care.

The details on the cases are as follows:

  1. Cluster, soldiers in Sattahip, 5 cases
  2. Work and stayed in Rayong, transferred from other provinces for medical care, 16 cases
  3. Active case finding at restaurants that sell alcohol in Pattaya and Banglamung, 38 cases
  4. Cluster, Good Team Enterprise company in Si Racha, 3 cases
  5. Risky occupations meeting many people, 12 cases
  6. 13  medical personnel
  7. Back from other provinces in Chiang Mai – 2 cases and Prachuap Khiri Khan – 1 case
  8. Close contacts from previously confirmed cases in families – 100 cases, in workplaces – 78 cases, close personal contacts – 27 cases, and joined a party – 31 cases
  9. Close contacts of a confirmed patient (under investigation), 23 cases
  10. 150 cases close contacts of a confirmed patient (under investigation)






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Foreign tourists not wearing masks threaten closure of Phi Phi island - hotelier calls for foreigners to be fined. ASEAN NOW


TH_Krabi_-_Phi_Phi_Island_-_Maya_Bay.jpg

File photo for reference only//Wikipedia

 

Jiraphat Jantharo of the Phi Phi Hotel Group in Krabi, southern Thailand said that most foreigners visiting the holiday island were not wearing masks.

 

He feared a spike in Covid cases - especially the Omicron variant - and the possibly closure of the island if something is not done fast. 

 

He told the Thai media that foreign tourists were not wearing masks in public, at tourist sites and in convenience stores. 

 

With many places being narrow and congested on the island he feared that spread of the virus would be inevitable. 

 

He called on the Krabi health authorities to take immediate action and fine tourists if necessary. 

 

The comments came after 63 visitors to Krabi tested positive from December 1st to January 1st.

 

Ten of those had Omicron with a further 27 awaiting confirmation after tests. 

 

The Thai media were at the port in Phi Phi where the main concern was making sure that people were wearing life jackets and boats were not overloaded.

 

Some 1,300 visitors were there daily with many going to Maya Bay that has recently reopened to tourism.





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🔴 IMPORTANT: At this moment in time, you CANNOT change your flights to an earlier date. If you change your flight, your Thailand Pass will become invalid. The CCSA will meet on Wednesday to discuss the new Thailand Pass rules. The final decision will be on Friday. Richard Barrow




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Covid19 Top 50 countries

 


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Phuket urges extra caution after spike. Phuket's Public Health Office is urging tourism business operators on the island to strictly comply with Covid-19 control measures, particularly the regular use of antigen test kits (ATKs) to screen for possible cases, after 144 Omicron variant infections were detected in the province. Bangkok Post

Phuket urges extra caution after spike
People enjoy the sunset at a beach on Sept 17, 2021, as Phuket allows foreigners fully vaccinated against the coronavirus disease to visit the resort island. (Reuters photo)
People enjoy the sunset at a beach on Sept 17, 2021, as Phuket allows foreigners fully vaccinated against the coronavirus disease to visit the resort island. (Reuters photo)

Phuket's Public Health Office is urging tourism business operators on the island to strictly comply with Covid-19 control measures, particularly the regular use of antigen test kits (ATKs) to screen for possible cases, after 144 Omicron variant infections were detected in the province.

Koosak Kookiatkul, the island's public health chief, urged businesses to keep their guard up after active case finding on Dec 28 around Soi Bangla, or Bangla Walking Street, near Patong beach found 11 cases of the Omicron variant.

There are currently 144 cases involving the variant among both Thais and foreigners in Phuket, Dr Koosak said.

Dr Koosak urged all tourism business operators, especially those around Soi Bangla, to implement the strictest health and hygiene measures to curb the spread of Covid-19.

He said though businesses on Soi Bangla have set aside 300 ATKs for tourists each week to screen for Covid-19 and pushed to have their employees fully vaccinated, employees and patrons should continue to follow the "DMHTTA" rules -- distancing, mask wearing, handwashing, temperature testing, Covid testing and using a mobile tracing application.

Meanwhile, Weerawich Kruasombat, head of Patong's entertainment business operators union, called on businesses in the area to comply with the government's Covid-19 control measures more strictly amid the spike in Omicron infections.

"Bangla Road is very important to Phuket. For this reason, I would like to ask for the cooperation of owners, managers and other staff to have an ATK test every seven days at the parking lot behind Hollywood Phuket to cut the risk of contagion," he said.

Meanwhile, Bangsaen Beach in Chon Buri went quiet after a number of Omicron infections were reported around Pattaya. The rush to leave the area coincided with the last day of the New Year long holiday.

Chon Buri governor Phakarathon Tianchai said many people have lowered their guard as the Omicron variant is perceived to be milder. He urged people to be more careful, noting the number of infections in the province jumped significantly on Sunday and Monday, when 442 and 351 cases were reported respectively.

After further investigation, 80% of the infections were found to involve the Omicron variant, he said.

He said all tourism-related businesses and restaurants must regularly screen their employees and patrons with an ATK prior to entering the venue. If not, they risk being shut down.

There were 2,927 new Covid-19 cases and 18 deaths over the last 24 hours, the Public Health Ministry announced on Monday.




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Bangkok Post highlights 4/1




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🔴 #COVID19 update on Tuesday: ⬆️ 3,091 new cases ⬇️ 12 deaths ⬆️ 33,505 in care. Richard Barrow


 



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