Thailand News - Corona - By Ola J.

torsdag 13 januari 2022

Test and Go unlikely to return until mid-year at the earliest, pre-registered Test and Go still valid - Thailand’s “Test and Go” travel scheme, which enabled vaccinated visitors to visit the country without quarantine, is unlikely to return until the middle of 2022, according to a senior official at the Ministry of Public Health. Thai Enquirer

Test and Go unlikely to return until mid-year at the earliest, pre-registered Test and Go still valid

January 13, 2022

Thailand's "Test and Go" travel scheme, which enabled vaccinated visitors to visit the country without quarantine, is unlikely to return until the middle of 2022, according to a senior official at the Ministry of Public Health.

The scheme was implemented on November 1 and lasted just a little over a month before it was suspended to curb the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron strain of the coronavirus pandemic.

Now according to a senior official, the scheme is unlikely to return anytime soon as Omicron cases continues to spike throughout the country.

"We cannot reimplement it without adding to the public health burden so the sandbox program will be our only course to bringing in international tourists," the senior official told Thai Enquirer by phone.

To compensate and try to continue to entice foreign tourists to the country, the government will add more cities to the sandbox program where foreigners can travel freely in a locality for seven days before being allowed to visit the rest of the country.

Pre-approved travelers can still come in

Travelers who were approved for the Test and Go procedure will continue to be able to enter the country via the program until further notice, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration said on Wednesday.

"The new registration for the Test and Go procedure has been suspended indefinitely and subject to the further assessment of the outbreak," said Natapanu Nopakun, the deputy spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Those who have already received their QR codes prior for travelling into Thailand can still do so as per their approved schedule," he said.

He said the assessment is being done on a daily basis. His statement seems to contradict earlier reports and statements made by the Minister of Public Health which said that January 15 would be the last day for Test and Go registrants.

"This is good news for those who are planning to travel to Thailand next week or in the latter part of January," Natapanu said.

The CCSA estimated that there are around 10,400 people who were approved for the procedure and still waiting to enter between January 7 and 15.

For those looking to enter the country, they can now register to enter via alternative quarantine hotels with 10 days quarantine period.

The registration for entry through the tourist sandboxes, with seven days quarantine period, in Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga and Surat Thani (Ko Samui, Ko Pha-ngan and Ko Tao) was also reopened on Wednesday.

NATTEN INNAN VAR DET 7 CHEFER SOM ARRESTERADES. NU 12 NYA ”ASPIRANTER” 😂😂😂😂😂 Chonburi and Pattaya police arrest another twelve "restaurant" managers/owners for allegedly violating closing time of 9PM, raids will continue - The Pattaya News

Chonburi and Pattaya police arrest another twelve "restaurant" managers/owners for allegedly violating closing time of 9PM, raids will continue

Thursday, 13 January 2022, 7:46

Pattaya, Thailand-

A team of over fifty police led by the Deputy Chonburi Provincial Police commander himself and including many regional police inspected dozens of alcohol serving establishments last night, January 12th, 2022, around 930 PM.

The inspection, which is due to current strict rules implemented at a national level by the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration, or CCSA, was primarily geared at venues allegedly breaking the current strict closing time of 9PM for converted restaurants, which are venues that were previously bars and entertainment venues.

Legally, all bars and entertainment venues have been closed nationwide since April 10th of 2021, however, they have been given permission to temporarily open as "restaurants" with strict Covid19 rules, various licensing and certification procedures, and following the 9 PM closing time.

According to Pol. Col. Thanawut Jongjira, Deputy Commander of the Chonburi Provincial Police, most venues have cooperated with the 9 PMclosing time set by the CCSA for "restaurants" primarily focused on alcohol. However, twelve bar managers or owners did not and were arrested as a result.

This followed seven bar managers/owners being arrested the previous night for also allegedly violating Covid19 rules and closing time as we reported here:

https://thepattayanews.com/2022/01/12/pattaya-police-report-a-total-of-seven-restaurant-managers-owners-arrested-last-night-police-say-nightly-raids-will-continue-focused-around-9pm-closing-time/

Col. Thanawut noted that some of the "tactics" being used by bars to break the rules were lowering shutters but continuing the party inside the venue, serving alcohol inside of coffee or plastic cups, turning off lights and music but staying open, allowing customers to "pre purchase" alcohol before 9 PMand claiming this was legal, and more. According to Col. Thanawut, all of these tactics were not allowed and the rule in his perspective was simple-be closed and have customers out at 9 PM.

Restaurants that don't serve alcohol are not included and can close at their normal time although TPN has had several unconfirmed complaints from restaurant owners saying they were also told to close.

The early closing time is due to high numbers of Covid-19 in the Banglamung area driven by the fast spreading Omicron Covid19 variant. Although the CCSA has stated the Omicron variant appeared to be more mild for most people they are still attempting to slow down the spread of the disease to protect the health care system overall and one of these steps is essentially stifling the nightlife and entertainment sector, already heavily devastated after roughly two years of restrictions or closures.

The CCSA has repeatedly said they want all sectors, including nightlife and tourism, to return to normal but cited many clusters of Covid-19 in the bar sector and the social mobility of many bar customers as an issue. The early closing time is meant to reduce these factors.

Additionally, police also randomly inspected customers for proof of taking rapid antigen Covid19 tests before entering "restaurants", another Chonburi rule that has been controversial.

There were no reports of customers arrested for either not having an antigen test or being in a venue after 9PM.

Col. Thanawut stated the raids will continue nightly and is a national direction from the very top level of police, the CCSA, and government officials. Col Thanawut added that if some venues continued to ignore the direction of police and officials the Chonburi Communicable Disease Committee could consider a total alcohol sales ban at all restaurants.

Last year, 2021, an incredibly unpopular alcohol ban for all restaurants was in place for roughly eight months in Chonburi, causing regular protests and pleas from business owners and was only finally lifted in early December after months of various pleas from bars, tourism associations, brewers, and more. Returning to this ban would be a major blow for both tourism and business owners.

COVID Insurance Arranged for Visitors upon Arrival - TNA

COVID Insurance Arranged for Visitors upon Arrival

12 January 2022 12:07

BANGKOK, Jan 12 (TNA) – Government organizations arrange for COVID-19 insurance for visitors upon their arrival to solve their problems of lacking such insurance or having inadequate coverage for COVID-19 treatment.

Dr Tares Krassanairawiwong, director-general of the Department of Health Service Support, said the department, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Office of the Insurance Commission invited 10 insurance firms to sell COVID-19 insurance policies to the visitors who lacked such insurance coverage just when they arrived to prevent the problems of advance payment before claims for compensation.

The visitors who lacked the insurance must take out policies and the coverage which matched COVID-19 treatment in the country would take immediate effect, he said.

For infected visitors, doctors concerned would decide if they should be hospitalized. They might receive treatment at the hotels that were modified to function as hospitals and at-risk visitors could do quarantine at hotels, Dr Tares said.

Visitors quarantined under a hotel isolation program would receive thermometers, oximeters and three meals a day that would be covered by the insurance, he said. (TNA)

onsdag 12 januari 2022

Vaccination update January 12th.

📌 Guidelines on the treatment and management of COVID-19 patients. Richard Barrow

📌 Guidelines on the treatment and management of COVID-19 patients

- The Ministry of Public Health has clarified the guidelines on the treatment and management of COVID-19 patients as follows.

IN CASE OF POSITIVE RESULT

• if you are Persons under investigation (PUI) with 'positive' result on the ATK test, please contact the National Health Security Office (NHSO) number 1330 or add LINE @nhso. There will be officials on standby to help give advice and assess the symptom level.

• Patients with no to mild symptoms and no other risk factors such as congenital diseases can opt to undergo Home Isolation or Community Isolation, in which officials will follow, inquire, and look after the symptoms constantly, as well as providing medicine and other necessities until recovered.

• In this case, the policy is implemented based on the fact that most people who have been diagnosed with the Omnicron variant usually have mild to no symptoms and do not need to undergo treatment at the hospital as well as to preserve the capacity of the public health system for critical cases.

• However, if the patient's symptoms worsen during Home Isolation or Community Isolation, the officials will immediately coordinate the transfer of patients to the hospital so they can receive proper medical attention.

• Subsequently, patients with a positive result from the ATK test with symptoms or risk factors such as other underlying medical conditions are to be sent to the hospital for treatment, the criteria for which is as follows:

- Fever exceeding 39 Celsius for more than 24 hours;

- For adults, having rapid breathing of 25 times or more per minute;

- Low blood oxygen level (less than 94 per cent);

- Belonging to high-risk groups with underlying medical conditions; and

- For children, difficulty breathing, drowsiness, lesser intake of food/milk.

📌 IN CASE OF NEGATIVE RESULT

• In the case of a negative result from the ATK test, there will be further consideration of whether the patient has symptoms or not. If the symptoms are present, a repeat PCR test is required to check the results once again. • However, if there are no symptoms present, it is necessary to consider the risk from past contacts. If there is a history of close contact in high-risk areas, self-quarantine and ATK self-check for every 3 days or when symptoms are present is required. If the result turns 'positive', contact NHSO.

• For those who are not in high-risk areas, self-quarantine is not mandatory, but it is required to follow the DMHT measures, which includes social distancing, wearing masks, washing hands, and checking body temperature before entering different locations.

Source: CCSA and PRD Thai Government

Thailand to launch 'new chapter' of tourism. The Tourism and Sports Ministry promotion plan for 2022 will be themed "Amazing Thailand New Chapter", introducing new selling points from January and collecting a 300-baht entry fee from foreign tourists from April, government spokesman Thanakorn Boonkongwanchana said on Wednesday. Bangkok Post

Thailand to launch 'new chapter' of tourism

Travellers from overseas arrive at Suvarnabhumi airport in December, ahead of Christmas and the New year. (Photo: Somchai Poomlard)

The Tourism and Sports Ministry promotion plan for 2022 will be themed "Amazing Thailand New Chapter", introducing new selling points from January and collecting a 300-baht entry fee from foreign tourists from April, government spokesman Thanakorn Boonkongwanchana said on Wednesday.

The plan includes promotion of "white routes" for tourists in line with a bio-, circular and green economic development strategy for more sustainable and safe tourism, Mr Thanakorn said.

Also under the plan, from the start of the second quarter, April, an "entry fee" of 300 baht would be collected from foreign tourists arriving in Thailand, the spokesman said.

The 300 baht fee would be used to develop tourist attractions and for accident or death insurance for all tourists. The maximum insurance payout would be 1 million baht in the case of death and 500,000 baht for medical expenses.

The charge would be included in air fares. The means of collecting the entry fee from people arriving by land was still being considered.

According to Mr Thanakorn, the Tourism and Sports Ministry expected revenue from tourism this year of 1.3-1.8 trillion baht, from 5-15 million foreign tourists.

He said if tourists were mainly from Europe or the United States, arrivals were estimated at 5 million this year. This would rise to about 7 million if tourists also came from India.

If in the second half of the year China allowed its citizens to travel abroad, the number of tourists arriving in Thailand this year would rise to about 9 million.

If Thailand reopened its borders with Myanmar, Laos and Malaysia for tourism, the number could be as high as 15 million tourists in total, Mr Thanakorn said.

The number of domestic tourist trips was expected to total as many 160 million, generating about 700 billion baht of local income.

Despite the prevalence of the Omicron variant of Covid-19, the government would continue with its tourism promotion campaigns, he said.

Mr Thanakorn said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had instructed state agencies to monitor the Covid-19 situation both in the country and abroad, in order to be able to draw up plans to restore the country in all aspects by keeping the economy and public health in balance.

Thailand News - Corona - By Ola J. - Palmtree