fredag 21 januari 2022

Health ministry says Level 4 COVID-19 alert still necessary as infections have yet to peak. Although the rate of new infections appears to be stable now, he warned that it may pick up again after the easing of restrictions and because people are more relaxed in “sandbox” provinces, including Bangkok. PBS World

Health ministry says Level 4 COVID-19 alert still necessary as infections have yet to peak

The Level 4 COVID-19 alert, in place in Thailand since the early this month, is still necessary because the new wave of infections has not yet reached its peak and there are signs that new infections will increase in Bangkok and its surrounding areas, said Public Health Permanent Secretary Dr. Kiattibhoom Vongrachit today (Friday).

Although the rate of new infections appears to be stable now, he warned that it may pick up again after the easing of restrictions and because people are more relaxed in "sandbox" provinces, including Bangkok.

He said that COVID-19 infections in Thailand have not yet reached their peak, so there is a need to stay alert and people must strictly comply with basic safety measures to prevent another surge, similar to the clusters which began in pub-restaurants during the long New Year holidays.

Despite the latest easing of restrictions, such as allowing eateries in "sandbox" provinces to serve alcohol until 11pm from January 24, Dr. Kiattibhoom said the Ministry of Public Health has been closely monitoring the situation and ensuring that restaurants strictly follow the safety measures.

He also urged people with appointments for booster doses, especially the elderly and those afflicted by underlying diseases, to get vaccinated, noting that those twice vaccinated are still vulnerable to Omicron variant infection and most fatalities are among people in these groups.

Meanwhile, the Omicron variant has now been detected in every province in Thailand, with 10,721 cases found to date through random sample analysis,  according to the Medical Sciences Department. Most are in Bangkok (4,178), followed by Chon Buri (837), Phuket (434), Roi Et (355) and Samut Prakan (329). 

The variant is replacing other strains in Thailand, as it has become dominant in new cases detected. In random samplings from January 11-17, 86.8% of infections were Omicron, while Delta was at 13.2%.



#Omicron had spread to every province in #Thailand with a total of 10,721 cases found between November 1 and January 19. Thai Enquirer

#Omicron had spread to every province in #Thailand with a total of 10,721 cases found between November 1 and January 19. 

Most of them were found in Bangkok (4,178) followed by Chonburi (837), Phuket (434), Roi Et (355) and Samut Prakan (329).

From the sample of 1,437 Covid cases taken from around the country between January 11 and 17, at least 87 per cent were Omicron. 

The health ministry expects the variant to become the dominating variant in the country, replacing Delta, by the end of January.



'Test & Go 2' Has Hidden 'Gotcha': 2nd Hotel Night Now Needed ... on Day 5 - As it was when introduced in November, Test & Go is a lie. Show up at the airport with just a test and you’ll be denied boarding. And now, not only do you have to book your first night in a quarantine hotel, you have to book one on Day 5 as well. Bangkok Herald

'Test & Go 2' Has Hidden 'Gotcha': 2nd Hotel Night Now Needed … on Day 5

Arriving passengers wait to have their Thailand Pass QR code scanned at Suvarnabhumi International Airport. (Photo: Bangkok Herald)
Arriving passengers wait to have their Thailand Pass QR code scanned at Suvarnabhumi International Airport. (Photo: Bangkok Herald)

Thailand's "Test & Go" tourist-entry scheme returns Feb. 1, but this time with a hidden "gotcha" for travelers who thought they understood the deceptively named program.

As it was when introduced in November, Test & Go is a lie. Show up at the airport with just a test and you'll be denied boarding. And now, not only do you have to book your first night in a quarantine hotel, you have to book one on Day 5 as well.

"There's no exception for Thais or expatriates. Even if you have a permanent home here, people have to check in at a hotel five days after arrival to take a second RT-PCR test and wait for a negative result before checking out," said Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand governor.

Second PCR tests have been required since Test & Go was suspended for new registrants Dec. 21, but the government has been paying for it. That ends after Feb. 1. Travelers not only have to pay for that second night in a government-certified hotel, they have to pay for the test as well, at inflated prices.

Tourism industry executives rightly point out the additional night and test put an unreasonable, unnecessary burden on arriving tourists, expats and Thais.

Ratchaporn Poolsawadee, president of the Tourism Association of Koh Samui, said PCR tests on Koh Samui cost 2,200 baht each. Thanet Supornsahatrangsi, head of the Chonburi Tourism Council, said a PCR test costs 1,600 in Pattaya, where he is also a city councilman.

For the past six weeks, however, the government has been paying only 1,300 baht for such tests.

Ratchaporn said the price for tourists should be cut to 1,500 baht. Thanet said there should be no mark up. Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the Thai Hotels Association, suggested the government should pay for the second test, but only for Thai nationals.

The on-arrival PCR test required under Test & Go has always been paid by arrivals as part of their first-night quarantine-hotel package. If that test comes back negative, the tourist, expat or Thai is free to leave and go anywhere in the country on their own, although installation of the battery-sucking MorChana mobile app supposedly is mandatory.

Just as long-stay tourists and residents uninstall MorChana within days, if not hours, it would be easy to think people could just skip the second test on Day 5, just as people did with the allegedly required antigen test on Day 7 before the program was suspended.

Those antigen tests, however, were self-administered, with the hotel simply giving the tourist the test kit, hoping they follow through. Now the second PCR test, and second hotel night, must be prebooked and proof submitted through Foreign Ministry's buggy Thailand Pass website.

The TAT's Yuthasak said that will circumvent the inevitable "fake check-ins" that would occur otherwise.

Thailand Pass currently is offline, hopefully for much-needed upgrades and fine-tuning, and will return Feb. 1.

The additional caveats of Test & Go – which still include mandatory US$50,000 in total health coverage – obviously were imposed as the government is still afraid of the omicron coronavirus variant, which is infecting arriving tourists and returnees at ten times the pre-omicron rate.

In November and December, only 0.3% of arrivals tested positive for Covid-19. Since the New Year's period, that has jumped to 3.8%.

When Thailand and the world's omicron waves subside, the additional test and hotel night should be eliminated, Koh Samui's Ratchaporn said. Instead, the second test should go back to being antigen.

Just before omicron hit, the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration had agreed to require only one test, an antigen test on arrival.




How many Covid-19 jabs do we really need? Dr Yong has the answer. “Some people are so concerned that they have already had five jabs – the first two Sinovac, followed by one AstraZeneca and then two Moderna shots,” Yong said. “ The Nation

How many Covid-19 jabs do we really need? Dr Yong has the answer

In a Facebook post on Thursday, expert virologist Dr Yong Poovorawan said that many people have been asking how many Covid-19 shots are necessary for protection against the novel coronavirus.

"Some people are so concerned that they have already had five jabs – the first two Sinovac, followed by one AstraZeneca and then two Moderna shots," Yong said. "The jab recipients claim Sinovac should not be counted as an effective vaccine because it offers significantly low immunity against the virus.

"In reality, getting vaccinated to boost immunity is like filling a container with water," Yong said. "A container can only hold a certain amount of liquid based on its capacity. Adding more water after it has been filled is only wasteful.

"To stay safe from Covid-19, getting the first two jabs is mandatory. After an appropriate time, the recipient should get a booster shot to keep their immunity high," Yong said. "One should not get a fourth or fifth shot too soon, as the immunity built by the third shot has not reduced and the additional doses will be a waste."

Yong added that the fourth shot should only be taken three to six months after the third shot, and if it is an mRNA vaccine, then a six-month waiting period is recommended.

"Though there is no such thing as a vaccine overdose, vaccines can still have adverse side effects," Yong added.




I am getting a lot of questions about the new rules for Test & Go which is due to start accepting applications again on 1st February. So, here are some Q&A’s that I tweeted this morning. Hopefully you will find them useful. Richard Barrow


I am getting a lot of questions about the new rules for Test & Go which is due to start accepting applications again on 1st February. So, here are some Q&A's that I tweeted this morning. Hopefully you will find them useful.

Q: What is the difference between Test & Go and Sandbox?
A: With Test & Go, you're free to go anywhere you like in Thailand once you have passed your 1st test. But you have to stay in a SHA++ hotel with a partner hospital on Day 5 while you wait for results of the 2nd test.

Q: What is the point of the Sandbox when Test & Go will now be open to people from all countries?
A: You must understand that the global pandemic is ongoing and things can change. If there is a major outbreak they could suspend Test & Go again and Sandbox will be the backup plan.

Q: I have already applied for a Thailand Pass for the Sandbox. Can I switch to Test & Go?
A: Yes, but you have to apply for a new Thailand Pass when registration re-opens on 1st February. Although some people got the QR Code straight away, it can take up to 7 days.

Q: I have a home in Thailand, do I really need to book a SHA++ hotel for the 2nd test?
A: Yes, there are no exceptions to this. The 2nd hotel can be anywhere, but it must have a partner hospital and you must wait in the room for the results like you did for the first test.

Q: I applied for Test & Go before the 22 December deadline and I have a Thailand Pass. Do I need to book a SHA++ hotel for the 2nd test?
A: You are an exception as you can do at a government designated facility for free. So far, they are not saying you must book a hotel.


🔴 #COVID19 update on Friday: ⬆️ 8,640 new cases (195 from abroad) ⬇️ 13 deaths. Richard Barrow



🔴 #COVID19 update on Friday:
⬆️ 8,640 new cases (195 from abroad)
⬇️ 13 deaths
⬇️ 82,720 in care
🙋‍♂️ 8,641 discharged from care

✅ Follow @ThaiNewsReports on Twitter or the website thainewsreports.com for breaking news #Thailand
#โควิดวันนี้

UPDATE: 8,640 confirmed cases, 3,356 probable cases (ATK), and 12 deaths (0.93% mortality rate). 195 cases were from abroad. Out of 82,720 patients ⬇️, 41,909 are in hospital ⬆️.

📌 There are 540 in a serious condition (+7) with 118 on ventilators (0) #Thailand

Temperatures are set to plunge from Friday as a four-day cold spell sweeps the country,. The Nation

Temperatures are set to plunge from Friday as a four-day cold spell sweeps the country, according to the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD...