lördag 5 februari 2022

Thailand Blaming Phuket Tourists as Daily Covid-19 Cases Top 10,000 Again - A week of steady increases finally pushed Thailand over the 10,000 mark for the first time in months, with 10,490 confirmed cases reported. Antigen tests were not included. The Public Health Ministry reported 21 deaths. Bangkok Herald

Thailand Blaming Phuket Tourists as Daily Covid-19 Cases Top 10,000 Again
Phuket International Airport staff and medical personnel wear personal protective equipment as they help travelers entering Phuket.
Phuket International Airport staff and medical personnel wear personal protective equipment as they help travelers entering Phuket.

Thailand again crossed the 10,000-mark for new daily coronavirus cases on Saturday, but the government spent its time blaming tourists arriving in Phuket.

A week of steady increases finally pushed Thailand over the 10,000 mark for the first time in months, with 10,490 confirmed cases reported. Antigen tests were not included. The Public Health Ministry reported 21 deaths.

It is true that the number of tourists who test positive for Covid-19 when arriving in the Phuket "sandbox" has jumped more than tenfold since November, when only 0.13% of arrivals tested positive. In December that rose to 0.45% and leaped to 3.73% in January.

In February, however, the rate hurdled again to 4.74%. However, only 0.74% of the positive cases were "Test & Go" arrivals, while 5.55% were sandboxers. Those required to stay inside their quarantine hotels for seven days tested positive at the rate of 2.69%.

Phuket Deputy Gov. Pichet Panawong on Friday claimed some visitors had not passed the Thailand Pass registration process or had not undergone RT-PCR tests. Some visitors forged their RT-PCR test certificates or conducted only antigen tests.

He said that from Nov. 1 to Feb 1, 4,369 Covid-19 cases were found among visitors who entered Phuket through the two schemes. On Friday alone, 172 of 10,593 – 1.6% – of arrivals in Phuket tested positive for Covid-19.

Nationwide, 217 positive cases were found among arriving tourists. It's notable that 101 of those were on flights from Russia. German flights were in second place with only 12 cases.

Pichit asked the operations unit of the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration to urge airlines to strictly require their passengers follow disease-control measures before boarding flights to Thailand.

From July 1 to Feb. 1, 272,621 tourists arrived in Phuket via the sandbox entry scheme. Each foreign tourist stayed eight nights and spent 55,000 baht per trip on average.

Phuket recorded direct tourism income worth over 14 billion baht and more than 32 billion baht changed hands thanks to the arrivals.



Amid testing cutback, Pattaya Covid-19 cases spiking again - Cases have risen in Chonburi for three straight days, with Thursday seeing 399 cases and Wednesday 385. Cases in Banglamung were 90 and 97, Thursday and Wednesday, respectively. Pattaya Mail

Amid testing cutback, Pattaya Covid-19 cases spiking again

Daily cases have begun to rise again, even though Pattaya has cut back coronavirus testing.

Even as Pattaya cuts back coronavirus testing, daily cases have begun to rise again.

Chonburi on Friday reported 460 confirmed Covid-19 cases, 118 of which were in Banglamung District, which includes Pattaya. Not counted in those numbers were 325 more positive cases found through antigen testing.



Cases have risen in Chonburi for three straight days, with Thursday seeing 399 cases and Wednesday 385. Cases in Banglamung were 90 and 97, Thursday and Wednesday, respectively.

The provincial increases match a surge in cases nationally, with Thailand missing the 10,000-case mark on Friday by only 91. Again, hundreds of positive antigen test results aren't included. This week has seen the daily total move up nearly 2,000.


Despite the facts showing otherwise, Pattaya Deputy Mayor Manote Nongyai on Thursday claimed Chonburi cases were trending down.

He and fellow Deputy Mayor Banlue Kullavanijaya were at Pattaya School No. 4 to observe the city's weekly public antigen testing. Pattaya recently cut back testing around the city from daily to once a week. The cutback has coincided with the increase in cases.

On Thursday, one person was reported to have been found positive and was sent to Pattaya Hospital. Anyone testing positive goes there or Banglamung Hospital, depending on their state medical insurance.

Officials recently cut back testing around the city from daily to once a week.





Chonburi new and confirmed cases of Covid -19 rise to 548 and no new deaths - The Pattaya News

Chonburi new and confirmed cases of Covid -19 rise to 548 and no new deaths

Highlights:

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

  • 315 positive ATK tests were reported but all require a second confirmed PCR test before being counted as official cases. The ATK positive tests are just "possible" cases until confirmed by PCR.
  • 332 people recovered and were released from medical care

  • No new deaths

The Chonburi Department of Public Health announced 548 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 today with no new death, February 5th, 2022.

This makes a total of 19,515 cases of Covid-19 in the current round of infections, with 4,278 people still under medical care/supervision, and with a total of 24 recorded deaths in Chonburi since the start of this recent round of infections at the beginning of this year, January 2022.

Additionally, 332 people were also released and recovered yesterday in Chonburi. 15,213 people in total have now been released from medical care and recovered in Chonburi since this current wave of Covid-19 began at the beginning of this year, January 2022.

Four people were listed as being in serious condition in Chonburi currently, either on a ventilator or pneumoniaThree of them were double vaccinated. According to the Chonburi Department of Public Health, the vast majority of recent cases are mild or asymptomatic.

In total, 1,951,179 people in Pattaya and Chonburi have received their first dose of a Covid -19 vaccine which is 83.77 percent of the total Chonburi population. Of those, 301,833 have received their first dose and are what the Thai government calls 608 groups (elders, have chronic health problems, and pregnant) which is 81.59 percent of those in these risk groups in Chonburi.

620,402 people have received their triple dose which is 39.35 percent of the total Chonburi population. Of those, 107,705 are 608 groups which is 29.11 percent of those in these risk groups in Chonburi.

The district-level new cases were as follows today:

Mueang Chonburi 152, Si Racha 103, Banglamung (Pattaya) 100, Panat Nikhom 16, Sattahip 42, Ban Bueng 26, Phan Thong 42, ฺBor Thong 2, Ko Chan 8, Nong Yai 3, and 54 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, 44 cases
  2. Cluster, Bridgestone Tire Manufacturing company in Phan Thong, 4 cases
  3. Cluster, Fujitsu General company in Si Racha, 3 cases
  4. Risky occupations meeting many people, 21 cases
  5. 16 medical personnel
  6. 8 back from other provinces from Bangkok (3), Chachoengsao (1), Chianng Mai (1), Nakhon Nayok (1), Buriram (1), and Yasothorn (1)
  7. Close contacts from previously confirmed cases in families – 136 cases, in workplaces –51 cases, close personal contacts – 53 cases, and joined a party – 6 cases
  8. Close contacts of a confirmed patient (under investigation), 9 cases
  9. 197 cases close contacts of a confirmed patient (under investigation)