lördag 12 mars 2022

🔮 #COVID19 update on Saturday ⬇️ 24,592 new cases ⬆️ 68 deaths ⬆️ 226,151 in care. Richard Barrow



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The top developing news stories in Thailand to follow next week: Thai Covid Center to FINALLY meet about Songkran, Covid restrictions, more. The following is our weekly feature in which we take a look at the top developing stories and things to follow over the next week. We are focusing on what is happening for the third week of March 2022, ending March 19th, 2022. Saturday, 12 March 2022, 6:13. Pattaya News

The following is our weekly feature in which we take a look at the top developing stories and things to follow over the next week. We are focusing on what is happening for the third week of March 2022, ending March 19th, 2022.

Thailand-

As we publish dozens of stories a week, this allows our readers to get a quick glimpse of the most important stories taking place in Thailand and Pattaya and to monitor and follow for the week ahead, as chosen by our editorial team. Let's get right into it with the biggest news of the week and what important stories to follow and look for this week that are likely to see further developments.

1. Thai Covid Center and relevant agencies to meet on Friday, March 18th, about Songkran, travel restrictions, moving Covid to endemic status, and more

It seems this has been our main "Coming Soon" topic for some time, but this is because for several weeks now the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration, or CCSA, has delayed their final decisions on Songkran-related rules, restrictions, and other items. Officially, this delay has not even been acknowledged as a delay and only referred to as rescheduling or finalizing prior agreements. Unofficially, multiple media sources have reported over the past few weeks that the CCSA and the business/tourism/hospitality sector have not seen eye to eye on restrictions, rules, and regulations still in place around Covid-19 as more countries drop or ease nearly all restrictions but Thailand still keeps international travel restrictions like Test and Go and Thailand pass, keeps bars and nightlife legally closed and under stifling temporary rules, and more. As for Songkran, the Thai Prime Minister, Prayut Chan O'Cha, has said it will one hundred percent go ahead and not be essentially canceled as it was in 2020 or whittled down to almost nothing except small religious events and some travel like 2021.  There will be no travel restrictions, people can go home and see their families, take the nearly week off, and celebrate the Thai New Year in mid-April. Songkran is Thailand's biggest holiday and biggest annual migration, like Golden Week or Chinese New Year in other countries. Still questionable, however, are rules and guidelines for the world-famous water fights that come with Songkran and fun activities like concerts, parades, street festivals, shows, and more. However, Prayut has hinted this will not be banned this year, under heavy pressure from the tourism and hospitality sector, and instead focus on health and safety protective rules. This has caused the CCSA to rush to get booster shots and vaccinations for an estimated 2 million elderly and vulnerable, mostly in the Northeast, who remain at-risk. The CCSA has repeatedly said they are not trying to be "party poopers" or "fun police" but have legitimate concerns about the at-risk groups in rural provinces and Covid spreading to these individuals. Tourism areas, like Pattaya and Phuket, are highly vaccinated and have become "used" to Covid, with many daily cases for some time now. Rural provinces, however, only recently have seen many cases of Covid-19, causing many knee-jerk reactions (like an alcohol ban in Khon Kaen) and nervous leaders. Also likely to be discussed at the meeting will be Thailand Pass and Test and Go, which has been under a virtual onslaught from the business sector to just "Get rid of it" and make it easier for tourists to visit.  This is unlikely to change this round, notes TPN media, despite the heavy pressure, as instead, the CCSA focuses on a four-month plan to make Covid-19 endemic and, as usual, move slowly, cautiously, and deliberately….but far too slow for the tourism, hospitality, and business sector. March 18th will be the date to watch and we will be YOUR source for what will be happening. Have a great weekend ahead. Adam and the TPN team.


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fredag 11 mars 2022

New Omicron strain killing hundreds everyday in HK has not reached Thailand – A NEW MUTANT strain of Omicron dubbed BA.2.2 has led to Hong Kong recording the highest death rate in the world but fortunately it has not spread to Thailand, Amarin TV said today (Mar. 11). This variant is unique to Hong Kong but has been seen in the UK, Singapore and Australia, according to Daily Mail. Thai Newsroom

New Omicron strain killing hundreds everyday in HK has not reached Thailand

  TNR Staff

A NEW MUTANT strain of Omicron dubbed BA.2.2 has led to Hong Kong recording the highest death rate in the world but fortunately it has not spread to Thailand, Amarin TV said today (Mar. 11).

This variant is unique to Hong Kong but has been seen in the UK, Singapore and Australia, according to Daily Mail.

Ramathibodi Hospital Mahidol University's Centre for Medical Genomics, Faculty of Medicine, said the spread of the new mutation led to Hong Kong registering the highest death rate in the world. 

While BA. 2.2 has not been found in Thailand, to be on the safe side this centre has started developing a test kit to detect it with this expected to be completed within two weeks.

Hong Kong's average Covid mortality over seven days is 30 per million inhabitants, while in Thailand the rate is  0.85 per million, mostly the elderly and those who have not been vaccinated, with the unvaccinated urged to quickly get jabbed.

Omicron killed 280 people in Hong Kong on Monday, and there's been 450,000 cases since February 15. Before Omicron, the city had only 50,000 since the start of the pandemic.

Of concern is the sharp increase of new Omicron cases in Hong Kong, averaging 5,425 per million inhabitants over seven days. This is close to what second place Latvia recorded, 5,278 per million.

The infection rate in Thailand is 315 people per million.

While Hong Kong's death rate is very high, both Latvia and Thailand where Omicron variants BA.1 and BA.2 have spread but not the new BA. 2.2., the rate is 10.7 and 0.7, respectively.

As Hong Kong's death rate is double that of Latvia it is likely that the new Omicron subspecies is a factor in the spike that sent it soaring to the top of the global Omicron chart.

Meanwhile the Public Health Ministry said this morning that there were 24,792 Covid cases and 63 deaths over the past 24 hours with this taking the cumulative confirmed total since the start of the pandemic to 3,136,649.

Altogether 21,626 people tested positive via ATK and are awaiting confirmation of infection. This total was not added to the daily infection count.

Another 22,065 patients were cured taking total recoveries since the start of the pandemic to  2,890,076 while 222,998 are still undergoing treatment.

Today's 63 fatalities raised the death toll to 23,575.







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Unpopular Thailand Pass entry rules may end - Some neighboring countries are already introducing simplified entry procedures. Thailand is also considering abolition of the mandatory Covid insurance of at least US$20,000, downgraded from US$50,000 last month. Travel agents say that pre-registration on government websites is the biggest drawback to a tourist revival in Thailand. Pattaya Mail

Unpopular Thailand Pass entry rules may end

Barry Kenyon

Beach resorts throughout the region are awaiting the collapse of restricted immigration requirements.

The Thai tourism ministry has indicated that Thailand may simplify the rules of entry as early as July 1. This is the provisional date when Bangkok authorities may reclassify the coronavirus pandemic as an epidemic. The principal advantage would be to end pre-authorization for vacationers and enable them to fly to Thailand armed only with their documents: passport, airticket and a negative pre-flight RT-PCR test result.

Tourist Authority governor Yuthasak Supasorn said that surging oil prices and the invasion of Ukraine had dented earlier predictions that international tourism was about to surge, thus indicating the need for immigration liberalization for short-stay tourists. At present, they must register in advance via the government website, obtain medical insurance, show a pre-flight PCR negative test and book a hotel on arrival for a temporary quarantine of several hours pending a second health check.

Some neighboring countries are already introducing simplified entry procedures. The Philippines require a pre-flight PCR test, but the government website insists only on "self monitoring" for a week after arrival. Cambodia does require an ATK test, taken at the airport on arrival, but claims the process takes only 20 minutes. Malaysia is set to introduce visas on arrival from April 1, with evidence of a pre-flight PCR test and "an ATK test taken within 24 hours of arrival", although the precise bureaucracy is not clear.

Vietnam and Laos are both reviewing their tourist entry procedures, but joining a tour group is the main loophole at present for those wishing to visit. Thailand's land borders with all neighboring countries remain closed for foreign tourists for now, although there are reports of some crossings at Cambodian and Laos entry points. The opening of Thai border posts is believed to be under review to coincide with a projected July 1 liberalization. Insisting on health tests at Thai land frontiers would be a gigantic problem because of the numbers involved.

Thailand is also considering abolition of the mandatory Covid insurance of at least US$20,000, downgraded from US$50,000 last month. Although the Philippines still insists on insurance worth at least US$35,000, the Cambodian government website shows no compulsory cover for tourists (although some are required to have a bond worth US$2,000 in case they catch the disease) and there is no mention of mandatory insurance in the latest Malaysian announcements of intent.

Travel agents say that pre-registration on government websites is the biggest drawback to a tourist revival in Thailand. But the long-distance market is being badly hit by the deteriorating international political situation. The Thai authorities will likely concentrate on short-haul visitors, especially from India, with travel bubbles already on the cards. However, the collapse of Thailand Pass (if it happens) will be welcomed by long-haul fans of Thailand from Britain, mainland Europe, Australia and beyond. Thailand is hoping to reach a 626 billion baht inflow this year from international tourists. Without significant immigration letups, that simply can't happen.







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