lördag 12 mars 2022

Covid19 vaccination update

 

kl. Inga kommentarer:

Bangkok doctor warns of healthcare collapse if Covid-19 is not dealt with | A Bangkok professor at Chulalongkorn’s Faculty of Medicine warns that Thailand’s economy isn’t strong enough to handle Covid-19 if the situation gets out of hand. He noted that Thailand’s economy is weaker than the economies of European countries. Thaiger / The Nation

Bangkok doctor warns of healthcare collapse if Covid-19 is not dealt with

A Bangkok professor at Chulalongkorn's Faculty of Medicine warns that Thailand's economy isn't strong enough to handle Covid-19 if the situation gets out of hand. He noted that Thailand's economy is weaker than the economies of European countries.

"With fewer economic resources than wealthy countries, the impact of the outbreak will be too tough to handle".

Several healthcare resources in Thailand have been overwhelmed by Covid-19 patients in recent weeks. At least 3,500 Thais couldn't access home health services after over 70,000 people called the national Covid-19 hotline, overwhelming the system. Now, the National Health Security Office is rushing to mail the anti-viral drug Favipiravir to Thais who couldn't access services before. But officials say it will take at least five days to arrive for patients who don't have severe symptoms.

Hospitals are burdened with a shortage of Favipiravir. The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation said there is enough Favipiravir for public demand, and 60 million tablets are in production. It said 24 million are in stock. In February, an annoyed Public Health Ministry secretary warned patients on Thursday that the medicine Favipiravir is "not a snack".

SOURCE: Nation Thailand





kl. Inga kommentarer:

The Chonburi Department of Public Health announced 1203 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 today with one new death, March 12th, 2022. Pattaya News

Chonburi announces 1,203 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 and one new death

Highlights:

  • 1,203 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Chonburi today

  • 3,885 positive ATK (rapid antigen) 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. TPN notes, however, that second confirmed tests are no longer mandatory except for high-risk groups.

  • 1,133 (PCR) and 1,930 (ATK) recovered and were released from medical care

  • One new death

The Chonburi Department of Public Health announced 1203 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 today with one new death, March 12th, 2022.

This makes a total of 53,386 cases (PCR) and 56,333 cases (ATK) of Covid-19 in the current round of infections, with 10,916 (PCR) and 24,663 (ATK) people still under medical care/supervision, and with a total of 85 recorded deaths in Chonburi since the start of this recent round of infections at the beginning of this year, January 2022.

Additionally, 1,133 (PCR) and 1,930(ATK) people were also released and recovered yesterday in Chonburi. 42,385 (PCR) and 31,670 (ATK) 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.

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

The one new death was 72 with personal health problems and pre-existing conditions. ฺThe person received one dose of the Covid -19 vaccine.

In total, 2,005,491 people in Pattaya and Chonburi have received their first dose of a Covid -19 vaccine which is 86.11 percent of the total Chonburi population. Of those, 305,702 have received their first dose and are what the Thai government calls 608 groups (elders, have chronic health problems, and pregnant) which is 82.64 percent of those in these risk groups in Chonburi.

872,316 people have received their triple dose which is 37.45 percent of the total Chonburi population. Of those, 154,164 are 608 groups which are 41.79 percent of those in these risk groups in Chonburi.

The district-level new cases were as follows today:

Mueang Chonburi 225, Si Racha 362, Banglamung (Pattaya) 250, Panat Nikhom 22, Sattahip 88, Ban Bueng 80, Phan Thong 51, ฺBor Thong 12, Ko Chan 15, Nong Yai 3, and 95 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, 78 cases
  2. Cluster, Fujitsu General company in Si Racha, 9 cases
  3. Risky occupations meeting many people, 46 cases
  4. 32 medical personnel
  5. 6 back from other provinces from Bangkok (3), Khon Kaen (1), Prachuap Khiri Khan (1), Prachinburi (1)
  6. Close contacts from previously confirmed cases in families – 285 cases, in workplaces –137 cases, close personal contacts – 80 cases, and joined a party – 2 case
  7. Close contacts of a confirmed patient (under investigation), 53 cases
  8. 475 cases close contacts of a confirmed patient (under investigation)





kl. Inga kommentarer:

Can we say good-riddance to the Thailand Pass on July 1? Thailand’s 2 year journey of restrictions and demonising of the Covid-19 virus will continue, in the Health Minister’s own words, even after the magic July 1 date. But anyone expecting July 1 to arrive, and then a magical lifting of all the red-tape and nonsense of the Thailand Pass, will be sadly mistaken. Be assured there will be ‘zones’, ‘precautions’ and ‘appropriate travel restrictions’ (the minister’s own words). | Thaiger

Can we say good-riddance to the Thailand Pass on July 1?

OPINION

"Hopefully, and essentially, there has to be a radical Thailand Pass-ectomy."

July 1 seems so far away as the rest of the world has moved on and opened up, with many SE Asian destinations also dispensing with many of their Covid-arrival procedures already, or in the next month.

Whilst the rest of the world has established new travel lanes and travel bubbles, Thailand remains in a time bubble, stuck mid-2021 in a pre-Omicron world of curfews, restrictions and incoming travellers treated like extras in The Andromeda Strain (a 1971 sci-fi B-grade movie about a viral pandemic).

Travellers arriving in Thailand are still welcomed by the completely unnecessary vista of awaiting PPE-clad officials with their swabs and checklists. After being whisked through immigration they continue in their escorted isolation to a pre-paid SHA+ hotel to have their also-pre-paid PCR test.

They then live in hope for a negative test, after reading hundreds of horror stories from people that didn't receive the news they were hoping for, and ended up whisked away to alternative quarantine accommodation, at their expense, or the joy of spending another 9 or so days at the SHA+ hotel they had only selected because it was the cheapest option for the first night stay (in a location they never really wanted to stay).

But July 1 is now the D-Day where the Covid clouds will apparently part to reveal the sunshine and cool breezes of Thailand's post-covid world, if you believe all the hoopla from Thailand's health and tourism tzars.

On Wednesday, Thailand's National Communicable Disease Committee approved Thailand's Public Health Ministry plans to classify Covid-19 as an endemic disease, starting on July 1… "if things go according to plan".

Covid, a coronavirus, eagerly awaits the orders and dates from Thailand's CCSA before it then assembles to plan the next phase of 'its' pandemic.

"To be able to be classified as an endemic disease, the death ratio must not exceed 1 in 1000 people infected, or 0.1%. The current death rate is from 0.2% to 0.25%."

Today in Thailand, there were another official 24,592 Covid infections reported in the past 24 hours and 68 Covid-related deaths. There will also be 40,000+ unofficial results from positive ATK test, if the numbers follow the trends from the past few weeks.

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says that the July 1 plan is "based on the principle that the good health of the people and the national economy must go together".

Now Thailand is scurrying to ready its vaccination management, medical services for infected people, Covid monitoring and screening measures, prevention and containment of the disease, appropriate travel restrictions and legal measures (whatever that means).

"Despite all these measures, life should be as normal as possible while the economy is recovering."

"Even if Covid becomes an endemic disease, the population may still be required to wear face masks, avoid group gatherings, wash their hands often, undergo rapid antigen tests and get vaccinated."

So Thailand's 2 year journey of restrictions and demonising of the Covid-19 virus will continue, in the Health Minister's own words, even after the magic July 1 date.

So what, exactly, will change on July 1, 2022?

Hopefully, and essentially, there has to be a radical Thailand Pass-ectomy. The system, designed to upload related medical and travel information for incoming travellers, has been beset with problems – phishing, security leaks, hotel scams, horror stories of families being separated, email scams. And it's been expensive. Far from adding a layer of trust in the Thailand brand, it's done the exact opposite, social media has seen to that.

There has also been thousands of travellers coming to Thailand at this difficult time and having a fantastic experience. They have been in the vast majority. But the thousands of high-profile and well-publicised  Thailand Pass-related disasters have done nothing to enhance the reputation of Thailand's tourism and hospitality industry.

The Thailand Pass has done a lot more bad than good and it simply needs to be wiped off Thailand's tourism map before any meaningful advance can be made to recover the fragile tourist industry – an industry we're oft reminded contributes up to 20% of Thailand's annual GDP.

But anyone expecting July 1 to arrive, and then a magical lifting of all the red-tape and nonsense of the Thailand Pass, will be sadly mistaken. Be assured there will be 'zones', 'precautions' and 'appropriate travel restrictions' (the minister's own words). Thailand may well be opening up but the Government seems obsessed with maintaining a high level of 'precautions' which everyone else now reads as 'inconveniences'. 

The tourism recovery for Thailand is going to be difficult enough as we emerge into some sort of post-Covid world. We've now got a real war underway in Ukraine, a new Cold War between the US and China and US and Russia, soaring oil prices, inflation. Etc. Flights to Thailand will be more expensive for at least the rest of 2022.

That Thai authorities seem to be approaching the July 1 date with such unrealistic caution is dragging out Thailand's economic recovery and allowing regional competitors to steal the show and capture the dribble of international travellers.

In the next month Vietnam and Malaysia say they are opening up again with few, if any, inbound precautions. The Philippines are already open with a single PCR test before your departure. Cambodia is also already open with an ATK test on arrival. On the other hand Thailand sticks with its Thailand Pass, its litany of 'victims', ongoing approval delays and digital confusion – at least until July 1 and maybe beyond.

But Thailand insists it is considering abolishing the mandatory Covid insurance (currently US$20,000, down from from US$50,000 on February 1). "Considering".

The Philippines still insists on insurance worth at least US$35,000, the Cambodian government website has no compulsory cover for tourists (although some are required to have a 'Covid' bond of US$2,000) and Malaysia does not require mandatory insurance in its latest announcements.

So pardon us if we can't get too excited about July 1. But we are excited about an imminent Thailand Pass-ectomy and a swift recovery from this poorly considered digital mess.

Meanwhile, the coronavirus is grateful that the Thai government has decided when 'it' can be endemic.






kl. Inga kommentarer:
Prenumerera på: Inlägg (Atom)