Thailand News - Corona - By Ola J.

fredag 8 april 2022

CCSA to decide on ending RT-PCR testing of foreign arrivals after Songkran. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Friday postponed its decision on stopping RT-PCR tests on foreign arrivals until after the long Songkran holidays. The Nation

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Friday postponed its decision on stopping RT-PCR tests on foreign arrivals until after the long Songkran holidays.

CCSA spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin said the CCSA meeting resolved that it would wait to see the infection ratio after the Songkran holidays before deciding on whether to approve the proposal of the Public Health Ministry to end the mandatory RT-PCR test.

The CCSA convened its meeting on Friday to mainly consider the proposal of the Public Health Ministry, which echoed the calls of tourism and hospitality operators for ending RT-PCR tests on foreign arrivals to further boost tourism.

"The CCSA agrees with the proposal in principle, but it has not approved it yet," Taweesilp said.

"The CCSA will first wait to see the results of the Covid prevention measures during the Songkran holidays. We will wait to see whether Thais will cooperate with the measures to minimise the new infections or not."

The Centre for Tourism and Sports Emergency Administration also proposed that the CCSA reduce the documents required for seeking entry approval via the Thailand Pass website and to reduce the insurance coverage to US$20,000.

"All the proposals have not been approved, but the CCSA just agreed with them in principle," Taweesilp emphasised, after Deputy Public Health Minister Sathit Pitutecha came out of the meeting room and told reporters that the RT-PCR proposal had been approved.

Sathit said the proposal would make it more convenient for foreign tourists to visit Thailand. He said the RT-PCR test would be irrelevant now that infections in the country have come to a manageable level and local people also used rapid antigen test kits (ATKs) to test themselves.

Regarding self-testing by Thais using ATKs, Taweesilp said the CCSA was informed of the progress of the policy initiated by the National Health Security Office (NHSO).

He said the NHSO has distributed 22.8 million kits to public health offices around the country for people in risk groups to test themselves. So far, 3.1 million kits have been used on 1.2 million people and 2.3 per cent of them had tested positive.

The CCSA spokesman said the ATKs on average cost THB55 per kit. So far, the NHSO has received a THB170 million budget for buying the kits.

He said the meeting was informed that Siriraj Hospital is now working with two private firms to make ATKs costing about THB40 per kit and they can make about 200,000 kits a month.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha then suggested that the Government Pharmaceutical Organization should help the programme so that one million ATKs could be produced per month, the spokesman added.

Published : April 08, 2022

By : THE NATION

The Chonburi Department of Public Health announced 1,542 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 today with three new deaths, on April 7th, 2022. Pattaya News

Chonburi announces 1,542 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 and three new deaths

Thursday, 7 April 2022, 14:49

Highlights:

1,542 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Chonburi today
5,833 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.
1,390 (PCR) and 5,378 (ATK) recovered and were released from medical care
Three new deaths

The Chonburi Department of Public Health announced 1,542 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 today with three new deaths, on April 7th, 2022.

This makes a total of 86,686 cases (PCR) and 203,161 cases (ATK) of Covid-19 in the current round of infections, with 12,868 (PCR) and 68,328 (ATK) people still under medical care/supervision, and with a total of 165 recorded deaths in Chonburi since the start of this recent round of infections at the beginning of this year, January 2022.

Additionally, 1,390 (PCR) and 5,378 (ATK) people were also released and recovered yesterday in Chonburi. 73,653 (PCR) and 134,833 (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.

Seven people were listed as being in serious condition in Chonburi currently, either on a ventilator or with pneumonia. Four of them were not vaccinated. According to the Chonburi Department of Public Health, the vast majority of recent cases are mild or asymptomatic at 99.743 percent.

The three new deaths were aged 44, 57, and 101 with severe personal health problems and pre-existing conditions. Two of them were vaccinated.

In total, 2,053,340 people in Pattaya and Chonburi have received their first dose of a Covid -19 vaccine which is 88.16 percent of the total Chonburi population. Of those, 307,806 have received their first dose and are what the Thai government calls 608 groups (elders, have chronic health problems, and pregnant) which is 83.21 percent of those in these risk groups in Chonburi.

960,201 people have received their triple dose which is 41.23 percent of the total Chonburi population. Of those, 170,828 are 608 groups which are 46.18 percent of those in these risk groups in Chonburi.

The district-level new cases were as follows today:

Mueang Chonburi 234, Si Racha 448, Banglamung (Pattaya) 429, Panat Nikhom 10, Sattahip 151, Ban Bueng 72, Phan Thong 62, ฺBor Thong 7, Ko Chan 3, Nong Yai 4, Ko Sichang 2, and 120 people transferred from other provinces for medical care.

The district-level new cases were as follows today:

Work and stayed in Rayong, transferred from other provinces for medical care, 93 cases
Cluster, Thai NOK in Mueang Chonburi, 4 cases
Risky occupations meeting many people, 38 cases
40 medical personnel
2 back from Sisaket and Chanthaburi
Close contacts from previously confirmed cases in families – 320 cases, in workplaces –68 cases, and close personal contacts – 83 cases
Close contacts of a confirmed patient (under investigation), 54 cases
840 cases of close contacts with a confirmed patient (under investigation)

🔴 #COVID19 update on Friday ⬇️ 25,140 new cases ⬇️ 89 deaths ⬆️ 248,254 active cases ⬆️ 1,899 serious cases. Richard Battlw

torsdag 7 april 2022

Thailand mulls easing Covid test rules for overseas visitors. Thailand will consider scrapping a mandatory polymerase chain reaction test on arrival for foreign visitors as the country further relaxes its visa rules to attract tourists. Bangkok Post

Thailand mulls easing Covid test rules for overseas visitors

A Chao Phraya Express boat travels along the Chao Phraya River as the sun sets in Bangkok on Monday. (AFP photo)

Thailand will consider scrapping a mandatory polymerase chain reaction test on arrival for foreign visitors as the country further relaxes its visa rules to attract tourists.

The Public Health Ministry will propose replacing the RT-PCR tests with a rapid antigen test, Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters on Thursday.

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration will consider the relaxation at a meeting on Friday, he said.

Visitors to Thailand currently need to pre-book a RT-PCR test along with a one-night hotel accommodation to secure a visa. Hotel operators say the rules are a major dampener for travelers to the country.

Under the proposed rules, visitors may undergo the rapid antigen tests at the airport or any other designated venues starting May 1, government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said in a statement Thursday.

Thailand was among the first tourism-reliant nations to end quarantine requirements for inoculated visitors and this month waived a pre-travel Covid test mandate, but arrival numbers have failed to meet expectations.

The Thai Hotels Association and the Federation of Thai Industries want the government to end the so-called Test & Go visa programme to stimulate the economy.

The average daily foreign arrivals to Suvarnabhumi airport jumped 66% to 11,623 so far in April from a month earlier after the government withdrew a pre-travel Covid test requirement, Mr Thanakorn said, adding inbound travel will pick up pace in the coming months to aid faster recovery of the tourism sector.

Mr Anutin said the government may further ease Covid restrictions if the annual Songkran holidays to mark the Thai New Year don't trigger a spike in new cases.

New daily infections may jump to 50,000-60,000 as people travel and hold family gatherings starting next week, the ministry warned earlier this week.

Thailand reported 26,081 new Covid infections and 91 deaths on Thursday, according to the ministry.

Thailand News - Corona - By Ola J. - Palmtree