The Chonburi Public Health Office today (December 30th) has announced in total 8 locally spread cases of the Covid-19 Omicron variant infection with 20 imported cases. Pattaya News

Chonburi announces total of 8 locally spread Omicron Covid -19 confirmed cases, 20 imported

The Chonburi Public Health Office today (December 30th) has announced in total 8 locally spread cases of the Covid-19 Omicron variant infection with 20 imported cases.

Thursday, 30 December 2021, 20:06

Chonburi –

1. All twenty of the imported cases of the Covid-19 Omicron variant infection were found from the test and go and sandbox project. Nineteen of them were confirmed since the first day of their arrival/first test and are being treated and quarantined in hotels in Banglamung. One of them is in a hotel in Si Racha and was confirmed on their second test and their contacts are being traced.
2. Eight local cases of the Covid-19 Omicron variant infection were found from random tests on confirmed Covid-19 cases in Banglamung, showing that the variant, which is highly transmissible but appears to be milder than the Delta variant in terms of symptoms, according to preliminary, non-peer-reviewed studies from countries like South Africa and the UK, is spreading in the region.  TPN media notes that these were random tests, which means that the actual number of Omicron cases is likely understated as not every recent case has been examined on an individual basis for type.
3. Thai officials from the Department of Public Health have stated they continue to monitor the situation and while they have addressed statements from some countries about the variant potentially being milder, they also have expressed concerns for its high transmissibility and Thailand's relatively low double vaccination rate, roughly 64% of the total population. As a result, the current goal is to "slow" the transmission of the variant as much as possible.  However, New Year's events will be allowed to continue as of press time and as of now no restrictions or further mitigation measures have been announced in Chonburi.

Thailand records 194 more COVID-19 Omicron cases on Wednesday | Omicron variant infections in Thailand increased by 194 yesterday (Wednesday), to 934. Dr. Supakit Sirilak, director-general of the Medical Sciences Department, said today (Thursday) that the new cases include 88 foreign arrivals and that the rest are locally-acquired infections. Thai PBS World.

Thailand records 194 more COVID-19 Omicron cases on Wednesday

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Omicron variant infections in Thailand increased by 194 yesterday (Wednesday), to 934.

Dr. Supakit Sirilak, director-general of the Medical Sciences Department, said today (Thursday) that the new cases include 88 foreign arrivals and that the rest are locally-acquired infections.

He noted that locally-transmitted cases will have a tendency to spike faster than cases involving travellers from abroad, as arrivals are slowing.

He also said that the Omicron variant has now spread through all 13 Area Health zones in Thailand.

Area Health zones constitute the administrative structure of the Ministry of Public Health, which groups 4-8 provinces, with populations between 3 and 6 million, into one Area Health zone.

Meanwhile, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul sent an urgent letter today to the Public Health Permanent Secretary, instructing him to order all public health agencies to comply strictly with measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Omicron variant in particular, and to encourage the unvaccinated to get inoculated quickly.

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Interior ordered the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and provincial governors nationwide to urge businesses to follow the COVID free setting measure strictly during the long New Year break and implored members of the public to avoid visiting crowded areas.

Vaccination update December 30th.

 

Prime Minister General Prayut instructed governors to be more vigilant with Covid prevention measures in their cities during the New Year period. If there is a spike in the daily number of Covid cases after 15 days of assessing period, more restriction measures will be applied, he said. Thai Enquirer



Translation 'If drunk drive slowly'. ASEAN NOW

 



2021: The year Thailand walked a COVID tightrope of hope and horror. To the disappointment of all Thais, 2021 has been another year of COVID-19 outbreaks. Despite an accelerating mass vaccination drive across the country, the end of the pandemic is not in sight yet. PBS World

To the disappointment of all Thais, 2021 has been another year of COVID-19 outbreaks. Despite an accelerating mass vaccination drive across the country, the end of the pandemic is not in sight yet.

The first day of 2021 brought 194 new COVID-19 infections in Thailand – high enough to scare people back then. Thais started the year complaining loudly about the impact of lockdowns, an ongoing ban on international visitors, and the lack of vaccines.

However, worse was to come. The COVID-19 crisis deepened through the first nine months of 2021, hardship for millions.

Variant after variant

Early in the year, Thailand was rocked by its second wave of infections – but this was just a ripple compared to the tsunami of Alpha and Delta infections to come.

In early April, new cases were rising by several hundred per day. Two weeks later, the daily rate of infections had soared to more than 1,000 fuelled by the Songkran holiday. Scientists quickly confirmed the new wave was being driven by Alpha, a variant more contagious and deadlier than the original strain. Within weeks, it had become the dominant strain in Thailand.

Then came Delta, and the worse health crisis Thailand has faced so far during the pandemic. Even more virulent, it rapidly dethroned Alpha, claiming hundreds of lives per day at its height. By the middle of July, infections had soared above 10,000 per day and the daily death toll rose past 100 for the first time.

With hospital ICUs swamped and ventilators in short supply, reports emerged of people dying on the street from COVID-19.

In late August, the Public Health Ministry introduced home isolation to ease the burden on medical facilities and prioritize emergency treatment of seriously ill patients.

In the year up to September 30, about 1.6 million people caught COVID-19 and more than 16,000 died of the disease in Thailand. Most of these cases were reported from the second quarter onward.

Reversing trend?

As mass vaccination gained momentum, COVID-19 infections began to drop. By October, deaths per day had fallen below 100 and new infections below 10,000 for the first time in weeks.

Lockdown measures were eased significantly towards year-end, spurring optimism and the resumption of daily routines like shopping, dining out and catching up with friends in person. Holidays were planned, while offices and venues reopened for business.

Thousands of schools also resumed on-site learning, confident that most students aged over 12 had been jabbed against COVID-19 by late 2021.

By December 29, daily infections had dropped to 2,575 with only 17 deaths.

Omicron emerges

The respite looks set to be short-lived, though, thanks to the arrival of the most infectious strain of novel coronavirus yet seen.

On November 26, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated Omicron as the latest variant of concern. Flagging the danger of celebrating over the festive period, it warned: "An event canceled is better than a life canceled."

Omicron contains a large number of mutations and is, therefore, more resistant to vaccines than other variants. BioNTech, the maker of Pfizer vaccine, has confirmed that its jab is significantly less effective against the new variant. Omicron was also found to be far more transmissible than Delta. And contrary to initial speculation, it can still be fatal – though the risk of hospitalization appears to be lower than from Delta.

Following the WHO's advice, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has canceled festive events, including midnight prayers scheduled for New Year's Eve.

Brace for new surge

Private-sector New Year celebrations will still inject a festive mood, but deep down, Thais are now bracing for another COVID-19 surge.

As of Dec 29, more than 700 Omicron cases had been detected in Thailand, most of them imported.

The Public Health Ministry has raised the alarm, urging people to double down on COVID precautions. With that advice came an ominous warning: Omicron could trigger another wave of COVID-19 rising to 30,000 infections per day in a worst-case scenario.

By Thai PBS World's General Desk

BANGKOK, Dec 29 (TNA) – A renowned virologist predicts Omicron will be the dominant variant of COVID-19 worldwide in a few months and Thailand may face its 5th wave of the disease after the New Year holiday. Prof Dr Yong Poovorawan, chief of the Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology at Chulalongkorn University, said the country already experienced four waves of COVID-19 in 2021. TNA

Expert: Omicron to Be Globally Dominant in 1-2 Months

BANGKOK, Dec 29 (TNA) – A renowned virologist predicts Omicron will be the dominant variant of COVID-19 worldwide in a few months and Thailand may face its 5^th wave of the disease after the New Year holiday.

Prof Dr Yong Poovorawan, chief of the Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology at Chulalongkorn University, said the country already experienced four waves of COVID-19 in 2021.

He said that his center found 40-50 Omicron cases out of 96 cases it received for examination. The rate showed that the Omicron variant spread fast. Without public cooperation on disease control, caseloads would soar and the country would face the 5^th COVID-19 wave after the New Year holiday, he warned.

Prof Dr Yong said that the Omicron could avoid antibodies and most Omicron cases had been fully vaccinated. However, hospital admission was low among them compared with Delta cases, showing that Omicron was less severe than Delta, he said. He did not determine whether the less severity resulted from vaccination or the nature of the Omicron variant.

To cope with Omicron, people needed their third and booster shot of COVID-19 vaccine without having to wait six months after the second shot. Antibodies would be high in the first three months after inoculation and start to decline afterwards, he said.

Antibodies would increase by 100 times and 200 times with the third shot being viral vector and mRNA vaccines respectively, Prof Dr Yong said. (TNA)



Bangkok Extends Closure of Entertainment Venues Until January 15. An extension to the closure of the venues that were indicated in the BMA announcement on November 29, 2021. The extension will be in effect until January 15, 2022, or until further notice. ASEAN NOW / NNT



 

BANGKOK (NNT) - The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) will extend the temporary closure of entertainment venues until January 15 to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang has issued an announcement of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration on Orders of Temporary Closure of Premises (No. 48), stating that the Governor of Bangkok, with the approval of the BMA Committee on the Communicable Diseases as stated in the Meeting Resolution No. 34/2564 dated 15th December 2021, will enforce these orders as follows:

 

1. An extension to the closure of the venues that were indicated in the BMA announcement on November 29, 2021. The extension will be in effect until January 15, 2022, or until further notice.

 

2. New Year activities and events which include the gathering of large groups of people must follow the BMA announcement in regards to venues and events that are specially allowed for the New Year holiday, which was announced on December 17, 2021. Violators will be charged under section 51 of the Communicable Diseases Act B.E 2558 (2015) and will be sentenced to one year in prison, or a 20,000 baht fine, or both. They could also be guilty of violating section 18 of the Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations B.E. 2548 (2005), with punishment up to 2 years in prison or a 40,000 baht fine, or both.

 

The BMA stated that these orders are an urgent necessity and that any delay may cause considerable damage to any individual or affect the public interest. Therefore, litigants shall not be granted the opportunity to object under section 30 paragraph two (1) of the Administrative Procedure Act, B.E. 2539. (1996). The announcement was made on December 29, 2021.