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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004729

21,157 new cases, 187 deaths mark another record day for Thailand

Thailand logged 21,157 new cases and 182 deaths over a 24-hour period on Monday.

Of the 21,157 new cases, 658 are in prisons.

Meanwhile, 20,984 patients have recovered and been discharged over the past 24 hours.

Since the epidemic kicked off last year, Thailand has had 928,314 Covid-19 cases, 709,646 of whom have recovered, 210,934 are still in hospitals and 7,734 have died.

Separately, another 117,620 people were given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, 35,804 their second shot, and 9,087 their third shot, bringing the total Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in Thailand to 23,592,227.

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According to Worldometer, as of 10am on Monday, confirmed cases globally had risen to 208 million, 186.47 million of whom have recovered, 17.16 million are active cases (106,686 in severe condition) and 4.37 million have died (up by 8,095).

Thailand ranks 35th on the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 37.47 million, followed by India with 32.26 million, Brazil with 20.36 million, Russia with 6.60 million and France with 6.47 million.

Published : August 16, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004728

Failing health after Covid-19 forces Samut Sakhon governor to quit

Samut Sakhon governor announced in a Facebook post on Sunday that he was stepping down as he is not strong enough to do his job after recovering from Covid-19.

Writing under the pseudonym “Sakravee Srisangdharma”, Veerasak Vichitsangsri said: “People have been asking why I don’t transfer to another province. And though I have applied, my request has been ignored. I am not able to travel, and my body has not been the same since I was discharged from Siriraj Hospital. Now I get tired easily, start coughing, sneezing, have a runny nose and difficulty breathing.” 

The governor said his doctor has put his failing health down to stress and lack of rest, but he said he could not avoid that due to his job. He said he had asked for a transfer owing to health issues, but his request was denied due to “internal politics”. 

“My dream of working for the government until retirement has come to an end because I have been working too hard. My seniors who had promised to help don’t seem to be doing anything. After my name was not included in the transfer orders, my doctor suggested I resign,” he said. 

“My daughter is concerned about my health and reminds me that I have only one more year left in this job, but many years to live after that. Therefore, my mental and physical health should be my top priority. This situation also reminds me of an old Thai proverb: ‘They will use me when I’m good, but [won’t] treat me when I’m sick’,” he said. 

Veerasak said he decided nearly a week ago that he would hand in his resignation on Monday. “I cannot fight anymore. I’m done. It’s over,” the governor said. 

His resignation is expected to be effective from the end of September, after which he will head back to his hometown of Ang Thong.

Published : August 16, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004727

Covid jabs don’t provide full protection

Despite being inoculated, young and healthy people can still get very sick from Covid-19 and can potentially transmit the virus to vulnerable individuals like the elderly.

It’s on you to protect them by wearing a mask at home or in their presence.
 

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Covid jabs don’t provide full protection

Published : August 16, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004717

Thailand Cultural Centre marks 75th Indian independence day

The Thailand Cultural Centre in Bangkok was lit up in the colours of the Indian national flag to celebrate the 75th Independence Day of India, the Facebook page of the Embassy of India in Bangkok said on Sunday.

August 15 is marked as the country’s independence from British rule in 1947.

India retained King George VI as head of state until its transition to a full republic, when the nation adopted the Constitution of India on January 26, 1950.

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Thailand Cultural Centre marks 75th Indian independence day

Published : August 16, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004716

GPO procuring 8.5 million antigen test kits this month

The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) is going ahead with the procurement of 8.5 million sets of antigen test kits (ATKs) to ensure they will be delivered by August-end, while assuring of transparency in the bidding process.

Sirinut Cheewanphisannukul, GPO deputy director, said the purchase was in line with the National Health Security Office (NHSO)’s terms of reference (TOR), stating that ATKs do not have to pass the World Health Organisation’s standards.

She said the GPO, the NHSO and Rajavithi Hospital had improved some details in the TOR to ensure that high-quality ATKs, which are in line with Thai Food and Drug Administration’s standards, will be delivered by August.

She added that the GPO would purchase the ATKs as per the agency’s procurement regulations, as the NHSO and Rajavithi Hospital had not specified any ATK brands, while there were many ATK vendors who had participated in the bidding.

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GPO procuring 8.5 million antigen test kits this month

On August 10, the GPO asked 19 of the 24 ATK vendors to participate in bidding for the contract to purchase 8.5 million sets of ATKs.

Ostland Capital’s “Sars-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Test Kit” has been offered at a price lower than the budget set by the NHSO, saving more than THB400 million. The price of each test kit under the purchase contract is about THB70 [including VAT].

Published : August 16, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004715

Inquiry ordered into rumours of non-target groups getting Pfizer vaccine in Surin

The Department of Disease Control (DDC) has asked local health agencies to check if people not in the government’s target group had been inoculated with the Pfizer vaccines distributed in Surin province.

The US government has donated 1.5 million doses of Pfizer vaccine to Thailand, and the vaccine has already been distributed to all areas of the country, for vaccinating people in target groups, such as frontline medics, elders and pregnant women, some foreigners and those needing to leave the country.

An online report had drawn attention to Pfizer jabs being given to people not in the target group.

In response, DDC director-general Dr Opas Kankawinpong on Sunday said that the communicable disease control committee of the province or others would investigate the issue if they are reported.

He also explained that the committee’s findings would be reported to the Ministry of Public Health, which was directly related to the donated vaccine.

Published : August 16, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004700

Isolated heavy rains forecast for the North and South’s west coast

The Thailand Meteorological Department said on Monday that southeasterly winds are blowing across the Gulf of Thailand, the East and the lower Northeast while the southwest monsoon prevails over the Andaman Sea, Thailand and the Gulf of Thailand.

Thundershowers are forecast for all regions with isolated heavy rains in the North and the South’s west coast.

Waves 1-2 metres high and more than two metres high during thundershowers are expected in the Andaman Sea and the upper Gulf of Thailand. All ships should proceed with caution during thundershowers, the department said.

The weather forecast for the next 24 hours:

North: Thundershowers in 70 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 23-24 degrees Celsius, highs of 29-34°C.

Northeast: Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 23-24°C, highs of 30-34°C.

Central: Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 24-25°C, highs of 32-34°C.

East: Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 23-26°C, highs of 29-34°C; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.

South (east coast): Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 23-25°C, highs of 29-32°C; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.

South (west coast): Thundershowers in 70 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 19-24°C, highs of 29-33°C; waves 1-2 metres high and over two metres during thundershowers.

Bangkok and surrounding areas: Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 25-27°C, highs of 31-34°C.

Source: Thailand Meteorological Department

Published : August 16, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004693

Medical expert suggests intradermal inoculation to multiply vaccine usage

A medical expert has proposed intradermal inoculation to multiply the use of available vaccine stock in Thailand.

Dr Thirawat Hemajuta, chief of Chulalongkorn University’s Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases, made the suggestion on his personal Facebook page.

He said intradermal vaccination will create equality, which means if there are 10 million vaccine doses available, it will instantly become 50 million without any difficulty in injection.

He said a study in the Netherlands had showed that intradermal Moderna vaccination was as effective with one-fifth or one-tenth of the dose used for intramuscular injection.

In Thailand, there is already information about intradermal vaccination and it is done in many institutions.

The research team at the Emerging Infectious Diseases centre is now testing the method. Initial studies have already been done and have shown similar results with much lesser side-effects.

Intradermal injection will radically increase vaccine availability for Thai people within three months based on the number of vaccines currently available, said Dr Thirawat.

Published : August 15, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004692

Majority of people believe mastermind behind Aug 7 protests: Nida Poll

More than half the respondents of a Nida Poll think there was a mastermind behind the protest by the Free Youth group on August 7, while more than 10 per cent were not interested in the event.

The poll by the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) was conducted from August 9-11 and surveyed 1,318 people aged 18 years and over, across regions, education levels and occupations. The data was collected via telephone interviews, based on simple random sampling method.

When asked if there was someone behind the Free Youth rally on August 7:

• 51.74 per cent said they believed there was someone behind it;
• 36.04 per cent said they did not believe there was a mastermind;
• 12.22 per cent were indifferent/didn’t answer/don’t care. 

When asked about their opinion on the protest by the Free Youth group on August 7: 

• 26.18 per cent said they strongly agreed as it was a freedom of expression to claim rights and justice in a democratic way. They said the country would be able to move forward with improvement as the government has failed to do so, while some people said they disagreed with the use of violence and the protest should have adhered to the principle of peace;
• 19.19 per cent said they fairly agreed as the protest was a call for the government to realise the people’s problems, but disagreed on the use of violence in the rally;
• 16.77 per cent said they did not quite agree, as it caused violent chaos and there should have been better methods than holding the protest, while some said it could cause Covid-19 clusters;
• 35.43 per cent said they disagreed because it was inappropriate and caused a chaotic situation in the country, while some people said the protest would worsen the virus outbreak situation;
• 2.43 per cent were indifferent/didn’t answer/don’t care.

Published : August 15, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004691

Justice Ministry rushes production of Thai herb in demand to treat Covid

The Justice Ministry on Sunday instructed the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) to repair an amphetamine-making machine to produce Fah Talai Jone (Andrographis paniculata) tablets in a bid to tackle shortage.

Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin explained that the ministry had earlier instructed prisons nationwide to grow Fah Talai Jone, a well-known medicinal plant in Thailand, in their area to produce drugs for treating Covid-19 patients.

He expected the Department of Corrections to produce approximately 4 million Fah Talai Jone capsules in August.

“As the current production may not meet the demand in the future, we have instructed the ONCB to repair an amphetamine-making machine that can produce approximately 20,000 tablets per hour as our backup plan,” he said.

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He expected the repair work to be completed on Monday and the Justice Ministry’s pump to be ready on Friday. He added that the ministry would operate the machine using its pump while waiting for a new one.

“We have to be well-prepared for tackling various problems as Fah Talai Jone is accepted by many people as capable of treating Covid-19, while the price of Fah Talai Jone powder may hit THB1,000 per kilogram,” he said.

He added that this move aimed to meet the demand for Fah Talai Jone drugs among inmates and citizens.

The herb has been used traditionally for cold, fever, influenza and bacterial infections. The herb hit the after a study by the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine said that it can help treat Covid-19 patients with mild symptoms and those who are asymptomatic.

Published : August 15, 2021

By : The Nation