The Cabinet gave the go-ahead to another round of the government’s “Khon La Khrueng” (Let’s Go Halves) co-payment scheme on Tuesday.
This move, proposed by the Finance Ministry, will allow 1.34 million people to register for privileges via the website from Wednesday onwards.
The scheme will run until March 31, under which the government will cover 50 per cent of bills for food, drinks and basic necessities of up to Bt150 per day. Total subsidy per person is capped at Bt3,500.
The highest number of new wave Covid-19 infections in Bangkok are in the western area of the city, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) said on Tuesday.
Since December 20, 606 new cases were reported in the capital, most of whom were people who had gone to the hospital with symptoms or suspected they may have caught the virus.
Bangkok’s situation was deemed stable, with only 12 new cases reported on Tuesday and six people who are at risk who have been isolated, CCSA spokesman Taweesin Visanuyothin said.
A map of Bangkok with different districts colour coded to represent the number of patients found. Photo credit: CCSA
Bang Khunthien district, which borders Samut Sakhon province, had the highest number of patients with 106, followed by Bang Khae (27), Bang Phlat (27), Chom Thong (25) and Thonburi (21). Only the only two areas in the west of the city that are free of infections are Samphanthawong and Saphan Sung.
Taweesin said Bangkok still needs to be closely monitored, especially for transmissions between family members.
Six members of staff at Siriraj Hospital tested positive for Covid-19, though they did not work directly with patients.
On Tuesday, Prof Prasit Watanapa of Mahidol University, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, announced that the six patients had contracted the virus near their homes and were now being treated in hospital.
Of the six cases, four had been identified earlier, while two were part of the 50 people facing high risk of infection, who are either being quarantined at home or at sites provided by Siriraj Hospital. Meanwhile, 20 people who face medium risk are also being quarantined.
Prasit added that four other persons facing low-risk of infection have been told to wear a medical mask at all times.
The hospital has sterilised the Adulyadej Vikrom Building where the patients worked.
The new wave of Covid-19 infections is expected to reduce the usage of fuel in 2021 by between 1.9 and 2.9 per cent due to a contraction in transport and tourism industries, said Wattanapong Kurowat, director-general of the Energy Ministry’s Energy Policy and Planning Office (EPPO).
“Total energy usage in 2021 is expected to rise slightly by 0.2 to 1.9 per cent from all types of energy except petrol,” he said. “The usage of natural gas should rise by 0.1-4.1 per cent, coal/lignite by 0.1-0.4 per cent, while the use of renewable energy will jump the highest, by 5 per cent, thanks to the government’s renewable energy promotion campaigns.”
EPPO estimates that airplane fuel will see the biggest drop at 45.8 to 51.5 per cent due to air travel restrictions during the outbreak, while the use of diesel will rise by 0.8-1.3 per cent and benzene/gasohol by 0.3 to 0.8 per cent.
The total usage of LPG, propane and butane in 2021 is expected to drop by 1 to 5.5 per cent. Use of cooking gas will see an increase of 1.1-2.5 per cent, industrial usage up by 1.2-3.6 per cent, though the use of gas for vehicles will contract by 12.2 to 15.8 per cent.
“The total use of electricity in 2021 is estimated at approximately 191 billion units, up 2 per cent year on year following the government’s economic stimulus campaigns,” Wattanapong said.
“However, we still need to keep a close eye on the Covid-19 situation, as well as other factors that could affect energy usage such as global crude oil prices and Covid-19 outbreaks in other countries,” he added.
The Rattanakosin and Old Cities Conservation and Development Committee has approved guidelines to preserve and develop old cities in three provinces, namely Uthai Thani, Trang and Chachoengsao.
The decision was made at a meeting that was presided over by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan on Monday.
In Chachoengsao, conservation and development work will cover fort walls near Bang Pakong River, Wat Sothon Wararam, the city pillar shrine, Phraya Srisoontorn Voharn Monument, a 100-year-old teak house and a market under the Crown Property Bureau.
In Uthai Thani, work will be done on Wat Upostharam, Sakae Krang mountain, the Trok Rong Ya Chin community and a community of floating houses on the Sakae Krang River.
In Trang, conservation and development efforts will cover the governor’s residence, Trang Church, the clock tower, train station and buildings in the Tabtiang historical area.
The committee has also okayed a master plan to preserve and develop old cities in the provinces of Sakhon Nakhon, Ranong, Ratchaburi, Tak and Phrae. These plans will be proposed to the Cabinet soon.
Chonburi health office announced on Tuesday morning that not a single Covid-19 case has been found in the past 24 hours in the province.
However, the office is not convinced the province is free from the virus. Provincial health official, Dr Wichai Dhanasophon, said there may be asymptomatic patients living in the province and its vicinity and the authorities will launch an active hunt for them.
As of Tuesday, the total number of Covid-19 patients from the new wave in Chonburi stood at 647, with 306 in Sri Racha district, 238 in Bang Lamung, 38 in Muang district, 23 in Sattahip, 13 in Ban Bueng, eight in Phanat Nikhom district, one in Ko Sichang and 20 from other provinces.
A network of entertainment venues on Monday submitted a letter to the government calling on it to ease shutdown measures enforced to curb the spread of Covid-19, as well as provide assistance to businesses that have been affected.
Venues such as pubs and bars are on the top of the list of venues ordered shutdown by each province’s communicable diseases committee since the new wave of infections hit Thailand. The temporary shutdown was ordered to prevent new cluster cases.
The proposals presented by the Entertainment Professionals Federation of Thailand are:
• Suspension of debt repayment for professionals in entertainment businesses, including pub and bar owners, concert organisers, musicians, singers and related staff.
• Provision of soft loans to those in entertainment businesses at low or zero interest.
• Permission to open for entertainment venues that have not reported any infections for 28 consecutive days.
The letter, which was handed in by the federation’s president Kathawut Thongthai, was accepted by National Security Council secretary-general General Nattapon Nakpanich, who promised to forward it to relevant agencies.
Chiang Mai is set to reopen its weekend markets and walking streets from Wednesday, now that no new Covid-19 cases have been reported in the province for six consecutive days.
Governor Charoenrit Sanguansat announced on Monday that the provincial communicable disease committee has agreed to relax shutdown measures on weekend markets and walking streets, which have been closed since January 6.
“Organisers, vendors and customers will still have to follow the measures put in place by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration to curb the spread of Covid-19,” the governor said.
Chiang Mai has not reported any new Covid-19 cases for six consecutive days. The number of accumulated confirmed cases in the province stands at 69, 23 of which came from the new wave that surfaced in December.
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) reported 171 new cases on Tuesday, including 13 overseas travellers in quarantine.
Of the returnees, seven are Thai nationals — one from the United States, two from Japan, two from Malaysia, one from United Arab Emirates, and one from United Kingdom.
Six foreigners — a Taiwanese woman, a Belgian man, a Turkish man, two French men and a Czech woman who flew in from their respective nations — also tested positive in quarantine.
Of the new local cases, 33 were exposed to the virus while visiting high-risk areas. The province with the highest number of infections is Samut Sakhon with 18 — four Thais and 14 foreigners.
Proactive testing led to finding 125 cases, mostly in Samut Sakhon where 106 foreigners and 14 Thais tested positive.
Meanwhile, 150 patients have recovered and been discharged.
Taweesin Visanuyothin, spokesperson for the CCSA, said that the virus situation in Malaysia was a cause of concern due to the high number of daily cases on the southern border with Thailand.
Thirty-one provinces in Thailand don’t have any patients, 32 provinces have around 1-10 patients in all hospitals, 10 provinces have around 11-100 patients, and four provinces have more than 100.
The total number of confirmed cases in Thailand has risen to 12,423 – 10,134 of which were contracted domestically, including 3,982 found via proactive testing and 2,289 returnees. So far, 9,206 have recovered and been discharged, 3,168 patients are still in hospital, and 70 have died.
According to Worldometer, as of midnight on Monday, the total number of confirmed cases globally had risen to 96 million (up by 474,092), 70.68 million have recovered, 25.33 million are active cases (111,883 in severe condition) and 2.05 million have died (up by 9,167).
Thailand ranks 128th on the global list for most cases, while the US tops the list with 24.63 million, followed by India 10.58 million, Brazil 8.51 million, Russia 3.59 million and the United Kingdom 3.43 million.
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) will have to adjust its development plan for the Bang Sue Grand Station’s Plot A now that nobody has shown any interest in bidding for the project.
Bidding envelopes, each costing Bt500,000, have been put up for sale since December 28, but not a single one has been sold, a source said. The bidding wraps up on January 29.
“It is believed that nobody has shown interest in the project because of the new wave of Covid-19 infections. Also the Plot A project has low potential for commercial profit as an elevated expressway passes over it and it has limited access,” the source said.
“If nobody buys an envelope in the next 10 days, SRT will not reopen the bidding again,” the source said. “Instead it will adjust details of the development plan for Plot A and either make it the site of an SRT office building or let other state agencies rent the land, which will not require any bidding because it will not be a private-public partnership.”
The source also said that SRT is looking into the possibility of bundling Plot A with Plot E, because Plot E has higher commercial potential and will attract more bidders.
The 79-rai Plot E, with an estimated value of over Bt30 billion, is located next to the nation, while the 32-rai Plot A is about 140 metres away from the station.
(File Photo) Taweesin Visanuyothin, CCSA spokesman.jpg)
(File Photo)
