The number of Covid-19 cases in Samut Sakhon province rose to over 4,000 cases on Saturday after the Provincial Health Office conducted proactive screening in factories.
As of 5pm, the number of patients increased by 335 to 4,359 — 989 Thais and 3,370 migrant workers. Of the total, 636 Thais and 316 migrant workers were hospitalised.
Separately, the provincial agencies opened a fourth field hospital at Nadi subdistrict Municipality in Muang Samut Sakhon district which can treat 350 patients.
“As most patients at the first field hospital in the province’s Central Shrimp Market had been discharged, we would undertake a cleaning operation before reopening the market at the end of January,” the provincial officials said.
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) reported 374 new cases on Sunday.
Of the total, 10 had arrived from foreign countries.
Six are Thai nationals — three coming from Malaysia, one from Qatar, one from United States, and one from Denmark.
An American man, a German man, and two Indians flying in from their respective countries also tested positive.
Of the new cases, 43 were exposed to the virus while visiting high-risk areas. Provinces with the highest number of infections are Bangkok with 10 and Samut Sakhon with 24.
Proactive testing led to 321 cases, mostly in Samut Sakhon where 311 foreigners tested positive. Two cases were also found in Trang province, a possible outbreak in a rubber factory.
Meanwhile, 109 patients have recovered and been discharged.
The total number of confirmed cases in Thailand has risen to 12,054 – 9,777 of which were contracted domestically including 3,707 found via proactive testing, and 2,277 returnees. So far, 9,015 have recovered and been discharged, 2,969 patients are still in hospital and the death toll remains at 70.
CCSA spokesman Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin said 7,817 cases had been found in the second wave since December 18. He said there was a downward trend, but peak daily numbers were seen in the red-coded areas, including Bangkok.
According to Worldometer, as of midnight on Saturday, the total number of confirmed cases globally had risen to 94.93 million (up by 641,328), 67.77 million have recovered, 25.15 million are active cases (111,614 in severe condition) and 2.03 million have died (up by 12,908).
Thailand ranks 127th on the global list of most cases, while the US tops the list with 24.3 million, followed by India 10.56 million, Brazil 8.45 million, Russia 3.54 million and the United Kingdom 3.35 million.
The “Bad Student” group of high school students as well as student organisations from 50 educational institutions nationwide organised activities to mark Teachers’ Day at a park outside the Education Ministry on Saturday.
At 3pm, the group set up a pile of rulers and rods, together with three vinyl signs in the area.
At 3.20pm, the group played a song to pay their respects to teachers and poured a red syrup on a pile of rulers and rods. The group representative also poured syrup on herself.
Group leader Laponpat “Min” Wangpaisit said the symbolic moves were aimed at urging society and the Education Ministry to resolve the issue of abuse of students as teachers have both good and bad sides.
“Red syrup represents students’ blood due to teachers’ violence,” he said.
Police have detained four people suspected of allegedly exploding a ping-pong bomb on Rama IV Road in Bangkok, near Samyan Mitrtown complex, the site of a gathering of pro-democracy protesters on Saturday evening.
The four suspects — two men and two women — were arrested soon after the explosion occurred at around 6pm.
Four people were injured in the incident — two police officers, a citizen and a reporter.
National Police chief Pol General Suwat Jangyodsuk has already received a report on the incident and expressed concern over the injuries to police officers.
Air quality has fallen below safe standards in most areas of Bangkok, the Environment Department of the city administration said on Sunday.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) reported on Sunday at 7am that the PM2.5 (particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter) 24-hour average dust index was found to have exceeded the safe standard in 57 areas.
Measured in the range of 39-76 micrograms/cubic metre (mcg/m3) the 24-hour standard value should not exceed 50mcg/m3.
Air quality in Bangkok averaged at 58.8mcg/m3.
Most of the air quality ranged from moderate to unhealthy.
The general public in areas with excess air pollution should monitor their health. If there are initial symptoms such as cough, difficulty in breathing or eye irritation, the duration of outdoor activities should be shortened, especially for the elderly, children and respiratory patients, and protective equipment must be used if necessary, the BMA said.
Another rather strong high-pressure system from China covers upper Vietnam and will extend to upper Thailand by Sunday, bringing colder conditions and strong winds.
Temperatures are likely to fall by 4-6 degrees Celsius, the Thailand Meteorological Department said.
Meanwhile, a strong northeast monsoon prevails over the Gulf and the South. Strong winds and waves are likely in the Gulf of Thailand, rising 2-3 metres in the lower Gulf. All ships in the Gulf of Thailand should proceed with caution and small boats in the lower Gulf should keep ashore from January 17-20, the department said.
The weather forecast for different regions of the country:
North: Cool to cold with strong winds, and 2-3°C drop in temperature; minimum temperature 12-17°C, maximum 28-33°C; cold to very cold on mountaintops with minimum temperature 5-12°C; northeasterly winds 10-30kph.
Northeast: Cool to cold with strong winds, 4-6°C drop in temperature; minimum temperature 15-18°C, maximum 28-31°C; cold to very cold on mountaintops with minimum temperature 6-13°C; northeasterly winds 15-30kph.
Central: Cool with strong winds with 2-3°C drop in temperature; minimum temperature 17-20°C, maximum 32-34°C; northeasterly winds 10-30kph.
East: Cool with strong winds, 2-3°C drop in temperature; minimum temperature 18-22°C, maximum 32-33°C; northeasterly winds 15-35 kph; waves 1- 2 metres high and about two metres offshore.
South (east coast):
Surat Thani northwards: Cool morning with strong winds; northeasterly winds 20-35kph; waves about two metres high.
Nakhon Si Thammarat southwards: Isolated rain mostly in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat provinces; northeasterly winds 20-40kph; waves 2-3 metres high; minimum temperature 20-25°C, maximum 30-32°C.
South (west coast): Partly cloudy with isolated rain mostly in Trang and Satun provinces; minimum temperature 23-26°C, maximum 32-34°C; northeasterly winds 15-35kph; waves 1-2 metres high and about two metres offshore.
Bangkok: Cool with strong winds, 2-3°C drop in temperature, minimum temperature 21-22°C, maximum 32-34°C; northeasterly winds 10-30kph.
A girl aged 11, who had allegedly been raped by her grandfather, died in her mother’s embrace on Friday, after suffering from severe morning sickness.
The funeral of the girl was held at her house in Sahatsakhan district of Kalasin province. The body was earlier taken to Srinagarind Hospital in Khon Kaen for medical examination.
The mother, 33, said that she had divorced from the girl’s father for five years, and acknowledged later that the daughter had been raped by her grandfather.
The mother also mentioned that she had taken her daughter to a hospital in December, and a doctor there had confirmed the girl had an ectopic pregnancy. The girl vomited both food and medicine, she added.
According to the mother, on Friday night her daughter vomited and trembled with pain and eventually died in her embrace.
Meanwhile, Sahatsakhan police have collected evidence in the girl’s case, and they will soon seek an arrest warrant from the local court.
The Bank of Thailand (BOT) on Friday said that the impact on the economy from the second Covid-19 outbreak was milder than from the first outbreak at the beginning of 2020.
BOT senior director Chayawadee Chaianant said that the second outbreak was less severe compared to the first one, while medical preparations were better than before.
She added that government measures implemented at present were less stringent than in the last year, as a result exports were still expanding.
The BOT added that the red provinces were areas where the Covid-19 outbreak had hit the highest level. The impacted persons in the areas were mostly daily wage workers, whose working hours have been reduced from the new virus crisis.
To deal with the virus’ effects, Chayawadee said business operators and their workers must be helped at the earliest. Focus must be on people in the fragile group.
Two leaders of the pro-democracy group Guard Plod Aek were arrested on Saturday afternoon at Victory Monument in Bangkok’s Ratchathewi district.
The group held a gathering at the monument to write criticisms of the premier on a 112-metre-long banner.
The arrested protesters were reportedly taken to Phya Thai Police Station and charged with violating the Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations and the Communicable Disease Act, before being sent to Border Patrol Police Region 1 headquarters in Pathum Thani province. Other participants dispersed from the area after the arrests.
The gathering on Saturday was organised for protesters to write their opinions on a long fabric banner about Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha’s failures in handling crisis situations, as well as urging the abolition of lese majeste law, also known as Article 112, as symbolised by the 112-metre long banner.
Lese majeste has been an offence under Thailand’s Criminal Code since 1956. Article 112 of the code states: “Whoever defames, insults or threatens the King, the Queen, the Heir-apparent or the Regent shall be punished with imprisonment of three to 15 years.”
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is converting the Bangkhuntian Geriatric Hospital into a field hospital for Covid-19 treatment and quarantine centre with a 509-bed capacity.
BMA permanent secretary Silapasuai Rawisaengsun said on Friday that the hospital in Tha Kham subdistrict of Bangkhuntian district is now functioning as a Covid-19 treatment and quarantine facility to cope with the new wave of Covid-19 that has been reported since last December.
“With each bed placed more than 1.5 metres apart, the six-storey hospital can accommodate 509 patients simultaneously,” she said.
“The patient quarter is at least eight metres away from community area to ensure public safety.
“The hospital has 10 restrooms, six shower rooms, a cafeteria, a conference room and separate staff station. It also provides Wi-Fi signal throughout the area to allow patients to communicate with staff. The hospital communal areas are also monitored 24/7 via CCTV cameras,” she added.
The BMA permanent secretary added that the hospital uses an air handling unit to manage the ventilation system to ensure staff and patients’ safety, while the exhaust air from the hospital was released via vents positioned at least eight metres away from community areas. “Furthermore, all the waste from the hospital will be treated as infectious waste under public health standards,” she added.
From December 20 to January 14, Bangkok reported 526 cases of Covid-19, 396 are local residents while 130 have travelled from other provinces. Most of the confirmed patients are linked to the outbreak in Samut Sakhon, Rayong and Nonthaburi provinces.
