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Woman working at karaoke joint first Covid-19 case in Roi Et

NationalJan 12. 2021

By THE NATION

A 48-year-old woman has tested positive for Covid-19, the first case in Roi Et province after the latest outbreak of the disease in December.

Roi Et Governor Chayan Sirimas said on Monday that the woman works at a karaoke joint in the Sriracha district of Chonburi province.

“She had close contact with another patient from Chonburi province [her younger sister] who tested positive earlier on January 9. She then took a test on January 10 at Roi Et Hospital and found that she was also infected.

“Both patients have symptoms of coughing and sore throat with no fever,” he added.

The timeline and travel history of Roi Et’s first patient is as follows:

January 1: She, her sister and her sister’s husband travel from Chonburi’s Sriracha district to Roi Et’s Muang district in a personal car.

January 4-6: She visits a local market, wearing a face mask.

January 5: Her sister and husband return to Chonburi in their personal car.

January 7: She is informed by Sriracha public health office that she carries high risk as one of the customers at the karaoke joint where she works has tested positive for Covid-19. The woman is not tested on that day but her sister, who also works at the same place, takes a test at Chonburi Hospital on January 8.

January 9: Her sister is confirmed as infected.

January 10: Her sister’s husband also tests positive. The woman then takes a test and is found to be infected.

Sriracha public health office also reported that 10 co-workers from the karaoke joint had tested positive for Covid-19.

Nine family members were reported to have had close contact with the sisters. They have been tested and all were negative. Seven persons have had close contact with the husband. Three have already tested negative while four are awaiting results.

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Cool and windy in upper Thailand, strong wind waves on southern coast

NationalJan 12. 2021

By THE NATION

The Thailand Meteorological Department said on Tuesday that the high-pressure system from China covers upper Thailand, resulting in cool to cold weather and strong winds. Temperature is expected to fall 4-6 degrees Celsius in the North and 2-4°C in the Northeast, the Central and the East. Mountaintops are cold to very cold with frost in some areas.

Meanwhile, the strong northeast monsoon prevailing across the Gulf and the South triggers strong wind waves in the Gulf up to 2-4 metres high. All ships should proceed with caution and small boats should keep ashore until January 13, the department said.

The weather forecast for the next 24 hours:

North: Cold weather with strong winds; minimum temperature 12-15 degrees Celsius, maximum 24-31°C; temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 3-11°C with frost in some areas.

Northeast: Cold to very cold weather with strong winds; minimum temperature 8-12°C, maximum 21-24°C; temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 5-11°C.

Central: Cool to cold weather with strong winds; minimum temperature 14-17°C, maximum 27-28°C.

East: Cool to cold weather with strong winds; minimum temperature 14-21°C, maximum 27-31°C; waves two metres high and over two metres offshore.

South (east coast): Cool weather with strong winds and thundershowers in 30 per cent of the areas; minimum temperature 18-23°C, maximum 27-30°C; waves 2-4 metres high and over four metres during thundershowers.

South (west coast): Mostly cloudy with thundershowers in 20 per cent of the areas; minimum temperature 21-24°C, maximum 30-32°C; waves 1-2 metres high and two metres offshore.

Bangkok and surrounding areas: Cool weather with strong winds; minimum temperature 16-18°C, maximum 27-29°C.

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Cost of coronavirus health coverage to drop 20%, say insurers

NationalJan 12. 2021

By THE NATION

The Thai General Insurance Association estimates the cost of Covid-19 insurance will drop by 20 per cent in 2021, since claims are currently low.

Association chairman Anon Wangwasu added that demand for Covid-19 insurance was still strong due to the second outbreak in Thailand, and extension rates will be high.

Insurance brands are running promotions to attract more customers for their Covid-related coverage, he added.

Meanwhile, the Office of Insurance Commission (OIC) expect claims on Covid-19 insurance policies to rise only slightly from the Bt102 million on 9.87 million insurance policies last month.

The OIC forecasts that claims will peak at Bt130 million on 10.8 million policies in March.

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Pattani city hit by flooding up to 3 metres deep

NationalJan 11. 2021

By The Nation

Large parts of Pattani city remained under water on Monday, despite pressure on the upstream Bang Lan dam easing from around midnight.

Flood levels in neighbourhoods around the Pattani River where still high, especially in the business area of the seaside city. Shops retained sandbag barriers to prevent water from inundating their premises, while high sea levels saw floods up to 3 metres deep in some areas.

Deputy Interior Minister Nipon Boonyamanee inspected the flooded area and revealed that 57,000 households have been affected and were in need of basic necessities including food, medicine, and clean water, which the government would supply as soon as possible. The situation would improve within two weeks if the rain eased off, he said.

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Krungsri appoints new chief information and digital officer

NationalJan 11. 2021

By THE NATION

Krungsri (Bank of Ayudhya) has announced the appointment of Sayam Prasitsirigul as chief information and digital officer, to replace Voranuch Dejakaisaya, who has retired.

Sayam has more than 25 years of experience in leading domestic and international financial institutions, and has delivered outstanding accomplishments for Krungsri and the SME Banking Group during his nine years of service so far, said the bank.

He had led the SME banking business to achieve solid growth and secured a leading position for Krungsri in SME banking business in Thailand, it added.

It said that as chief information and digital officer, Sayam will draw on his extensive experience and expertise in strategic planning, business management and analysis, and product and service development together with his engineering and IT background, to help Krungsri achieve even more sustainable growth in the future.

Sayam will lead digital and innovation in various aspects, including digital banking and innovation, IT strategic planning and governance, IT core banking mainframe solutions and operations, IT infrastructure and operations technology, and IT security.

Sayam holds a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering for Chulalongkorn University and a Master’s in Business Administration from the Claremont Graduate School, US.

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New wave of infections pushes up price of masks

NationalJan 11. 2021

By The Nation

The new wave of Covid-19 infections has pushed up the price of face masks, with boxes of 50 pieces being sold for Bt150 apiece – far higher than the regulated price of Bt125 per box of 50 pieces.

The Internal Trade Department has set the price of face masks at Bt2.5 per piece.

Some merchants are importing masks from China and Vietnam at between Bt30 and Bt90 per box of 50 pieces, which they are splitting into packs of five or 20 pieces before retailing them at Bt10 and Bt40 per pack.

Some retailers are even charging as much as Bt33 for packs of five. Their excuse is that they have to buy from middlemen now that factories have reduced their production capacity after the first round of the outbreak subsided.

“We buy face masks from agents at Bt2.50 apiece and have to sell them at Bt4 or Bt5 apiece to make a profit,” retailers say.

Rawat Chindapol, chief executive officer of face-mask manufacturer Misslily MD Supply, said there are two types of masks in the market – surgical masks which fall under the Food and Drug Administration’s jurisdiction, and ordinary cloth masks which are priced based on cost.

Masks also vary in quality and effectiveness.

“There are 17 manufacturers producing masks under the Internal Trade Department’s requirements. Domestic demand should be easily met with each manufacturer producing 5 million pieces daily,” he said.

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What is a field hospital? A medical blogger explains…

NationalJan 11. 2021Photo credit: หมอแซนดี้มีเรื่องเ_า (Mor Sandy Mee Rueang Lao)

By THE NATION

Field hospitals are gaining coverage in the media nowadays, along with the rising number of Covid-19 cases in Thailand. However, since their function is rarely explained clearly, medical blogger Dr Sandy decided to feature the hospitals in her post on Monday.

On her Facebook page “Mor Sandy Mee Rueang Lao” (Dr Sandy has stories to tell), the blogger recounts her visit to a field hospital in Samut Sakhon province, where the latest outbreak emerged in mid-December. The hospital was set up in the grounds of the Wattana factory in Muang district.

Dr Sandy explained that field hospitals are being set up to serve Covid-19 patients which conventional hospitals cannot deal with. Conventional hospitals mainly treat patients who are ill, while field hospitals take care of asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic coronavirus cases.

“The patients are isolated in the field hospitals for 14 days, until they pass the period of infectiousness. If their condition worsens during this quarantine period, medical personnel will send them to hospital for more treatment,” she said.

Photo credit: หมอแซนดี้มีเรื่องเ_า (Mor Sandy Mee Rueang Lao)

Dr Sandy pointed out that contact between medics and patients at field hospitals is limited to reduce infection risks, with isolation wards separated from the clinics where doctors check the patients.

The blogger added that interpreters were on hand to help doctors bridge the language gap with foreign patients. The Samut Sakhon outbreak included many cases among the Burmese migrant worker community.

Dr Sandy also sought to quell fears among local residents, saying the existence of field hospitals is safe for people living nearby. She explained that strict hygiene practices governed the treatment of wastewater and elimination of infectious waste from field hospitals, overseen by government officials.

She also mentioned that all field hospital patients were transported by ambulance and guarded by soldiers to prevent any from escaping from hospitals.

Photo credit: หมอแซนดี้มีเรื่องเ_า (Mor Sandy Mee Rueang Lao)

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Free mobile data for users of MorChana tracing app, promises DES minister

NationalJan 11. 2021

By THE NATION

National Telecom will provide free mobile data to users of the “MorChana” (Doctors Win) app, Digital Economy and Society Minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta said on Monday.

The application, launched on April 10 last year, records the user’s movements in order to track and trace new infections. The app also provides information on the risk of infection in different places, which are marked red, orange, yellow or green, based on exposure to the virus.

“Three mobile services under NT will provide free data when you use the application. They are NT Mobile, TOT Mobile and My [by CAT],” he said, adding that the MorChana app will not store users’ images or personal information like name, phone number, e-mail, address etc.

“In case there is a drop in internet connection, the application will save the user’s location and upload the travel information once connection is available,” he added.

National Telecom is the product of a merger between TOT and CAT Telecom, which was completed on January 7. The company provides new mobile connections under NT Mobile, and also deals with existing TOT and CAT Telecom customers.

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Saliva tests for Covid-19 will be faster, more effective: Dr Opas

NationalJan 11. 2021

By The Nation

Testing saliva samples will not only cut down costs, but will also make efforts to curb the virus more effective, said Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Disease Control Department.

Dr Opas, who is also secretary of the National Communicable Diseases Committee, said saliva tests will be easier, faster and more economical, especially in places like factories. Also, he said, such proactive steps will help boost confidence in the business industry.

Though Covid-19 screening by testing oral and nasal swabs through the RT-PCR method is still being widely used, saliva tests are also 90 per cent effective. If the virus is detected in the saliva sample, then the patient can undergo an RT-PCR test, he said.

“Provinces, especially those where many migrant workers are employed, may consider conducting saliva tests,” Dr Opas said.

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Two suspected Covid cases detected aboard Thai Navy flagship

NationalJan 11. 2021

By THE NATION

Two cases of suspected Covid-19 have been discovered aboard the Royal Thai Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier, HTMS Chakri Naruebet. The suspected cases are among a 500-strong crew manning the carrier, which is docked at Sattahip naval base in Chonburi.

The two crew members were tested for the virus after visiting the Pa Daeng brew house in Sattahip district. On Sunday, medics at Abhakornkiatiwong Hospital in Sattahip were reportedly ordered to check all 500 Navy personnel stationed on the Chakri Naruebet.

The Navy has not yet confirmed whether any of the crew are infected with Covid-19, Thai media reported on Monday.

However, the Navy said that if the two suspected cases are confirmed positive for Covid-19, all crew on board the ship would be quarantined.