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Temperatures drop in upper Thailand, thundershowers in the South

NationalJan 08. 2021

By THE NATION

A strong high-pressure system from China is presently covering upper Thailand, resulting in cool to cold weather with a 3-5° C decrease in temperatures and strong winds, the Meteorological Department said on Friday.

Meanwhile, the moderate northeast monsoon prevailing over the Gulf and the South is becoming stronger, bringing thundershowers to the area and strong wind waves in the Gulf of Thailand, the department said, adding that waves in the upper Gulf are 2-4 metres high and more than 4 metres in areas experiencing thundershowers. It advised all ships to proceed with caution and small boats to stay ashore.

Here’s the weather forecast for the next 24 hours:

North: Cool to cold weather with fog in the morning; temperature lows of 16-22 degrees and highs of 31-35 degrees Celsius. Temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 5-12 degrees Celsius.

Northeast: Cold weather with strong wind; temperature lows of 10-16 degrees and highs of 29-30 degrees Celsius. Temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 8-13 degrees Celsius.

Central: Cool weather with strong wind; temperature lows of 17-21 degrees, highs of 33-35 degrees Celsius.

East: Cool weather with strong wind; temperature lows of 18-23 degrees, highs of 32-35 degrees Celsius; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres offshore.

South (east coast): Partly cloudy with thundershowers in 60 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 22-26 degrees, highs of 30-32 degrees Celsius; waves 2-4 metres high and over 4 metres during thundershowers.

South (west coast): Cloudy with thundershowers in 40 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 22-25 degrees, highs of 31-33 degrees Celsius; waves 1-2 metres high and 2 metres offshore.

Bangkok and surrounding areas: Cool weather with strong wind; temperature lows of 19-22 degrees, highs of 33-35 degrees Celsius.

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Trade Dept probes claims of overpriced masks at 7-Elevens

NationalJan 08. 2021

By THE NATION

Responding to complaints about the price of face masks sold by 7-Eleven stores, the Department of Internal Trade (DIT) said the products in question were not covered by the government’s Bt2.50 price control.

Department director general Wattanasak Sur-iam said his staff had checked 7-Elevens and found they were selling ordinary face masks, not the surgical masks whose price has been limited as part of virus-control measures.

However, under the regulation, the mark-up on the import price of ordinary masks must not exceed 60 per cent. The DIT has asked convenience store operators for the import prices of masks, to compare them with retail prices.

The director general said overpricing of masks carried a penalty of up to seven years in prison and/or a fine of Bt140,000.

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CCSA spokesman clarifies threat of jail for not using MorChana app

NationalJan 07. 2021CCSA spokesman Taweesin Visanuyothin

By The Nation

Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) spokesman Taweesin Visanuyothin apologised on Thursday for sparking public uproar with his threat of prison for people who conceal their travel information.

Netizens vented anger after Taweesin announced that people might be jailed for not installing the MorChana contact-tracing app on their phones. Social media users pointed out that many people don’t have smartphones capable of running apps.

Taweesin responded by apologising for the confusion on his personal Facebook. He clarified that the legal penalty only applied to Covid-positive individuals in the 28 “red” provinces who have no records of travel, including on the MorChana app. The penalty – up to two years in jail and/or a maximum fine of Bt40,000 – would be strictly applied in the five locked down provinces of Samut Sakhon, Chon Buri, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat, he said.

The MorChana app identifies the Covid status of users according to four colour codes – from green for low risk to red for high risk – and tracks their location.

Popular Facebook medic Mor Lab Panda (aka Parkpoom Dejhutsadin) said on Thursday afternoon that Taweesin had assured him that Covid patients who do not own a smartphone will not face charges if they cooperate with health officials. Parkpoom said the CCSA just wanted to encourage people to install the application as a powerful tool to investigate and track timelines.

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GSB postpones Children’s Day event

NationalJan 07. 2021

By The Nation

Government Savings Bank (GSB) has postponed the Children’s Day occasion of opening special accounts for young people on January 9 in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19.

GSB will announce if there are any changes.

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Prince of Songkla University team designs ‘easy, fast, accurate’ Covid-19 test kits

NationalJan 07. 2021

By The Nation

A research team from Prince of Songkla University’s (Hat Yai Campus) Faculty of Medical Technology has successfully designed Covid-19 detection kits under the concept of “easy, fast and accurate” testing, using 2-3 drops of blood from a person’s fingertips, with results being obtained within 15 minutes and at 99 per cent accuracy, according to the university.

Asst Prof Pengsakul,Theerakamol, who led the research team, said more than 90 per cent of Covid-19 cases are asymptomatic. Therefore, the test kit detects antibodies or immunity of an infected person as patients normally build immunity within 1-2 weeks.

The team designed a specific protein to detect Covid-19, using accurate gold nanotechnology. The result displays like a pregnancy detection kit and can indicate the stage of infection in four stages – those who have never been infected; early-stage infection; infected for a while; and infected for a long time.

The test kits have been standardised and can be used in real time. With a production capacity of 100,000 per day, the kits are also attracting international attention, including from the United States, India and Arab countries, he said.

The kits have not yet gone on sale to the general public because they are medical devices that require professional and legal certification.

Two tests kits have been developed:

The KBS kit was jointly developed by the research team and KBS company, which has passed FDA standards.

The PSU kit, developed by the university, is awaiting FDA assessment.

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Five at-risk provinces put under tighter measures

NationalJan 07. 2021

By The Nation

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has tightened control measures at five of the most at-risk provinces, namely Chanthaburi, Chonburi, Trat, Rayong and Samut Sakhon.

Strict travel measures and stringent screening checkpoints will be set up at these provinces, while residents will be tracked via smart phone applications and will be penalised if they violate the restrictions.

These measures are in line with the emergency decree, the authorities said.

CCSA spokesman Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin said these were not lockdown measures, but just an effort to slow down the transmission of the virus.

People who absolutely need to enter the maximum-controlled area must provide official identification documents along with proof of purpose of travel. Logistics personnel will also have to provide documents clarifying origin and destination of the cargo.

Each individual in these five provinces are required to register with the MorChana app, so their movements can be traced.

Police have been instructed to arrest anybody found to be involved in illegal labour smuggling, including officials who are negligent in their duties, allow the trafficking of workers or turn a blind eye to gambling dens. This negligence has been blamed for the new clusters of Covid-19 infections.

Offenders of the new measures will face up to two years in jail and/or a fine of up to Bt40,000.

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Canned fish is safe to consume, says FDA

NationalJan 07. 2021

By THE NATION

Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said that canned fish is perfectly safe to consume. This announcement was in response to concerns raised after people heard rumours that 914 workers at a canning factory in Samut Sakhon had tested positive for Covid-19.

The Public Health Ministry debunked the rumour on Wednesday, saying the 914 cases came from several factories in the province, not just one factory as rumoured.

“Canning factories in Thailand follow good manufacturing practices [GMP] standards that require sterilisation of cans at 100 degrees Celsius or higher, which is hot enough to kill all germs, including the Covid-19 virus,” said Suphattra Boonserm, FDA’s deputy secretary-general.

“Once the food and cans are sterilised, nobody touches them directly so consumers should not be concerned about the virus being spread from infected workers.

“However, it is recommended that you wash the can clean before you open it,” she said.

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CCSA announces 305 new cases, mostly contracted domestically

NationalJan 07. 2021

By The Nation

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) announced 305 confirmed cases and one death on Thursday (January 7).

The confirmed cases include two in state quarantine and an illegal border crosser.

Of the cases, 135 were exposed to the virus while visiting high-risk places, including 40 in Samut Sakhon, 47 in Bangkok, three in Ayutthaya, one in Suphanburi, two in Ang Thong, two in Singburi, two in Lopburi, one in Khon Kaen, three in Nakhon Pathom, six in Pathum Thani, one in Ratchaburi, two in Chiang Mai and 25 in Samut Prakan.

Meanwhile, 109 cases were found via proactive testing in Samut Sakhon (two Thais and 107 migrant workers).

In addition, the source of infection for 58 cases is still being sought, and they include one in Suphanburi, one in Khon Kaen, two in Bangkok, eight in Chanthaburi, 27 in Chonburi, one in Trat, 13 in Rayong and five in Samut Sakhon.

The two returnees who have tested positive in quarantine facilities include a Thai woman who flew back from Turkey and a Russian woman who flew in from her own country. A Thai woman was also caught sneaking across the border from Myanmar on January 5 and was sent to Mae Sot Hospital.

Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin CCSA spokesperson said an 88-year-old cancer patient in Rayong succumbed to the virus on Wednesday. He had been infected by his son, who visited him on December 22.

He tested positive on January 3, and succumbed on Wednesday when his symptoms began worsening and his body stopped responding to treatment.

Meanwhile, 103 patients have recovered and been discharged.

The total number of confirmed cases in Thailand has risen to 9,636 – 7,551 of which were contracted domestically, including 2,684 migrant workers, and 2,085 were returnees.

So far, 4,521 have recovered and been discharged, while the death toll has risen to 67.

According to Worldometer, as of midnight on Thursday, the total number of confirmed cases globally had risen to 87.64 million (up by 781,103), of whom 63.13 million have recovered, 22.61 million are active cases (108,003 in severe condition) and 1.89 million have died (up by 14,518).

Thailand ranks 130 in the global list of most cases, while the US tops the list with 21.85 million, followed by India 10.39 million, Brazil 7.87 million, Russia 3.3 million and United Kingdom 2.83 million.

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MBK Centre installs air disinfection system to keep virus at bay

NationalJan 07. 2021

By The Nation

MBK Group has invested Bt1.3 million to set up a UVC air disinfection system at MBK Centre in a bid to contain the spread of Covid-19 and gain customer confidence.

Satit Saisorn, group senior executive vice president of the Operations Division at MBK, said the Covid-19 outbreak raised awareness among people that it is necessary to take care of their health as the virus can be transmitted through the air and by other people.

He said the UVC air disinfection system can destroy bacteria, viruses, fungi and other germs.

“Also, it helps filter particles less than 10 and 2.5 micrometres in diameter, which are the cause of many diseases,” he said.

He added that the company would check the air quality inside the shopping mall every six months to ensure people’s safety.

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New joint venture takes on project to cool Chula University

NationalJan 07. 2021

Aphichat Sramoon

By THE NATION

Team Consulting Engineering and Management Public Co Ltd (TEAMG) has created a joint venture called Chula District Cooling to install and manage a cooling system for Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.

Dr Aphichat Sramoon, chief executive officer of TEAMG, said the joint venture with BCPG Public Co Ltd and Keppel DHCS Pte Ltd was established with a registered capital of Bt50 million.

The system, which will see buildings in the campus cooled by chilled water, is part of the “Chula Smart City Project”.

“TEAMG was chosen for the project in July 2020, and construction will begin in late 2021 and be ready to recognise revenues by late 2022,” Aphichat said.