Seven seafood dishes were served to members of the Cabinet for lunch on Tuesday to prove that Covid-19 cannot be transmitted via seafood.
The dishes served up on Tuesday were barbequed prawn, spicy prawn soup, stir-fried squid with shrimp paste, deep-fried sea bass with fish sauce, stir-fried shrimp with holy basil leaves, stir-fried squid with salted eggs and crab fried rice.
Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said eating seafood is not worrisome provided it is properly cooked.
Meanwhile, PM’s Office Minister Anucha Nakasai said the lunch menu focused on seafood to prove it can be consumed without fear of Covid-19.
People have been concerned about consuming seafood after the central shrimp market in Samut Sakhon proved to be the source of a recent outbreak.
The authorities raided an entertainment venue in Songkhla’s Hat Yai district on Tuesday after learning that it had stayed open beyond restricted hours and had applied no Covid-19 prevention measures.
The team of police officers as well as provincial government, excise and public health officials, showed up at 2am to find several patrons partying without any protection.
Police said the venue was partially a nightclub and stayed open till the wee hours, disturbing nearby residents.
The owner, Anthika Dokho, 29, has been arrested and faces three charges, namely selling alcohol after midnight, violating disease control measures and breaching the state of emergency.
Thailand recorded 155 new cases of Covid-19 on Tuesday – 134 domestic infections, 10 in state quarantine, and 11 migrant workers – taking the total since January to 6,440.
The death toll increased by one to 61.
Infection zoning map shows the spread of Covid-19 over the past 11 days – Dec 18-20, Dec 21-23, Dec 24-26, and Dec 27-29 – in red zones (more than 51 cases), orange zones (11-50 cases), yellow zones (1-10 cases).
The latest outbreak has now spread to 45 provinces, said Taweesin Visanuyothin, spokesperson of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).
The Disease Control Department warned that cases could rise to 18,000 per day in the next two weeks if the outbreak went unchecked.
The department’s epidemiology working group calculated three possible scenarios.
Case prediction chart with red representing an uncontrolled situation where people do not follow rules, yellow representing moderate measures, and green strict measures with strong public cooperation.
First scenario (red line): If nothing is done, new cases will rise steadily until January 14 when infections reach 18,000 per day. The trend would start at 1,000-2,000 infections per day at New Year then grow steeply.
Second scenario (yellow line): If moderate measures are imposed, new cases will rise to reach 10,000 per day by mid-January.
Third scenario (green line): If strict measures are imposed and people maintain mask-wearing, hygiene and social distancing practices, cases will rise less than 1,000 per day.
“We are currently in an ‘orange line’ scenario,” said Taweesin. “I admit that I am worried because if the orange line goes up at 45 degrees, there will be thousands and thousands of infections.
“During the New Year holidays, people can travel anywhere except Samut Sakhon, which is under lockdown, but the 45 provinces with cases should have strong measures to monitor the virus. This New Year will be unusual. The threat of two- or three-digit daily infection rate has forced us to adapt to a new situation. Provinces don’t have to impose strict lockdowns, but all must adjust by tightening disease control measures,” he added.
A total of 23,381 migrant workers were arrested for illegally crossing into the country during January to November, the Royal Thai Police announced.
In addition, 344 people were arrested for bringing the workers into Thailand, while 720 people were charged with helping or hiding the workers.
In December, 547 have been arrested so far, along with 21 people who had brought them in and 117 who hid them from the police.
Deputy National Police chief Pol General Damrongsak Kittiprapas said that his organisation was focused on arresting the people involved in bringing the migrants into Thailand illegally, as well as screening the migrants for Covid-19 following the procedure suggested by the Ministry of Public Health.
An unlucky woman in Nakhon Si Thammarat got her head caught in a petrol station’s fuel price display after losing control of her motorbike on Monday.
A team of rescuers arrived at around 3pm to find Warapond Nuansri, 29, with her head trapped inside the fuel display box at a PT petrol station in Chian Yai district.
The woman’s face was badly wounded.
It took a while for the rescuers to untangle her and transport her to hospital. Doctors said she is recovering nicely.
Investigation revealed that the woman had crashed into the concrete base of a sign near the petrol station at high speed, which sent her flying and she landed on the plastic fuel display sign with her head getting stuck in it.
Nakhon Pathom launched a “big clean” of all fresh markets in the province on Tuesday as part of a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Deputy governor Rattasat Chidchoo said markets with the risk of infection will be closed for three days, while others will be closed for a day to clean and disinfect the area.
“The temporary closure of flea markets depends on district officials’ decision on whether they are risky areas,” he said
Nakhon Pathom’s public relations office reported five new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday.
Of the five, two live in Kamphaeng Saen’s Sa Si Mum subdistrict, while the others live in Bang Len’s Bang Luang subdistrict.
The total number of Covid-19 cases in the province stands at 58, which includes two foreigners. All patients are in hospital.
Six senior police officers from Bangkok’s Thung Song Hong duty were on Tuesday transferred to inactive posts for alleged dereliction of duty and abuse of power.
The order came after officers from the Central Investigation Bureau raided a gambling den in Chaengwattana Soi 14 in Thung Song Hong area, arresting 94 suspects, and confiscating several items of gambling equipment.
The Metropolitan Police Bureau will set up a panel of investigators to check to see if the six police officers were in any way involved with the den.
Meanwhile, the 94 suspects, half of whom are women, are being detained at Thung Song Hong Police Station and are scheduled to undergo tests on Tuesday afternoon.
The officers facing transfer are:
• Pol Maj-General Phattana Phesayanavia, commander of Metropolitan Police 2
• Pol Colonel Krisphon Phetsodsin, superintendent of Thung Song Hong Police Station
• Pol Lt-Colonel Surin Phurit, deputy superintendent (investigation)
• Pol Lt-Colonel Thanit Boonmaen, deputy superintendent (crime suppression)
• Pol Major Natthaphong Rongkohkerd, inspector (investigation)
• Pol Major Kittiphot Inchan, inspector (crime suppression)
Meanwhile, Pol Maj-General Pheeraphong Wongsaman has been made acting commander of Metropolitan Police 2 and Pol Colonel Phanudet Sukwong acting superintendent of the police station.
The Department of Highways will waive toll fees on two Motorway routes – No. 7 (Bangkok-Chonburi- Pattaya) and No. 9 (Bang Pa In-Bang Phli-Bang Khun Tian) from midnight of December 30 until the midnight of January 4, said director-general, Sarawut Songwilai.
“The move aims to facilitate traffic flow, which is expected to increase during the New Year festival,” he said. “To avoid congestions, motorists are advised to download the M-Traffic mobile application to check traffic conditions in real time.”
Meanwhile, the Expressway Authority of Thailand (Exat) announced that two expressways under its administration would be opened for free use from December 30 to January 4, namely Burapha Withi or Bang Na Expressway and Kanchanaphisek or Bang Phli-Suksawas Expressway.
“Moreover, three expressways that Exat operates together with Bangkok Expressway and Metro Plc [BEM] will waive toll fees on December 31 and January 1, namely Chalerm Maha Nakhon, Sirat and Udon Ratthaya expressways,” added the announcement.
Exat and BEM will also establish six service centres at expressway checkpoints that connect Bangkok to nearby provinces from December 29 until January 4 to provide roadside assistance to motorists travelling to their hometowns during New Year.
A crooked van driver left a group of Myanmar migrant workers stranded at a bus station in Chonburi after promising to take them home during the New Year holidays.
Early on Tuesday, police learned that the workers had been dropped off at the station at around 1am and the van that brought them sped off.
The workers said they had paid the driver Bt500 each to take them from Chonburi’s Sri Racha district to Tak’s Mae Sot.
However, the driver brought them to the provincial bus terminal and told them to remove their luggage before driving off.
The authorities checked the workers for their documents and screened their temperatures before putting them in detention. Police said they will look into the case further.
Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin
