Korat officials accuse Tesco store of concealing outbreak for 26 days
Health authorities in Nakhon Ratchasima have accused Tesco Lotus department store managers of concealing an outbreak of Covid-19 that spawned a serious infection cluster in the Northeast province.
Health authorities in Nakhon Ratchasima have accused Tesco Lotus department store managers of concealing an outbreak of Covid-19 that spawned a serious infection cluster in the Northeast province.
PM’s order could sink controversial deal for Chinese ATKs
The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO)’s deal for Chinese-made rapid antigen test kits (ATKs) came under question on Wednesday when PM Prayut Chan-o-cha insisted all ATKs purchased by Thailand must be certified by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The order threatens to disrupt the GPO’s purchase of 8.5 million ATKs manufactured by Beijing-based Lepu Medical Technology. The Lepu ATKs are not certified by the WHO and have been banned by the United States over concerns about their accuracy.
Ostland Capital won the bidding last week to supply the ATKs, offering each set at 70 baht in a contract worth 1.014 billion baht.
Earlier this week, the Rural Doctors urged the prime minister to halt the purchase, citing concerns about the quality of the Lepu test kits. The GPO countered that the Lepu ATKs had been approved by the Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Prayut on Wednesday ordered health agencies to speed up procurement of ATKs that met both Thai FDA and WHO standards.
The PM also instructed the Public Health Emergency Operation Centre and related agencies to urgently solve problems regarding vaccine procurement, community testing, and delays in getting infected people into the treatment system.
PM says restrictions could be lifted next month amid signs of infection slowdown
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha on Wednesday announced Covid-19 restrictions could be eased next month amid signs the infection rate is slowing. However, tighter Covid-19 safety measures were needed to combat the outbreak of Delta variant, he said via Facebook.
Prayut acknowledged the daily caseload had risen above 20,000 since lockdown measures were imposed last month but said the number of patients recovering is now higher than the infection rate.
He said his main concern was the fatality rate, especially among the vulnerable group of elderly people and those with underlying health conditions. Thailand’s daily Covid death toll soared to a record 312 on Wednesday.
Prayut said the infection rate will likely reach its peak this month before dropping in September. This would allow authorities to adjust the control measures and relax some restrictions on businesses and activities, he added.
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) recently extended lockdown measures in Bangkok and 28 other provinces until the end of August. The CCSA has meanwhile decided to elevate safety measures under the Universal Prevention method to be practised by every individual.
The 10-point Universal Prevention method is as follows:
Leave home only when absolutely necessary.
Stay at least 1-2 metres away from others outside.
Wear a face mask inside a cloth mask at all times, at home and in public, especially around elderly and high-risk groups.
Wash hands with soap or alcohol gel frequently, including before meals, after using the bathroom, after coughing, or after touching shared objects.
Avoid touching your face mask, face, eyes, mouth and nose.
People aged over 60 or with chronic conditions must avoid leaving home if possible. If not, they should minimise the time they spend outside.
Clean and sanitise frequently touched surfaces, equipment or physical environment.
Use separate personal items.
Eat freshly cooked food and do not share dishes or cutlery.
If you have Covid-19 symptoms or have been in close contact with an infected person or high-risk location, test yourself with an Antigen Test Kit or visit the nearest hospital.
“Please strictly follow these Universal Prevention measures amid this high-risk situation, and be patient,” said Prayut. He also expressed gratitude for the work of medics, front-line personnel, volunteers and every organisation involved in the battle against Covid-19.
“We are seeking every solution to manage this crisis and revitalise the country and its economy as soon as possible,” he concluded.
28 arrested at birthday party in swanky Bangkok resort
Police arrested 28 people, nine of them underage, for partying at a swanky resort in Bangkok’s Din Daeng district in the early hours of Wednesday.
Police said that they were alerted by neighbours at 3.40am that a party was in full swing at the resort on Soi Inthamara 47.
Officers raided room 39 on the ground floor of the poolside resort and arrested the young partygoers for breaching the emergency-decree ban on gatherings of more than five people.
28 arrested at birthday party in swanky Bangkok resort
Thipsuphaporn (last name withheld) said she had booked the room for a birthday party for two of her friends, who then invited more people. Police checked the room for drugs but found no illegal substances.
28 arrested at birthday party in swanky Bangkok resort
All 19 adult partygoers were charged with violating the emergency decree, which carries a penalty of up to two years in prison and/or a Bt40,000 fine. The nine underage suspects will be charged separately by the Central Juvenile and Family Court.
Netizen “พ.” shared her experience with a deliveryman’s sheer generosity and kindness in a post on Twitter.
On Tuesday, พ. tweeted that she had placed an order via a delivery app and specified that she was a Covid-19 patient and that the deliveryman should hang the packages at the door.
When the food arrived, the deliveryman rang the doorbell and wished her good health. After he left, พ. opened the door to find not just her food but also some money and a note reading: “You don’t need to pay for the food. Please save your money to look after yourself. I live in Soi 2 as well. Get well soon.”
The patient, who posted a photo of the note and money under her tweet, said this good deed has made her day.
Five things Phuket Sandbox tourists were impressed with
It has been almost 50 days since the Phuket Sandbox programme took off, with the scheme now being considered satisfactory and foreign tourists saying they were impressed with things such as airport transportation, service and screening.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) reported that from July 1 to 31, there was a tourist cash flow of THB829 million, which in turn generated an income of THB1.92 billion for the economy.
Approximately 2,719 people, who were employed during the period, earned THB210 million in wages. The economic value of the scheme was reported to be THB816 million, with THB87 million in tax income. The scheme saw 190,843 hotel night bookings during the period.
A TAT survey on tourist satisfaction from July 11 to August 10 showed that out of 88 participants, 77 per cent were in the 25-56 age range. Some 35 per cent said they would travel further to other provinces, such as Bangkok and Chiang Mai.
The five things that impressed foreign tourists under the Phuket Sandbox scheme were:
The quality of SHA+ transportation from Phuket International Airport.
The overall service at the airport.
The reservation system of the airport’s SHA+ transportation.
The reservation system of SHA+ hotel bookings.
The screening system upon arrival.
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Five things Phuket Sandbox tourists were impressed with
Wednesday morning brought shock and dismay to a 70-year-old Nong Khai resident when her house went up in flames just as she was returning from giving alms to monks.
Fire engulfed the house in Phon Phisai district at about 5am. Songkram Suwachan said she was giving alms to monks as usual just outside the house and as she turned to return, she heard a loud explosion and watched her house go up in flames.
The fire engulfed Songkram’s wooden house rapidly and stretched to the wooden house next door. It took firefighters nearly two hours to control the blaze, though both homes were practically razed to the ground. Police suspect the fire had been caused by a short circuit.
312 deaths, 20,515 new cases as Thailand’s caseload nears 1 million
For the first time since the pandemic began, Covid-related deaths in Thailand crossed the 300 mark on Wednesday with 312 casualties reported. Daily infections, meanwhile, stood at 20,515, with 248 found in prisons.
Meanwhile, 22,682 patients have recovered and been discharged over the past 24 hours.
Since the epidemic kicked off last year, Thailand has had 968,957 Covid-19 cases, 753,119 of whom have recovered, 207,553 are still in hospitals and 8,285 have died.
Separately, another 355,408 people were given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, 153,519 their second shot, and 9,191 their third shot, bringing the total Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in Thailand to 24,618,749.
According to Worldometer, as of 10am on Wednesday, confirmed cases globally had risen to 209.40 million, 187.68 million of whom have recovered, 17.33 million are active cases (107,841 in severe condition) and 4.39 million have died (up by 9,907).
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Thailand ranks 34th on the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 37.90 million, followed by India with 32.29 million, Brazil with 20.42 million, Russia with 6.64 million and France with 6.50 million.
Mae Sot hospital employs ‘village headmen’ to help deal with Covid-19 caseload
“The Story of the Frontier Doctor” (Ruang Lao Moh Chai Daen) Facebook page shared a post thanking Covid-19 patients in Tak’s Mae Sot district lending a much appreciated helping hand to doctors.
“Medics posted at the community and factory isolation centres, field hospital and Mae Sot General Hospital’s subsidiary ward are very appreciative of all that you have done. If it wasn’t for your help, all the doctors, nurses and patients would be in a bad condition,” the post read.
The post said the district has some 3,400 patients and Mae Sot General Hospital, which has a capacity of 350 beds, is stretched beyond its maximum capacity with 500 patients.
Therefore, to deal with these overwhelming numbers, the hospital decided to “employ” patients with mild symptoms to oversee their own ward. So far, 11 such wards or “villages” have been set up with each ward having a “village headman” and an assistant.
Each village headman is presented with a certificate and a 1,000-baht cash reward for their work. The so-called village chiefs are changed every 14 days.
As of Tuesday, Mae Sot’s Covid-19 caseload stood at:
• 695 patients in community isolation centres
• 1,280 in home isolation
• 566 in factory isolation
• 287 in the field hospital
• 464 at Mae Sot General Hospital’s subsidiary ward
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Mae Sot hospital employs ‘village headmen’ to help deal with Covid-19 caseloadMae Sot hospital employs ‘village headmen’ to help deal with Covid-19 caseload
TAT estimates 2021 tourist revenue at THB625 bn, most from domestic travel
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) estimates total revenue from tourism in 2021 will be THB625.7 billion, most of which, or THB540.7 billion, would come from domestic tourists who are expected to make 100 million trips across the year.
The number of total foreign tourists was forecast to be 1.2 million. They are expected to contribute around THB85 billion in revenue to local tourism businesses.
“The tourism industry must adapt to the changing behaviour of travellers due to the pandemic,” TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn pointed out on Tuesday.
“As the Covid-19 situation in many countries is improving, the competition in the global tourism market in 2022 will be even fiercer,” he predicted.
Yutthasak said TAT projected tourism revenue in 2022 to reach Bt2 trillion in the best scenario, but this target would only amount to two-thirds of tourism revenue in 2019, before the coronavirus spread to Thailand.
“In order to achieve the best-case scenario, Thailand must be able to vaccinate all groups and keep new infections under control by the early fourth quarter of 2021,” he said.
“The reopening of Thailand to all foreign tourists without any quarantine must start as planned in October, while all domestic travel restrictions must be lifted around the same time,” he said.
Yutthasak also revealed that TAT would go ahead with its tourism promotion plan under the so-called “5 Highs” strategy.
“We will focus on attracting ‘high-quality’ tourists who prioritise experience over prices while we provide ‘high-value’ tourism products and services,” he said.
“TAT will also create positive ‘high impact’ communities surrounding tourist attractions by launching anti-pollution and nature conservation campaigns to establish a strong tourism supply chain in the future,” Yutthasak said.
“The last two highs are the promotion of ‘high skills’ of personnel in the tourism business and coming up with ‘high technology’ innovations to penetrate new markets both at the domestic and the international levels,” he added.
28 arrested at birthday party in swanky Bangkok resort
28 arrested at birthday party in swanky Bangkok resort
Food deliveryman foots customers’ food bill
Five things Phuket Sandbox tourists were impressed with
… And poof! It was all gone
Mae Sot hospital employs ‘village headmen’ to help deal with Covid-19 caseload
Mae Sot hospital employs ‘village headmen’ to help deal with Covid-19 caseload
