#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003786

Bangkok runs out of ICU beds for Covid patients

Bangkok has run out of ICU beds to treat severely ill Covid-19 patients, the Department of Medical Services (DMS) announced on Monday.

Department chief Dr Somsak Ankasil admitted that all public hospital beds available for “red” category patients were now occupied.

He added that critically ill Covid-19 patients were now waiting for treatment in emergency rooms at the DMS’s Lerdsin Hospital and Nopparat Hospital.

Bangkok has a total of 36,977 hospital beds for Covid-19 patients.

However, there are currently 37,668 Covid cases in need of treatment or 691 more than the capacity.

Meanwhile, for “green” category (mild) cases, 1,021 beds are available at hospitels and 257 at field hospitals.

As Bangkok’s daily caseload surges beyond 2,000, scenes of Covid-19 patients lying in hospital corridors and even car parks have added to public alarm.

The bed shortage is being exacerbated by the need to have separate Intensive Care Unit facilities for Covid-19 patients so that infection does not spread to other severely ill patients.

Patients were being tested for Covid-19 before admission to ICUs, Somsak said. The most practical solution was to send those infected with coronavirus to a designated ward, he added.

Bangkok health officials have asked the Army to deploy medics to help cope with the tide of new Covid cases.

Published : July 26, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003780

Warring monkeys bring Lopburi traffic to a standstill

A fierce battle between three groups of monkeys brought a busy intersection in Lopburi province to a standstill on Sunday.

The war was between the Phra Prang Sam Yod group, the market group and the Government Savings Bank lot.

The clip posted on the “Pong Muang Thong” Facebook page shows hordes of monkeys fighting at the intersection near Lopburi’s Phra Kan shrine.

The maker of the video clip explained that the battle was between three groups of monkeys from Phra Prang Sam Yod, the Government Savings Bank and the market.

Normally, these monkeys fight over food, but not this time. There has been discord among the leaders of the three groups for a while, and something seems to have sparked this street battle.

Many monkeys were injured in the battle and peace returned when one of the leaders surrendered and withdrew his troops.

ADVERTISEMENTx

Warring monkeys bring Lopburi traffic to a standstill

Warring monkeys bring Lopburi traffic to a standstill

Published : July 26, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003783

Bangkok battles rising contagion with rapid antigen tests

Rapid antigen tests are the latest weapon being deployed by Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) in its battle against the wave of Covid-19 infections threatening to swamp the capital.

Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang said BMA has so far deployed officials to conduct rapid Covid-19 tests on Bangkokians living in six districts.

“Antigen test kits are being used at six testing stations to facilitate residents and speed up proactive testing,” he said. The test kits provide results within 30 minutes and are over 90 per cent accurate, he added.

People who get a negative result after taking an antigen test will be allowed to return home, while those who test positive must take an RT-PCR test to confirm the infection, he said.

“This method enables the BMA to conduct tests on 1,000 to 2,000 people per day and laboratories to return test results within two days,” he said.

He added that the National Health Security Office (NHSO) will offer the home/community isolation service or hospitalisation to people whose rapid antigen test comes back positive.

ADVERTISEMENTx

Bangkok battles rising contagion with rapid antigen testsBangkok battles rising contagion with rapid antigen tests

Bangkok registered 2,573 new infections on Monday as the country logged a new daily high of 15,376 Covid-19 cases, with 87 deaths.

Of them 11,064 have been infected locally, 3,257 were found via proactive tests, 1,041 were inmates and 14 were returnees.

Bangkok battles rising contagion with rapid antigen testsBangkok battles rising contagion with rapid antigen tests

Published : July 26, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003779

Govt must reveal full details of vaccine contracts, say academics and media

Thai academics and mass media workers on Monday issued a statement demanding that the government reveal details of its Covid-19 vaccine management and distribution, under open standards for data.

The statement, which was signed by 333 scholars, mass media agencies and members of the public, said the government must publish details of the process by which each type of vaccine was proposed, approved, procured and distributed in Thailand. The documents must include the number of doses procured, their delivery dates, penalties in case of late delivery, and other details specified in the purchasing contract, it added.

“Furthermore, the government must provide information on vaccine allocation, vaccination plan and daily updates on the vaccination rate with details of vaccine type, target groups and responsible agencies in each province,” read the statement.

“We exercise our right under section 41 (1) of the 2017 Constitution and the Official Information Act of 1997, which state that a person and community shall have the right to be informed and have access to public data or information in possession of a state agency as provided by law,” the statement continued. “We demand that the government provide the information under international open data standards, and in a machine-readable format (XLS or CSV file type) so that people can easily access the information.”

“This demand aims to promote the fair and efficient management and distribution of vaccine and create a cooperative atmosphere between public and private sectors so that we can overcome this crisis together,” said the network.

The statement was issued following a leaked letter from AstraZeneca to the Thai Public Health Ministry that showed the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company was contracted to supply just 5-6 million doses of vaccine per month. The revelation contradicted the Thai government’s claim that it had procured 10 million doses of AstraZeneca per month for the rest of the year and stirred further public concern over authorities’ management of the Covid-19 crisis.

Published : July 26, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003778

DDC offers simple guidelines for isolating at home

Nearly 12 per cent of individuals who have come in close physical contact with Covid-19 patients have tested positive, the Department of Disease Control (DDC) announced recently.

It added that the only way the spread of the virus can be curbed is if those who test positive isolate themselves for at least 14 days.

If living with family members, DDC said personal hygiene must be of top priority for Covid-19 patients. The infected person’s sleeping, living and dining quarters must be separate and every member of the household must always wear a mask and wash their hands frequently.
If the patient’s body temperature is higher than 37.5 degrees Celsius with symptoms like coughing, runny nose, lethargy and diarrhoea, they are required to immediately visit a doctor or the nearest Department of Health Service centre.

In a bid to cut down infections and Covid-related deaths, DDC director-general Opas Karnkwinphong has called for people to cooperate and quarantine when necessary. He said home isolation can be practised in any type of accommodation.

ADVERTISEMENTx

DDC offers simple guidelines for isolating at home

Here are guidelines:
Isolating at home safely
• Always stay inside
• Maintain a 2-metre distance from other people in the house
• Sleep in a separate room with a different pillow and blanket
• Keep pets away as they can carry the virus on their fur
• Eat alone
• Get delivery staff to leave parcels outside
• Exercise or read books
• Use a separate bathroom or clean it immediately after use
• Use disinfectant on all surfaces
• Seek medical help immediately if you have coughing, difficulty in breathing, sore throat, runny nose or body ache.

Source: Department of Disease Control

Published : July 26, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003776

Photos of medics tending to Covid-19 patients in parking lot grip social media

Dramatic images posted on Facebook of medical staff tending to Covid-19 patients in a parking lot were met with loud applause and appreciation.

The pictures were posted by Bangkok’s Ratchaphiphat Hospital.

Thailand’s medical staff and hospitals have been overwhelmed as the number of new Covid-19 cases has been hitting more than 15,000 daily.

In the post on Sunday, the hospital said medical staff had to tend to patients in the parking lot because its emergency room was overflowing. The hospital also thanked its staff for doing their best.

The post went viral and attracted messages of support and encouragement for Thailand’s medical personnel.

Published : July 26, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003775

There’s enough oxygen for everyone in Thailand: Suriya

Thailand’s supply of medical oxygen is adequate for the current demand and people should not worry about shortages, Industry Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit said on Monday.

He was speaking in response to the fact that people have started hoarding oxygen canisters, fearing shortages now that the number of daily Covid-19 cases has been soaring for the past couple of weeks.

“The ministry’s Department of Industrial Works has contacted industrial gas manufacturers under the Federation of Thai Industries, gas-filling factories as well as gas container manufacturers about their current capacity and all have confirmed that they can produce enough medical oxygen for people’s needs during the outbreak,” he said.

“Currently we have 15 factories manufacturing oxygen at 1,860 tonnes per day. They are located in Ayutthaya, Saraburi, Chonburi, Rayong, Songkhla, Lamphun and Chiang Mai,” added Suriya. “In August a new factory will open in Rayong, driving the country’s total capacity to 2,200 tonnes per day.

“The department reports that country’s total oxygen demand is at 1,260 tonnes per day on average. Of this, the industrial sector consumes 660 tonnes daily, while the medical sector requires 400 to 600 tonnes daily,” Suriya said.

Published : July 26, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003774

Another high of 15,376 infections, 87 deaths as Thailand rises in global list of most cases

Thailand hit a new high with 15,376 Covid-19 infections and 87 deaths on Monday.

Of them, 11,064 patients were infected locally, 3,257 were found via proactive tests, 1,041 were inmates and 14 returnees.

Bangkok leads the list with 2,573 infections, followed by 1,074 in Samut Sakhon, 970 in Samut Prakan, 867 in Chonburi and 719 in Nonthaburi.

Meanwhile, 6,782 patients have recovered and been discharged in the last 24 hours.

As of Monday, the number of confirmed cases in Thailand had risen to 512,678. So far, 341,475 have recovered and been discharged, 167,057 patients are still in hospitals and 4,146 have died.

Separately, 80,943 people were given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, while 9,991 people were given their second shot, bringing the total number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in Thailand to 15,960,778.

ADVERTISEMENTx

According to Worldometer, the number of confirmed cases globally had on Monday risen to 194.84 million, 176.79 million of whom have recovered, 13.88 million are still in hospital and 4.17 million have died.

Thailand ranks 47th on the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 35.19 million, followed by India with 31.40 million, Brazil with 19.68 million, Russia with 6.12 million and France 5.99 million.

Another high of 15,376 infections, 87 deaths as Thailand rises in global list of most cases

Published : July 26, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003773

10 Thai women caught trying to sneak across from Myanmar

Soldiers nabbed 10 Thai women who were trying to sneak into Thailand from Myanmar via the border in Tak’s Mae Sot district.

The women were found hiding inside a cornfield near Moei River and sent to Mae Sot Municipality field hospital for Covid-19 tests before being quarantined.

“If any of them test positive, they will be treated at the field hospital or shifted to a hospital depending on their symptoms,” soldiers said.

ADVERTISEMENTx

10 Thai women caught trying to sneak across from Myanmar

The soldiers said these women worked at a casino in Myanmar’s Myawaddy area, adding that most Thais who worked at this casino had tested positive.

10 Thai women caught trying to sneak across from Myanmar

“Many people have been trying to sneak across from Myanmar, but they cannot escape us because we keep a close eye on the border area,” the troops said.

Published : July 26, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003772

NMG chairman queries shot allocations as Buri Ram police force gets third shot

In a Facebook post on Sunday, Nation Multimedia Group (NMG)’s chairman Shine Bunnag asked why Buri Ram police officers were being given a third AstraZeneca jab while 38 million members of the Thai population have not got their first shot.

He posted the comment after spotting a photograph shared on social media of 11 police officers in Buri Ram getting a third jab of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

“Recent data from the Royal Thai Police shows that 72 per cent of more than 20,000 police officers are fully vaccinated. Also, I wonder why it is important for Buri Ram police officers to get a third jab when the province is not even a ‘dark red’ zone,” Shine said in his post.

“Social inequality and abuse of power are some common issues that Prayut Chan-o-cha’s government has never been able to solve despite its promises,” he added.

“With 1.5 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine to be delivered on July 29, I call on the premier to strictly allocate at least 500,000 doses for frontline medical personnel as promised.

“Please do not let ‘people of different colours’, ‘powerful people’, ‘local political influencers’ or the ‘Public Health Ministry’s VIPs’ snatch the vaccines from those in need,” he said.

Published : July 26, 2021

By : The Nation