Resignation letter with news of 30m baht lottery win goes viral
A resignation letter became a social media sensation on Tuesday after the writer explained he was quitting because he had won 30 million baht (US$985,500) in the lottery.
The letter was sent by a worker at the subdistrict administrative organisation (SAO) in Chiang Rai. After being leaked online it was shared and commented on widely across social media. Many netizens fantasised about what they would do with the huge windfall.
However, when the Chiang Rai SAO was asked about the resignation letter, they said the document was not in their system. An SAO official said the social media post could be a prank.
Royal College of Paediatricians advises against vaccinating healthy children
Thailand’s Royal College of Paediatricians on Monday advised parents not to vaccinate healthy children against Covid-19 until more is known about the vaccines.
The advice was part of a five-point guideline for treatment of novel coronavirus infections among children issued by the college.
It noted that 13,806 children under 18 years old had contracted Covid-19 from April 1 to June 15, accounting for 7.8 per cent of all infections. Four of those children have died (0.03 per cent of total deaths), said the college’s statement, citing Department of Disease Control figures.
“However, data as of July 13 shows that 33,020 children have tested positive, increasing to 13.2 per cent of total infections. This points to a lack of proper prevention or control of the outbreak among children,” it added.
The only vaccine currently approved for use in children aged over 12 years is Pfizer’s mRNA jab, following endorsement by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 10.
“In Thailand, Pfizer vaccine was approved by the Thai FDA for use in children over 12 on June 24. However, the vaccine is still in the process of being imported and is not yet generally available,” it said.
“Meanwhile, Sinovac vaccine has been used in China among children aged 3 to 17 and found to have boosted their immunity. However, there is still no evidence of efficacy in preventing the virus in children,” it added.
The college offered a five-point guideline for parents on vaccination and how to protect their children against Covid-19.
1. The college does not recommend giving any Covid-19 vaccine to children who are healthy until there is more evidence about vaccine efficacy in children.
2. Children who have underlying health problems such as obesity, chronic respiratory disease, chronic kidney disease, cancer and diabetes should be inoculated with a vaccine approved by the Public Health Ministry to prevent severe symptoms and deaths from Covid-19.
3. All adults who are close to such children should be vaccinated.
4. Build a habit of protecting oneself from Covid-19 among children, including wearing a face mask, washing hands regularly and maintaining social distance.
5. If they can, parents should work from home during the outbreak and limit visits from outsiders.
Thailand signs contract for 20 million Pfizer jabs
The Department of Disease Control (DDC) signed a contract with Pfizer-BioNTech to procure 20 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.
The event, held at the Public Health Ministry offices in Nonthaburi, saw the contract signed by DDC director-general Dr Opas Karnkawinpong and Deborah Seifert, Pfizer country manager for Thailand and Indonesia.
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and other ministry officials were also present.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been registered with Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration since June 24, and deliveries are expected to kick off in the fourth quarter of this year.
Pfizer-BioNTech said on Tuesday that it plans to manufacture up to 3 billion doses of the vaccine for global supply by the end of this year.
Thailand signs contract for 20 million Pfizer jabs
Business leaders extend help to Phitsanulok residents
Some members of the Thai business community got together in Phitsanulok province to lend a helping hand to locals suffering from the Covid-19 crisis.
In the event, held along the province’s main thoroughfares like Mittraphap and Thamma Bucha roads, people were handed essentials like bags of rice, processed and cooked food.
Naree Cheewasutthisilp, the owner of Madame Fin perfume brand, reportedly handed out 100 packed meals to passersby on Thamma Bucha Road in Muang district.
Three locally produced Covid jabs will be ready next year: govt
The government announced via its Thai Khu Fah Facebook page on Tuesday that three locally produced Covid-19 vaccines will be ready for administration by next year. Details provided about the vaccines are as follows:
• CU-Cov19 (mRNA): Developed in collaboration with Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine and the University of Pennsylvania. Currently at human-trial phase.
• HXP-GPO Vac (inactivated): Developed by the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation in collaboration with Mahidol University and the United States’ PATH Institute. Currently at human-trial phase.
• Baiya SARS-CoV-1 Vax 1: Developed from tobacco leaves by Baiya Phytopharm and Chulalongkorn University. This vaccine has been successfully tested on animals and will soon be tried out on humans.
Thammasat is out of beds, AstraZeneca vaccine stocks running very low
Thammasat Field Hospital announced in a Facebook post on Monday that it has reached its capacity both in terms of available beds and vaccine doses.
“Today should have been the day we celebrated our 100th day of operation, but instead we were hit by news of more than 11,000 new patients,” the post said. “So far, 72 of the hospital’s doctors, nurses and supporting staff have contracted Covid-19 and more than 30 others are still in quarantine. All 19 beds in ICU and negative pressure rooms are occupied, while the 32 beds for near-critical patients who require high-flow oxygen therapy are also full.
“We are deeply sorry to say that from tomorrow, the Thammasat Field Hospital will no longer accept new patients or those transferred from other hospitals,” the post read. “Currently we have over 400 patients in our care which has nearly exceeded the capacity of our remaining personnel.
“New patients will have to enter the home isolation programme, which may be the only way of bringing the outbreak in Thailand under control, provided we can procure more vaccines and new infections do not rise beyond the current rate,” the post read.
The hospital also added that its stock of AstraZeneca vaccines, administered at the rate of 2,000 jabs per day, will only last until Friday. There are more than 50,000 people who have registered with the hospital for their jabs from July 24 onwards.
11,305 new cases, 80 deaths in Thailand over past 24 hours
Thailand logged 11,305 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, pushing the country’s caseload up to 426,475. Deaths over the past 24-hours stood at 80.
Of the total infections, 8,599 had tested positive in hospitals, 2,097 were found during proactive testing, 595 were found in prisons and 14 were arrivals from overseas.
Meanwhile, 6,557 patients have recovered and been discharged in the last 24 hours.
Of the total 426,475 cases, 296,208 have recovered and been discharged, 126,765 patients are still in hospitals, and 3,502 have died.
Separately, another 217,419 people were given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, while 31,229 were given their second shot, bringing the total Covid-19 vaccines administered in Thailand to 14,547,244.
According to Worldometer, as of 11am on Tuesday, the number of confirmed cases globally had risen to 191.71 million, 174.56 million of whom have recovered, 13.04 million are active cases 80,954 in severe condition) and 4.11 million have died (up by 6,840).
Thailand ranks 52nd on the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 35.01 million, followed by India with 31.17 million, Brazil with 19.39 million, France with 5.98 million and Russia 5.87 million.
Bangkok’s Lerdsin Hospital suspends emergency services for now
Lerdsin Hospital in Bangkok’s Bang Rak area announced on Tuesday that it was suspending its emergency services and would no longer accept any trauma cases.
The reason for this is that the hospital is overwhelmed by Covid-19 cases, and it does not have enough medical personnel.
The Facebook announcement said emergency services will be reopened once the situation returns to normal.
Thailand logged 11,305 new Covid-19 cases and 80 deaths on Tuesday.
Samutprakan Hospital director applauds medics for making ‘miracles’
In a message on Samutprakan Hospital’s Facebook page, director Dr Namphol Danphiphat applauded every doctor, nurse and medic under him for their “miraculous” work with Covid-19 patients.
There are close to 200 Covid patients in the hospital and another 2,400 in field hospitals its staff are responsible for.
The director said the hospital personnel’s work went beyond expectations and it is a miracle that everyone has the energy to continue battling against the virus.
He added that though there may be arguments and conflicts due to the ongoing pressure, people can come and talk to him directly if they have problems.
“Don’t hesitate to tell me what I can do for you,” he said.
In his post, Dr Namphol also said he wanted to tell everyone that he and his medics “have done their best for Samut Prakan and the country.
“I want to motivate you and tell you that conflicts and differences of opinions are part of our experience,” he said.
First jab available for expats aged 75+ at Bang Sue Grand Station
Thailand signs contract for 20 million Pfizer jabs
