By THE NATIONThousands of netizens liked and shared photos from the Public Relations Department’s @PRD1KK Facebook page, which showed medical professionals and staff at Nakhon Ratchasima’s Pak Chong Hospital falling asleep on their chairs, at their desks and even on the floor after long hours of testing and providing Covid-19 treatment to patients.
(Photo: Facebook @PRD1KK)
(Photo: Facebook @PRD1KK)
Besides liking the April 12 post and widely sharing the photos on social media, netizens added their comments, profusely thanking the staff for their hard work and for striving to keep the community safe in this health crisis. Others urged readers to take care of themselves and stay healthy to lighten the workload at hospitals, especially during this Songkran festival.
As of Tuesday, Nakhon Ratchasima reported 123 new Covid-19 cases since the new outbreak emerged in late March.
Governor Wichian Chantharothai has responded by ordering that the Chartchai Building at King Rama IX’s 80th Birthday Stadium be converted into a 120-bed field hospital, which is set to open today, Wednesday.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s Songkran message to everyone in Thailand and to the Thai community in Australia.
Songkran, Thai New Year & Water Festival 2021
I send my warmest greetings to everyone celebrating Songkran, one of the most anticipated and joyous moment on the Thai calendar.
As with so many of our most-loved religious and cultural festivals, Songkran is an opportunity to reaffirm one’s faith while celebrating the traditional Thai New Year with family and friends, and the playful splashing of water.
This symbolic cleansing of past misfortunes has deeper significance in 2021, as we reflect on a year that has brought challenges like no other.
In the lead-up to Songkran in 2020, I wrote that Australia will rise to the challenge ahead, strengthened by our families, neighbours and hop for better days.
However, this New Year we can see the future from here: better days are ahead.
Nevertheless, this New Year will be tinged with sadness as many in the Thai Australian community will be missing loved ones. That yearning to see our families is so understandable.
Throughout the pandemic, Australia’s multicultural communities have shown leadership and been a source of hope and confidence. It is a confidence that underscores the enormous contributions of the Thai community to many parts of Australian life.
It also provides a solid foundation for Australia’s deepening friendship with Thailand, expressed through the bonds between our peoples, and our collaboration on trade, education and so many other areas.
I thank the Thai Australian community for your contribution to our multicultural success story and I send my best wishes for a safe and healthy year ahead.
The latest wave of Covid-19 in Thailand emerged in Bangkok in late March and has spread rapidly since then to several provinces, with the highest number of new cases found per day since the first outbreak.
As the number of patients climbs, hospitals have become more crowded, not to speak of the risk of infection they pose to general patients and visitors. A few hospitals have even taken the extreme step of shutting their doors after finding that some of their staff contracted Covid-19.
Amid this desperate situation, a host of hospitals have urged people to seek health services via their telemedicine channels that include real-time doctor-patient consultations via video call and even home deliveries of medicines.
Siriraj Hospital, for example, announced on Monday that patients not requiring emergency treatment should postpone their visits or opt for telemedicine services until April 23, after a medic at the hospital tested positive for Covid-19 on coming into contact with an infected person outside the hospital.
Ramathibodi Hospital also announced it had put into operation a telemedicine system since April 1, aiming to serve those existing patients who have chronic diseases and need to visit the hospital regularly. Ramathibodi asked patients who do not have immediate medical needs to postpone their visits to the hospital until the virus situation improves.
Meanwhile, Bumrungrad Hospital has developed a mobile application called “Bumrungrad Anywhere”, which provides doctor consultations via smartphones or tablets in real time from 7am to 11pm every day. Available on both App Store and Google Play Store, the application boasts the highest safety in patients’ confidential information. The hospital charges Bt500 for 15 minutes of consultation, which can be paid either by credit card or mobile banking.
Samitivej Hospital, too, has established a virtual service that offers real-time consultations with doctors via video calls, available 24 hours a day, as well as home visits to take blood samples and deliver medication. Samitivej Virtual Hospital services are available via the Samitivej Plus mobile application, the hospital website or the @Samitivej Line app.
Princ hospital is offering its DrPrinc TeleHealth service via Line @Dr.Princ, where medical professionals will provide consultations 24/7 on weekdays and from 9am to 5pm on weekends. The hospital will provide these services free of charge until the Covid-19 situation gets better.
Nine public hospitals in Bangkok under the National Health Security Office are also offering selected telemedicine services such as consultation via video conferencing, taking blood sample at patients’ homes and drug deliveries through the postal service. They are BMA General Hospital, Taksin Hospital, Charoenkrung Pracharak Hospital, Luang Phor Taweesak Chutinataro Uthit Hospital, Wetchakarunrasm Hospital, BMA Lat Krabang Hospital, Rachapiphat Hospital, Sirindhorn Hospital and Bang Khun Thian Geriatric Hospital.
The Public Health Ministry will start vaccinating the general public against Covid-19 around mid-May, when the first lot of the locally manufactured AstraZeneca vaccine will be ready, Public Health permanent secretary Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit said.
“The government aims to have 50-60 per cent of the population vaccinated as soon as possible to effectively control the outbreak,” he said.
“We will also expand the vaccination units by collaborating with the private sector, which will provide locations such as at shopping malls or other modern trade venues. This will maximise the number of people getting vaccinated per day from the current rate of 500 per day per hospital,” Kiattiphum said.
Since February 28, Thailand has been vaccinating people in high risk groups – medical professionals and those who have close contact with patients.
According to statistics from the government’s Covid-19 Information Centre, 578,532 doses of vaccine have been given to people in all 77 provinces from February 28 to April 12. Of these, 505,215 received their first jab while 73,317 received a second jab.
“There are four channels where people can register to get the vaccine: via the “Mor Phrom” (Doctors Ready) Line official account; the mobile Mor Phrom application that will be ready for download on May 1 initially on Android phones; at hospital via telephone, or by contacting public health volunteers nationwide,” he added.
Those who have been vaccinated will receive both a paper and digital certificate (in the form of a QR code), which they can use to verify their vaccinations. The ministry expects vaccine passports for international travel to be ready in June, once the World Health Organisation finalises the all-important criteria.
A heat low cell is presently covering upper Thailand and will result in increasing temperatures with haze in this region, the Meteorological Department said on Wednesday, adding that the lower North, the lower Northeast, the Central region, including Bangkok and its vicinity, and the East will experience a hot, hazy day and scattered rain as southerly and southeasterly winds bring moisture from the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand.
The department also said a southwesterly wind prevails across the Andaman Sea, the South and the Gulf of Thailand, and will bring thundershowers to especially the South.
Here’s the weather forecast for the next 24 hours:
North: Hot day with haze and thundershowers in 30 per cent of the area, gusty winds are possible in some areas; temperature lows of 22-25 degrees and highs of 35-39 degrees Celsius.
Northeast: Hot day with haze and thundershowers in 40 per cent of the area, gusty winds are possible in some areas; temperature lows of 23-26 degrees and highs of 35-37 degrees Celsius.
Central: Hot day with haze and thundershowers in 40 per cent of the area, gusty winds are possible in some areas; temperature lows of 24-26 degrees, highs of 36-38 degrees Celsius.
East: Hot day with haze and thundershowers in 40 per cent of the area, gusty winds are possible in some areas; temperature lows of 24-27 degrees, highs of 32-36 degrees Celsius; waves less than a metre high and over 1 metre during thundershowers.
South (east coast): Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the area with heavy rains in some areas; temperature lows of 23-25 degrees, highs of 32-34 degrees Celsius; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.
South (west coast): Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 22-25 degrees, highs of 32-34 degrees Celsius; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.
Bangkok and surrounding areas: Hot day with haze and thundershowers in 30 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 26-27 degrees, highs of 34-37 degrees Celsius.
All Covid-19 cases, even asymptomatic ones, must be treated in hospital to cut down on fatalities and curb the spread of disease, Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Department of Disease Control (DDC), said on Tuesday.
His statement came in response to an online influencer urging asymptomatic people to isolate themselves at home.
Dr Opas said every infected person needs to be closely monitored by a medical team because many asymptomatic cases were found to have pneumonia. Also, many were found to worsen while in hospital.
Patients who have a chest infection can spread the virus by simply breathing, which is why every infected person needs to be admitted to hospital, he said.
He added that people who are in close contact with the infected person, such as family members, have a 40 to 50 per cent chance of getting infected and this risk rises to 100 per cent when they are in constant close contact. A simple 5-minute conversation with an infected person boosts the chance of transmission by 5 to 7 per cent, he said.
Also, he added, the highly infectious UK strain may see cases having to be quarantined under medical supervision for 14 days at least.
He also pointed out that thousands of beds are available in private hospitals, while more than 4,000 beds have been made available at “hospitels” (hotels with medical facilities) for asymptomatic patients.
“I am confident that there are enough hospital beds to accommodate all Covid-19 cases,” Dr Opas said.
As for protective gear for health workers, he said the stock of N95 masks should be enough for 12 months, other masks for nine months and PPE suits for five months.
He also said that 575,000 tablets of Favipiravir are available and another 500,000 have been ordered.
There are 277 labs across the country and 81,700 samples can be tested daily. Currently only up to 30,000 samples are tested per day.
The Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC) is planning to offer private sites to accommodate the soon-to-be-launched mass vaccination drive.
Sanan Angubolkul, chairman of the TCC board, said hospitals and clinics under the jurisdiction of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) may not be able to accommodate too many people at the same time.
He said new venues will be considered on the criteria of convenience, ease of access, connection with public transport, sufficient parking and ability to accommodate at least 2,000 people per day. There should also be enough space to ensure social distancing and enough seats for people waiting for their turn.
All facilities will be linked to medical personnel and emergency services will be prepared to deliver urgent cases to hospital within 15 minutes.
“Businesses under TCC have proposed 49 sites across Bangkok, including hotels and shopping malls. Once we have surveyed the sites, a report will be presented to the BMA to choose the seven most suitable sites. If this proves successful, TCC will apply the same technique in different provinces. So far, 234 businesses across the nation have offered their sites as vaccination venues,” he said.
Nakhon Ratchasima reports new Covid cluster at BBQ restaurant
NationalApr 13. 2021Representational image of Thai-style barbecue buffet
By THE NATION
Health officials in Nakhon Ratchasima say 13 staff at a barbecue buffet restaurant in Muang district have tested positive for Covid-19.
The staff were tested after an investigation of a Covid-19 patient’s timeline revealed that she had eaten at the restaurant on April 5. The restaurant, located in front of Rajamangala University of Technology Isan on Sura Narai Road, shut its doors on April 10 and all staff were ordered to get a Covid test.
Health officials in the Northeast province announced on Monday that anyone who visited the restaurant between April 5 and 9 should get a test immediately.
As of Monday, Nakhon Ratchasima had reported 114 new cases of Covid-19 since the new outbreak emerged in late March. Governor Wichian Chantharothai has responded by ordering that the Chartchai Building at King Rama IX’s 80th Birthday Anniversary Stadium be converted into a 120-bed field hospital, which is set to open on Wednesday (April 14).
Chiang Mai Zoo has closed its doors for two weeks after an intern working with its animals tested positive for Covid-19. The zoo will be closed for 14 days from April 11-24 and at-risk staff will be tested and quarantined, said its director, Wuttichai Muangman.
The zoo will also be cleaned with disinfectant before reopening to the public, he added.
The intern tested positive after working at the zoo on April 5-7.
On Tuesday, a veterinary team checked 125 animals at risk of exposure to the virus. Among the at-risk animals were monkeys, tigers and palm civets. All were found to be healthy, with no respiratory or other symptoms.
Cases of the new coronavirus spreading from humans to other mammals have been recorded around the world, including in the US where a tiger a New York Zoo became the first animal in the country to test positive for Covid-19. However, the risk of animals spreading Covid-19 to people is considered to be low, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Police have been instructed to inspect all ownership and shareholding documents of two entertainment venues believed to be the source of the latest cluster of infections.
Deputy Metropolitan Police chief Pol Maj-General Piya Tawichai said studies show that the cluster of infections in Bangkok’s Thong Lor area was sparked in two venues – Krystal Club and Emerald Thonglor13. The clubs are temporarily closed.
Lawsuits have also been filed against the managers of the two establishments for unauthorised opening and violating regulations under the state of emergency. They also face action for failing to produce business licences.
The Bangkok South Municipal Court sentenced the two defendants to two months in jail each on April 9.
Police are also hunting for the real owners of the nightspots.
Pol General Sophon Saraphat, commander of Metropolitan Police 5, said documents are being studied to see how the venues are run and who are the shareholders. Licences of the venues will also be checked more closely to see if any regulations have been violated.
The venues have initially been closed for 30 days, while authorities look into whether they should be shuttered for five years pending investigation.
(Photo: Facebook @PRD1KK)
(Photo: Facebook @australiainthailand)
Representational image of Thai-style barbecue buffet
Pol Maj-General Piya Tawichai
