The Covid-19 outbreak linked to Bangkok entertainment venues rose to 504 cases across the country on Wednesday, as the government prepared to close pubs and bars in 41 provinces to deal with the situation.
On Thursday, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) said cases from the Bangkok Thong Lor cluster have been found in 20 provinces between March 22 and April 7.
The provinces affected are Bangkok (356 cases), Chonburi (31), Samut Prakan (28), Sa Kaew (20), Suphanburi (18), Nonthaburi (16), Nakhon Pathom (8), Pathum Thani (6), Prachuap Khiri Khan (6), Chiang Mai (2), Khon Kaen (2), Chumphon (2), Samut Sakhon (2), Loei (1), Kanchanaburi (1), Tak (1), Ayutthaya (1), Phuket (1), Lopburi (1) and Lampang (1).
The highly contagious British strain of the virus has been identified as the cause of the outbreak.
CCSA spokesperson Taweesin Visanuyothin added that the Public Health Ministry planned to close at-risk entertainment venues in 41 provinces for at least two weeks to deal with the new outbreak.
The idea will be proposed to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in his capacity as chief of the CCSA.
Taweesin said the government did not want to implement overly severe measures across the whole country.
He also asked companies to consider adopting a work-from-home policy for staff. He added that people were free to travel between provinces. However, experts and authorities have discouraged people from travelling over Songkran if they can avoid it.
The number of passengers at Thailand’s six main airports dropped by about 20 million or 94.82 per cent to 2.14 million in the first two months of 2021 from a year earlier, Airports of Thailand (AOT) reported on Thursday.
“Total passengers at Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Phuket and Mae Fah Luang-Chiang Rai airports in January and February amounted to 2,414,209 people, with 2,289,739 are domestic passengers and 124,470 international passengers,” said AOT. Passenger volume dropped 92.65 in January and 99.2 per cent in February, year on year.
Don Mueang recorded the most passengers at 894,145, followed by Suvarnabhumi at 728,215, Chiang Mai at 264,675, Phuket at 208,708, Hat Yai at 197,518 and Chiang Rai at 120,681.
A total of 34,739 flights landed at the six airports in January and February, dropping 91.21 per cent year on year. Of these, 24,389 flights were domestic and 10,350 international. Suvarnabhumi saw the most flights at 17,038, followed by Don Mueang at 9,744, Chiang Mai at 2,765, Phuket at 2,298, Hat Yai at 1,792, and Chiang Rai at 1,102 flights.
AOT said the Covid-19 pandemic has severely affected the airline industry worldwide.
The Public Health Ministry plans to close entertainment venues in 41 provinces, namely those with confirmed Covid-19 cases and those at risk, for at least two weeks to deal with the new outbreak.
The idea will be proposed to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in his capacity as chief of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).
The 41 provinces in question are Bangkok, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Prakan, Samut Songkhram, Samut Sakhon, Ayutthaya, Saraburi, Lopburi, Nakhon Nayok, Chonburi, Rayong, Chachoengsao, Sa Kaew, Chanthaburi, Prachinburi, Saraburi, Suphanburi, Kanchanaburi, Phetchaburi, Ranong, Chumphon, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Surat Thani, Songkhla, Yala, Narathiwat, Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen, Chaiyaphum, Udon Thani, Buriram, Tak, Loei, Chiang Mai, Lampang, Chiang Rai, Phuket and Phetchabun.
The government is not monopolising the purchase of Covid-19 vaccines and is not blocking the private sector from importing them, government deputy spokesperson Traisuree Taisaranakul said on Thursday.
In a bid to clarify “inaccurate” information that is confusing the public, she said the demand for vaccines is far higher than the production capacity.
“According to the Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Ministry, as of April 5, countries had placed orders for up to 9.6 billion doses, and only 658 million doses have been administered so far,” she said.
“Apart from AstraZeneca and Sinovac, the government is also trying to procure vaccines from other manufacturers to meet the demand.”
She said many countries have approved specific Covid-19 vaccines for emergency use, while many manufacturers have offered to sell directly to government agencies.
“The government is willing to allow private sectors to import vaccines, and the Food and Drug Administration [FDA] is ready to issue a licence for private companies to import them,” she said.
She added that the FDA has, so far, approved the AstraZeneca, Sinovac and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
“India’s Bharat Biotech has submitted its application to the FDA, while Moderna from the US, China’s Sinopharm and Russia’s Sputnik V are being reviewed by the FDA,” she added.
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Thursday reported 405 new cases, including 14 brought in from overseas.
Of the remaining 391 infections, 197 had been contracted locally and 194 found via proactive testing.
The 14 arrivals, both Thai and foreign nationals, included six from the United Arab Emirates, two from Bangladesh, and one each from India, Malaysia, Switzerland, France, the UK and Turkey.
Meanwhile, 32 patients have recovered and been discharged.
As of Thursday, the number of confirmed cases in Thailand had risen to 30,310. Of these, 27,133 had been contracted locally, including 16,690 who were found via proactive testing, while 3,177 were returnees.
So far, 28,101 have recovered and been discharged, 2,114 patients are being treated, and 95 have died (35 in the second outbreak).
According to Worldometer, as of 10am on Thursday, the number of confirmed cases globally had risen to 133.68 million (up by 651,878), 107.80 million of whom have recovered, 22.98 million are active cases (100,924 in severe condition) and 2.90 million have died (up by 12,969).
Thailand ranks 113th on the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 31.63 million, followed by Brazil 13.19 million, India 12.92 million, France 4.84 million and Russia 4.60 million.
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul wore a face mask “almost all the time” when participating in a merit-making event by his Bhumjaithai Party, said Anutin’s secretary Watcharapong Kuwijitsuwan in response to a controversial photo which showed the minister without a mask on Tuesday.
Anutin was pictured without his face mask while sitting next to Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob on Tuesday – a day before Saksayam tested positive for Covid-19.
In response to the alarming photo, Watcharapong told the press that Anutin wore the mask “almost all the time he was at the event, except to eat or drink, or when it was hard to breathe”.
Watcharapong added that Auntin took his face mask off for only a short period. And the minister tried not to remove his face mask when he was seated near others without any masks.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered an immediate 14-day shutdown of entertainment venues or restaurants where a Covid-19 infection is found, government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri confirmed on Thursday.
“The measure has been effective since April 5 in a bid to prevent Covid-19 from spreading further after a new outbreak linked to entertainment venues such as pubs, bars and karaoke parlours,” he said.
“If an infection is found at any of these businesses, it will be shut down for at least two weeks. In case infections are found across many businesses in the same area, they will all be shut for at least 14 days,” he clarified.
Anucha said restaurants were still allowed to open, but they have to employ strict Covid-19 preventive measures. “If any infection is found at any restaurant, it will be ordered shut for at least two weeks as well,” he said.
“The prime minister also granted the communicable disease committee in each province the power to consider shutting down any business for at least two weeks if it is related to an outbreak in their province,” Anucha said.
“In case of an emergency situation, the provincial governor could issue a temporary shutdown order on public places such as markets, meeting halls, theatres and schools, provided that such an order is approved by the provincial communicable disease committee,” added Anucha.
The baht opened at 31.38 to the US dollar on Thursday, weakening from its close of 31.36 on Wednesday.The Thai currency is likely to move between 31.35 and 31.45 during the day, Krungthai Bank market strategist Poon Panichpibool said.
He mentioned that the new wave of Covid-19 in Thailand was the key problem this time around.
Chulalongkorn University’s virology centre reported on Wednesday that samples collected from entertainment venues in Bangkok’s Thong Lor area carried the British strain, which spreads “1.7 times faster” than the normal strain leading to a “viral load that is far higher” in the patient.
Poon said market players would sell their Thai assets if the government could not deal with this new and more severe wave in the country. However, he predicted that the direction of the Thai stock market would not change sharply or drastically, as there was still an opportunity for investment.
Poon noted that “the baht is still moving in line with the dollar, as well as the new Covid-19 situation in the country”. He said it was possible the baht would weaken more than 31.30 per US dollar.
He also predicted that the baht would move between 31.50 to 31.75 per US dollar during the week following the Songkran festival.
The Covid-19 subcommittee of the WHO Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) has reviewed reports of rare cases of blood clots with low platelets in some people given the AstraZeneca vaccine, the World Health Organisation subcommittee said in a press release, adding that the “causal relationship between the vaccine and the occurrence of blood clots with low platelets is considered plausible but is not confirmed”.
At its most recent meeting on April 7, the subcommittee reviewed the latest information from the European Medicines Agency along with information from the United Kingdom’s Medicines and other Health Products Regulatory Agency as well as member states and noted the following:
“Based on current information, a causal relationship between the vaccine and the occurrence of blood clots with low platelets is considered plausible but is not confirmed. “Specialised studies are needed to fully understand the potential relationship between vaccination and possible risk factors.
“The GACVS subcommittee will continue to gather and review further data, as it has done since the beginning of the vaccination programme.”
It is important to note that while concerning, the events under assessment are very rare, with low numbers reported among the almost 200 million individuals who have received the AstraZeneca vaccine around the world, the subcommittee said.
Rare adverse events following immunisations should be assessed against the risk of deaths from Covid-19 and the potential of the vaccines to prevent infections and reduce deaths due to diseases. In this context, it should be noted that as of today, at least 2.86 million people have died of Covid-19 worldwide, it said.
Side effects within two or three days following vaccination, the majority of which are mild and local in nature, are expected and common. However, individuals who experience any severe symptoms – such as shortness of breath, chest pain, leg swelling, persistent abdominal pain, neurological symptoms including severe and persistent headaches or blurred vision, tiny blood spots under the skin beyond the site of the injection – from around four to 20 days following vaccination should seek urgent medical attention. Clinicians should be aware of relevant case definitions and clinical guidance for patients presenting thrombosis and thrombocytopaenia following vaccination, the statement said.
To this end, the GACVS subcommittee also suggested that a committee of clinical experts including haematologists and other specialists should be convened for advice on clinical diagnosis and case management.
Active surveillance, including sentinel site/hospital case-based investigations should be considered, to further characterise these rare events, the subcommittee said. WHO has developed template protocols that countries could adapt for such studies. The GACVS will meet again next week to review additional data and will be issuing further recommendations as relevant.
WHO is carefully monitoring the rollout of all Covid-19 vaccines and will continue to work closely with countries to manage potential risks and to use science and data to drive response and recommendations.
In extensive vaccination campaigns, it is normal for countries to identify potential adverse events following immunisation. This does not necessarily mean that the events are linked to the vaccination itself, but they must be investigated to ensure that any safety concerns are addressed quickly. Vaccines, like all medicines, can have side effects. The administration of vaccines is based on a risk versus benefit analysis, the subcommittee statement concluded.
The Transport Ministry published an announcement on Wednesday ordering all departments providing public transport services to grant a full fare refund to those who wish to cancel their tickets purchased before the Songkran holiday.
The move aims to curb the spread of Covid-19 after a new wave was reported earlier this month linked to entertainment venues in Bangkok’s Thong Lo area.
“Customers who are eligible for a full refund must return their tickets at least 24 hours before departure time,” said the announcement, which was signed by deputy Transport permanent secretary Soraphong Phaithoonphong.
The announcement also ordered all related agencies to employ strict Covid-19 preventive measures for public transport, including providing thermal scanning for passengers, increasing the cleaning frequency of public surfaces and toilets, and enforcing the wearing of face masks among staff and passengers.
Meanwhile, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) announced that it would allow customers who bought tickets for the April 9-18 period to get a full refund provided that they cancel their trip at least 24 hours before departure, or one hour before departure in case the destination is suddenly announced as a maximum control area by the government.
“Tickets bought with discount benefits under the state welfare card will be refunded only for cash paid by the card holder, while those who have reserved tickets online must email the digital tickets to: passenger-ser@railway.co.th to get their refund,” the SRT said on its Facebook page. “For more information, contact call centre 1690.”
Traisuree Taisaranakul
