One of the 31 migrant workers deemed to be at risk for Covid-19 tested positive upon return to Krabi province.
Provincial health officials said the 48-year-old Myanmar national, who works in Krabi’s Muang district, had travelled to Samut Sakhon to extend her work permit.
Though the passengers who travelled in the same van as her tested negative, they will be quarantined for 14 days.
The province has prepared field hospitals and is urging people who may have visited risky locations to report to health officials.
Four provinces that are facing the risk of a new wave of Covid-19 infections have officially imposed lockdown measures to keep the coronavirus from spreading.
Samut Sakhon stepped up preventive measures, declaring that the province is now a “quarantined area” from December 19 to January 3.
Various public venues such as sports stadiums, public parks and educational institutions are now closed. Restaurants have only a takeaway option and grocery shops must be closed from 10pm to 5am.
Samut Songkram announced a lockdown on Wednesday, which will stay in effect until January 4, resulting in a closure of public venues and the cancellation of New Year festivities.
Samut Prakan also has also gone into lockdown – from December 23 to January 4, closing public venues and cancelling all public events.
Chiang Mai has meanwhile clamped a lockdown in three subdistricts – Tha Ton, Malika and Mae Ai.
A seven-month girl in Suphan Buri was infected with Covid-19, provincial Governor Natthaphat Suwanprateep said on Tuesday.
He said the province’s Centre for Disease Control is discussing implementing measures to prevent the virus from spreading in the province.
Natthaphat said the number of Covid-19 cases in the province is now seven.
The timeline of the seven-month girl is as follows:
December 16: Lived in her house in Bangtathen subdistrict.
December 17: Her mother took her to the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives in Song Pee Nong subdistrict at 10am. The mother then took her to Khok Ta Ek flea market in Bang Len subdistrict at 1pm.
December 18: Her mother took her to a shrimp pond in Salee subdistrict at 11am.
December 19: She was back in her house in Bangtathen subdistrict.
December 20: Her mother took her to a private hospital in Mueang Suphan Buri district at 4pm.
December 22: She took sick and underwent medical treatment at Somdejprasangkharach XVII Hospital.
The new wave of Covid-19 in Samut Sakhon province that has led to a lockdown from December 19 to January 3 will cost the economy at least Bt45 billion in one month, Kasikorn Research Centre said on Wednesday.
“The damages can be categorised in three parts. The first is approximately Bt13-billion damage to the fishery and seafood industry as Samut Sakhon is responsible for the production of 40 per cent of the country’s seafood,” the centre said.
“The second is the damage due to a cancellation of New Year activities in Samut Sakhon and nearby provinces, including Bangkok. It is estimated that people in these areas would have spent around Bt15 billion on New Year parties, dining out and gifts,” it said.
“Lastly is the damage to domestic tourism, estimated at Bt17 billion, or about 30 per cent of total tourism income in one month. This estimation is under the assumption that intra-provincial travel is still allowed,” it added.
Meanwhile, Thanawat Polwichai, an adviser at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce’s Centre for Economic and Business Forecasting, said the outbreak in Samut Sakhon will affect the province’s economy to the tune of around Bt1 billion per day, as 70 per cent of its industry relies on seafood products while seafood markets are now being shut down to curb the outbreak.
“Ultimately, the provincial lockdown will affect the whole Thai economy – at Bt45 billion to Bt46 billion per month, or 0.2 to 0.3 per cent of the country’s GDP,” he said.
“However, if there is a countrywide lockdown similar to early this year, the GDP would take a hit by at least 12 per cent,” he said.
Despite the new outbreak, the centre is still sticking by its estimation of 2020 GDP at 6.3 per cent contraction and an expansion of 2.8 per cent next year.
Samut Sakhon Governor Veerasak Vichitsangsri said on Tuesday that the number of infected people in the province had risen to 1,063.
The baht opened at 30.23 to the US dollar on Wednesday, weakening from 30.20 at close on Tuesday.
The Thai currency is likely to move between 30.10 and 30.30 on Wednesday, predicted Jitipol Puksamatanan, senior director of the chief investment office at SCB Securities.
On Tuesday night, some global financial markets fluctuated from good news of a new US stimulus package as well as the Covid-19 situation around the world.
The S&P 500 Index decreased by 0.2 per cent, while the price of WTI crude oil fell by 2.2 per cent. The Nasdaq Index rose by 0.5 per cent.
Meanwhile, the dollar strengthened by 0.5 per cent, the third consecutive day, amid demand for safe haven assets. The gold price decreased by 0.8 per cent.
The US Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index announced a drop to 88.6 points, from the 97 points observers expected earlier. The US Ten-Year Treasury yield decreased by 2 basis points to 0.92 per cent.
In Thailand, Jitipol said the baht would move in a narrow range before the Monetary Policy Committee makes known the results of a key meeting this afternoon.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Tuesday presided over the opening ceremony of the “Mine (Mission no emission) Smart Ferry” project, which features an electric ferry route in the Chao Phraya River and Thailand’s first smart pier at CAT Tower Pier in Bangkok’s Bangrak district, government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said.
Prayut was accompanied by other Cabinet members, including Interior Minister Anupong Paochinda, Transport Minister Saksyam Chidchob and Digital Economy and Society Minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta.
“During his speech, the PM said this project is part of the government’s 20-year plan to build transport infrastructure nationwide and promote the use of electric vehicles, which will help reduce air pollution, especially the PM2.5 problem, in metropolitan areas,” Aucha said.
“The prime minister is also concerned about people’s health in this present Covid-19 situation and has urged everyone to wear face masks and take care of their health,” he said.
The premier and other ministers then boarded an electric ferry from CAT Tower Pier to Memorial Bridge Pier to witness the demonstration of the smart pier system.
“The Rama V-to-Sathorn electric ferry route will be open to the public free of charge from December 23 to February 14,” Anucha added.
Two people in Kamphaeng Phet province have tested positive for Covid-19 after travelling to Samut Sakhon, a hotspot of current infections, governor Chaowalit Saeng-uthai said on Tuesday.
“One patient is a 43-year-old male, a resident of Khlong Khlung district,” he said. “He works as a truck driver delivering seafood between Samut Sakhon markets and Talad Thai and normally has two Myanmar workers on board with him.”
Chaowalit said the patient had travelled to Samut Sakhon from December 6 to 19 and was tested on December 21 following Public Health Ministry recommendations.
“The test came back positive on December 22 even though the man did not have any symptoms, so he was placed in isolation at Khlong Khlung Hospital,” Chaowalit said.
The other patient is also a 43-year-old male, from Khanuworaluckburi district. He went to Thalay Thai market in Samut Sakhon between December 4 and 18 and was tested on December 21 at Khanuworaluckburi Hospital. He was found positive but showed no symptoms and was placed in isolation at the hospital.
“Officials have traced and tested 17 persons who came into close contact with the two patients, five test results have come back negative while the rest are still awaiting their results,” Chaowalit added.
The Meteorological Department said on Wednesday that a strong high-pressure system from China covering upper Thailand is weakening, resulting in cool to cold weather with light fog in the morning. Mountaintops will remain cold to very cold, with frost in some places.
Meanwhile, the moderate northeast monsoon prevails over the Gulf and the South. Waves are likely to be 2 metres high in the Gulf and above 3 metres in areas experiencing thundershowers, the department said, advising all ships to proceed with caution.
The department also said an active low pressure system over the lower South China Sea is expected to move to the Gulf during December 24 and 25. More rain and isolated heavy to very heavy showers will be likely in Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, Ranong and Phang Nga. People in the South should beware of severe conditions that may cause flash floods, it added.
Here’s the weather forecast for the next 24 hours:
North: Cold to cool weather with light fog in the morning; temperature lows of 10-16 degrees and highs of 24-30 degrees Celsius. Temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 3-10 degrees, with frost in some areas.
Northeast: Cold to cool weather with light fog in the morning; temperature lows of 10-16 degrees and highs of 24-26 degrees Celsius. Temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 3-10 degrees, with frost in some areas.
Central: Cool weather with light fog in the morning; temperature lows of 16-20 degrees, highs of 27-30 degrees.
East: Cool weather with light fog in the morning; temperature lows of 16-21 degrees, highs of 29-31 degrees; waves 2 metres high and over 2 metres offshore.
South (east coast): Partly cloudy with thundershowers in 20 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 21-25 degrees, highs of 29-33 degrees Celsius; waves 2 metres high and 3 metres during thundershowers.
South (west coast): Partly cloudy with thundershowers in 10 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 21-25 degrees, highs of 30-33 degrees; waves 2 metres high and over 2 metres during thundershowers.
Bangkok and surrounding areas: Cool weather with light fog in the morning; temperature lows of 20-22 degrees, highs of 28-31 degrees Celsius.
Pattaya has cancelled its New Year countdown event this year in a bid to curb the possible spread of Covid-19, said the city’s mayor Sontaya Kunplome on Tuesday.
The cancellation follows an outbreak in Samut Sakhon that has so far spawned more than 1,000 cases and spread to nearby provinces.
Chonburi governor Pakarathorn Thienchai, who chairs the provincial disease prevention committee, has held a meeting with related agencies on virus-control measures. As a result, he issued a ban on all New Year events in the province, including the Pattaya countdown.
The Pattaya Countdown 2021 was expected to draw about 300,000 visitors to the seaside city from December 29-31.
However, visitors would still choose Pattaya for their New Year holiday despite the cancellation of festivities, Sontaya added.
The authorities have released an official timeline of a 24-year-old Chachoengsao resident’s movements after she tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday.
The woman lives and works in Chachoengsao’s Bang Pakong district and went to work every day between December 7 and 11.
On December 12, the woman, her boyfriend and friends had a meal at a buffet restaurant in Bang Pakong’s Bang Wua area.
On December 13, she travelled to her second house in Samut Prakan district and visited the Mega Bangna complex. She also ate at a restaurant near Assumption University’s Suvarnabhumi Campus before returning to Chachoengsao.
On December 14 and 15, the patient went to work at her office and dined at a restaurant in Bang Wua sub-district. On December 16, she only went to work.
On December 17, the woman ate at an eatery in Bang Wua area and later visited a pharmacy and local market near the Bang Wua branch of Tesco Lotus. On December 18, she went to office.
On December 19, she visited a Toyota service centre in Samut Prakan’s Bang Bo district, before visiting her boyfriend’s home in the same province. The patient then dined at a buffet restaurant called “Nari” in Chonburi before returning to her home in Chachoengsao.
On December 20, the patient returned to Samut Prakan to cast her vote for the provincial administration organisation’s chief at the election station in Bang Phli Noi market. She also visited Chularat 11 Hospital, her boyfriend’s home and a 7-Eleven outlet in a PTT petrol station.
