Public Health Ministry reported on Sunday (April 10) morning that in the past 24 hours there are 25,139 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19, 67 of whom have arrived in Thailand from abroad.
Death toll increased by 108, while 25,509 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.
Cumulative cases in the country since January 1, 2022 are at 1,660,050.
Intense burning of farm waste in neighbouring countries and the direction of the wind will possibly worsen air pollution in Bangkok and other parts of Thailand, a local social-media celebrity warned on Saturday.
In a Facebook post, Thon Thamrongnawasawat pointed to several hotspots to the east of Thailand, mostly in Cambodia and Laos, and a map of air current travelling from the eastern neighbours into Thailand.
“The map on the left shows hotspots caused by burning. There are not many in Thailand, but the number is huge in some neighbouring countries,” wrote Thon, who is also an expert in marine ecology.
He said cross-border dust will continue to be a big problem that is difficult to handle. Hence, he said, Thailand should focus on reducing PM2.5 pollution inside the country as much as possible by curbing engine smoke, promoting public transport and planting more trees. Particulate matter that is 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter (PM2.5) and can be inhaled is very dangerous, especially for people with lung diseases and children.
PM2.5 readings were higher than acceptable levels in many parts of Bangkok on Saturday. Readings above the Thai safe standard of 50 micrograms per cubic metre of air (μg/m3) were recorded in 56 stations across the city – with some areas reading as high as 105μg/m3.
The World Health Organisation has set the safe level of PM2.5 at 25 μg/m3.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is taking steps to protect babies, especially newborns to 4-year-olds, from contracting Covid-19.
Khajit Chatchavanich, BMA permanent secretary, said the BMA Medical Service Department and Health Department are closely monitoring the infection rate among high-risk groups, especially infants.
The city administration is addressing this issue in cooperation with the Public Health Ministry’s Department of Disease Control and other relevant agencies.
Newborns up to the age of six months face the greatest risk of developing severe symptoms and succumbing to the virus than other age groups, Khajit said.
According to the Department of Disease Control, as of April 5, 27 babies in Thailand have succumbed to the Omicron variant of Covid-19. So far, there are no Covid-19 vaccines available for infants up to the age of four.
To keep fatalities low, all BMA-run hospitals have been instructed to provide urgent treatment to infants diagnosed with Covid-19, he added. BMA is also working closely with the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health and university hospitals over the possible referral of patients.
A Commerce Ministry source has warned that prices of necessities including food will rise again after next week’s Songkran break.
Food prices have become a hot potato for the ministry, as producers push for increases due to higher costs.
The manufacturers have asked permission from the ministry’s Department of Internal Trade to increase the prices of their products.
Food-makers are citing higher production costs due to the rise in fuel prices as the Russia-Ukraine war reduces supply.
The department has instructed producers to maintain their current prices and stock levels of 18 basic household goods, as demand is expected to be high during the long Songkran holiday.
However, the prices of many common products are expected to rise after the traditional Thai New Year, according to the Commerce Ministry source.
The cost of fresh meat, vegetables, seasonings and cooked foods has already increased, reflecting the rising price of petrol and cooking gas in the wake of crude oil soaring past US$100 per barrel.
Meanwhile, producers of animal feed and fertilisers are also seeking permission from the Department of Internal Trade to raise prices for their products, citing the higher cost of materials imported from Russia and Ukraine.
Thailand’s most important holiday is Songkran when the entire country comes together to mark the traditional New Year by splashing each other with water and paying respect to the elderly.
Songkran, derived from the Sanskrit word for moving forward, is considered a celebration that embraces goodwill, love compassion and gratitude.
This festival is also marked in Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, as well as the Tai ethnic minorities in China, Sri Lanka and eastern India.
Songkran festival was previously based on the Lunar calendar, but Thailand later fixed the dates to April 13-15.
Much like New Year’s Day on January 1, Songkran is also a celebration in which people exchange gifts and greeting cards. Here are some wishes you can write in your Songkran greeting card:
May the New Year take away all your tears and sadness and shower you with love and joy.
Let the brand-new year bring a fresher, happier, healthier and more content “brand-new you”.
Let’s welcome this New Year with smiles on our faces and hope in our hearts.
Songkran is the time to celebrate love, life and friendship.
I whispered a prayer for someone so dear. Wishing you peace, hope and a Happy Songkran 2022!
My dearest (name), I want to whisper something in your ear – a very, very happy Thai New Year!
Wish you a blast of love and happiness this Songkran.
Since April 13 is also marked as National Elderly Day, here are some greetings you can write on cards to your elderly relatives:
Thank you for your forever love, support, care and affection. You are the most wonderful people I have in my life and I promise to be there for you in every phase of your life. Happy New Year to you, my angels.
I promise to be always there with you like you have been there for me all my life. I wish that you are blessed with a beautiful New Year full of happiness, glory, health and joy.
Life is full of ups and downs, but thanks to you, I never feel down. Thanks for being my support. I love you so much.
Home is where Mummy and Daddy are. You bring so much joy to our family. Wishing you a very healthy and happy New Year.
A survey on 113,847 respondents, conducted by a Public Health Ministry division from March 5 to 31, shows that many Thais fail to observe measures to protect themselves against Covid-19.
The survey found that only some 30 per cent of the respondents knew how to protect themselves against the virus. The results show the percentage of respondents who ignore or are unaware of restrictions that put them at risk of contracting Covid:
35.1%: Eat with friends and family
35.1%: Attend gatherings and public activities
30.5%: Avoid taking ATK tests
22.6%: Do not know that Covid-19 can kill people with chronic conditions
22.6%: Do not clean commonly touched areas like doorknobs12%: Do not know that wearing two masks is safer
5.3%: Refuse to stay indoors
3.9%: Do not know how fast Covid can spread
2.3%: Refuse ATK tests despite being in the high-risk group
1.6%: Fail to wash hands regularly
Ignoring Covid-19 prevention measures
The department said the survey proves that the government must step up campaigns urging the public to comply with universal prevention measures.
It said people also need to be told that they should take ATK tests regularly when they are at risk of catching the virus.
Two of the 17 KIHA183 diesel trains donated to Thailand by Japan’s Hokkaido Railway Company completed a test run on Thursday without any problems.
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) said in a Facebook post that the test run from Makkasan train depot to Chachoengsao station and back was smooth. This is despite worries that the trains may not be safe due to their extensive usage since 1981.
SRT has been modifying four trains at a time since their arrival in December last year. The modifications include repainting, adjusting the axel width and improving the main engine, transmission system, air conditioning and passenger seats. SRT expects the first four trains to be ready for public use by mid-2022 for short trips and tourism promotion campaigns.
The KIHA183 diesel trains, which can run at 100 kilometres per hour, have four cars and can accommodate up to 216 passengers. Once completed, they will be equipped with air-conditioning, reclining seats and toilets.
Though SRT was given these trains as a present, it paid 42.25 million baht to a private contractor to bring them from Japan to Thailand.
A female tiger cub seized from illegal wildlife traders is recovering well at Buengchawak Wildlife Sanctuary and Nursery in Suphanburi province, say authorities.
Nicknamed “Nong Kwan”, the cub is suffering cold symptoms including a runny nose and occasional sniffles but no fever, the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department said in a Facebook post on Friday. However, her condition is improving rapidly.
“The cub is gaining strength and her tongue, gums and oral cavity have become pinkish,” said the post. “She drinks 6-10 ounces of kitten milk every 2-4 hours and her stools now have more mass than liquid. Nong Kwan is in good spirits and is curious about her surroundings at the nursery.”
The cub was seized by police of Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division on Wednesday, during a sting operation to catch Thais who had been selling wild animals via Facebook.
Posing as buyers, the so-called Green cops arranged a rendezvous with the illegal wildlife traders at Central WestGate mall in Nonthaburi just north of Bangkok.
There, they arrested three men and seized the four-month-old tiger cub from them.
Police said the suspects confessed one of them had smuggled the cub from Laos over a natural border for the two other suspects to sell online for 400,000 baht.
The department handed the cub to Buengchawak Wildlife Sanctuary to nurse it back to health. Its DNA will be checked to determine its origins before taking appropriate measures for its rehabilitation.
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) will add 13 extra train services next week to handle up to 100,000 passengers per day over Songkran from April 11-17.
SRT governor Nirut Maneepan said more carriages would also be deployed to handle the surge of tourists and passengers travelling back to their hometown.
SRT will maximise the number of carriages for 184 train services per day, taking transport capacity to 100,000 passengers daily, he added.
Meanwhile, 13 extra air-conditioned sleeper and 3rd class services will be added on the northern and northeastern routes, boosting capacity by 8,000 passengers per day.
Nirut said the SRT will set up a security centre to monitor safety over the whole network during the holiday period.
The centre will also screen SRT staff for alcohol consumption and monitor the ban on drinking and sale of alcohol on trains and stations.
Meanwhile, SRT will set up temperature screening points at the entrance to stations.
Passengers will also have to check in with the Thaichana app or by filling in a form. SRT advised passengers to take a rapid antigen (ATK) test within 72 hours of travelling.
Updates and information are available via the SRT hotline at 1690 or Facebook @pr.railway.
The Food and Drug Administration of Thailand has approved an extension to the shelf-life for Covid-19 vaccine AstraZeneca to nine months with immediate effect.
“The newly extended shelf life of our vaccine is welcome news that will greatly benefit the national vaccination programme, ensuring that doses can be safely stored for longer before they are administered,” said James Teague, president of AstraZeneca (Thailand) on Friday.
“As the third dose booster programme is further implemented, AstraZeneca will continue to support the government in providing vaccine doses to help protect against Covid-19.”
The Thai FDA’s approval to extend the vaccine’s shelf life from six months to nine months was based on an extensive review of data, according to the company.
Teague said that AstraZeneca and its global partners had supplied over 2.8 billion doses of the vaccine to more than 180 countries, and approximately two-thirds of these doses have been delivered to low- and lower-middle-income countries.
“The vaccine is estimated to have helped prevent 50 million Covid-19 cases, five million hospitalisations, and to have helped save more than one million lives.”
Reuters reported last month that Indonesia also extended AstraZeneca’s shelf life as nearly six million donated shots were approaching their expiry dates. The move came after poorer nations rejected more than 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine distributed by COVAX in December, mainly because of a rapidly approaching expiry date, a Unicef official told Reuters.
Ignoring Covid-19 prevention measures
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