#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012494

Covid-19 will be taken off the emergency treatment list on March 1 to maintain the stability of the Thai public health system, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Thursday.

“However, people who have difficulty breathing, fatigue and severe cough will still be able to receive [free] treatment under the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients (UCEP) scheme [after March 1],” he said. “Meanwhile, Covid-19 patients with mild symptoms will receive treatment under the home isolation scheme.”

Anutin said Omicron infections were less likely to lead to severe symptoms, adding that his ministry would be able to control the Covid-19 situation if more people were vaccinated. He urged over 2 million unvaccinated seniors to get their jabs to protect themselves against developing severe symptoms.

“Currently, 85 per cent of Covid-19 patients are not developing symptoms while over 90 per cent of Covid-19 deaths are among unvaccinated and vulnerable people,” he said. “However, the ministry is making efforts to minimise loss of life.”

Availability of hospital beds remains high, thanks to people cooperating with home and community isolation schemes, Anutin added.

Ministry permanent secretary Kiattiphum Wongrajit confirmed Covid-19 will be removed from list of emergency diseases, as most cases involved no more than mild flu symptoms while about 700 patients had been admitted to hospitals.

He said Covid-19 patients suffering from other emergency diseases, such as chronic kidney disease, can receive treatment under the UCEP scheme.

“Hence, we are considering a UCEP Plus scheme to support Covid-19 patients who have other emergency diseases.”

The Department of Health Service Support and National Institute for Emergency Medicine will decide which patients are eligible for treatment under the new scheme, he said.

He added that Covid-19 patients who don’t have other emergency diseases can receive treatment depending on their healthcare rights and symptoms.

“Hotel isolation is available for any patient who is unable to receive treatment under home isolation,” he said.

Department of Disease Control director-general Dr Opas Karnkawinpong said he didn’t want people to panic over the Omicron strain, adding that the Public Health Ministry and related agencies are monitoring the issue closely.

He advised people to keep their guard up by wearing face masks.

The number of Covid-19 patients with severe symptoms has not increased, he said, while the death rate has dropped from 0.22 per cent at beginning of January to 0.2 per cent.

“Meanwhile, the Covid-19 death rate worldwide dropped from 2.2 per cent to 1.4 per cent,” he explained.

He also urged the elderly to get their jabs as they were at risk of death from Covid-19. He asked seniors to be careful as their highest risk was from infection among family members.

Published : February 18, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012493

A construction camp in Bangkok’s Lak Si district has been sealed after 288 workers there tested positive for Covid-19.

District chief Sombat Kanokthippawan issued a closure order for the Italian-Thai Development construction camp on Soi Vibhavadi Rangsit 25, banning entry and exit for 10 days.

The order came after the district office received a hospital report that 96 of 150 workers in Lak Si district had tested positive, with a large number of high-risk contacts in the construction camp.

Last Wednesday, the district office conducted ATK screening followed by RT-PCR tests for Lak Si workers who tested positive. Of the total 845 workers tested, 288 were confirmed infected.

The district office ordered the site owner to transport patients to hospital and separate high-risk contacts from other workers. It also banned movement of workers without authorisation and ordered cleaning and disinfection of the workers’ camp.

High-risk contacts and workers at the camp will be tested again in three days.

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Published : February 18, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012489

Twenty tourist associations led by Phuket have called on the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) to ease screening of foreign visitors from late February in time for the holiday season.

“April is a high season for tourism as Westerners tend to take vacations during Easter holidays, which coincides with the Songkran festival in Thailand,” explained Phuket Tourist Association president Phumikit Raktaengam on Thursday.

The 20 tourist associations proposed the following four measures to boost arrivals:

1. Cancel the second mandatory RT-PCR test for arrivals on day five. Statistics show the infection rate among foreigners who take the test on day five is lower than the local infection rate in tourist provinces, said the proposal. Scrapping the second test would reduce tourists’ expenses and attract more visitors, it added.

2. Reduce the quarantine period for visitors with suspected infections from 10 to five days.

3. Cancel quarantine for tourists found to have been in contact with confirmed cases if their first-day test is negative.

4. Reduce mandatory insurance cover from US$50,000 to $25,000.

The 20 associations argued that many other countries had already eased Covid-19 measures in a bid to boost tourism. On February 10, the Philippines cancelled tests-on-arrival and now only requires a negative RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours of arrival. Cambodia requires only a negative RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure plus an ATK test on landing. Meanwhile, from February 22 Australia will scrap quarantine measures for fully vaccinated travellers, requiring only a negative RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure.

“The easing of Covid-19 in these countries means Thailand will lose its competitive advantage in the international tourism market, as tourists tend to choose destinations with fewer restrictions,” said Phumikit.

“Tourist associations are therefore urging the government to reduce Covid-19 measures for foreign visitors to keep our tourism industry alive and let Thai people return to normal life as soon as possible.”

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Published : February 18, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012486

Chiang Mai will impose a circuit-breaker next week in a bid to halt rising Covid-19 infections in the northern province.

Kicking off on Monday, the February 21-27 campaign will promote social distancing practices to reduce the chance of Covid-19 spreading in communities.

Under the lengthy name “Chiang Mai people stay apart from each other to bring down Covid-19 infections”, provincial authorities are asking residents to follow six measures.

These are: wear a facemask in public, eat meals separately, avoid funerals and religious ceremonies, no parties, no group activities at school or tutoring after school, and no contact sports such as football or basketball.

Chiang Mai reported 277 new Covid-19 infections on Wednesday – 273 local cases and four imported from Bangkok, Phayao, Chiang Rai and Kanchanaburi.

Chiang Mai currently has cluster cases in three schools, two restaurants, five markets and six businesses accounting for more than 92 infections, according to the provincial public health office.

On Wednesday, another 22 infections among 15 families in close contact were reported in the same house, while 106 family members have been ordered to isolate.

Chiang Mai also logged two Covid-19 deaths on Wednesday. The deceased were aged 87 and 72 and had been suffering from chronic diseases.

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Published : February 18, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012483

The excise tax on diesel fuel will be reduced by 3 baht for the next three months from today, according to a ministerial regulation published in the Royal Gazette on Thursday. The cut will be imposed until May 20.

Meanwhile, the Energy Ministry is also considering measures to help users of benzene fuel.

The diesel tax cut aims to alleviate people’s financial burdens amid rising living costs driven by steadily climbing fuel prices as the economy recovers from Covid-19, the regulation said.

The Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Finance and Energy ministries’ proposal to reduce the per-litre tax from 5.99 baht to 2.99 baht, based on oil consumption of about 2 billion litres per month.

The current diesel excise tax rate yields about 12 billion baht in monthly revenue for the government, or 144 baht billion per year. Cutting the tax by one baht per litre costs the Excise Department about 2 billion baht per month or 24 billion baht per year in lost revenue.

The tax cut would help the government fix the price at no more than 30 baht per litre until the end of May, Deputy PM and Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow told the House of Representatives on Friday.

Without the reduction, the price could only have been fixed until March, he added.

“The ministry estimates that the tax reduction will bring down retail price of diesel by 2 baht per litre,” he said, promising more measures to alleviate the living costs burden if the diesel price rises to near 30 baht again.

Since 2020, the government has spent over 161.8 billion baht for energy-related measures to control the prices of cooking gas (LPG), NGV, electricity and fuel, Supattanapong said. He added that the Energy Ministry is studying measures to help users of benzine fuel and said they could be announced soon.

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Published : February 18, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012475

Ministry of Public Health reported on Friday (February 18) morning that in the past 24 hours there are 18,066 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19, 168 of whom have arrived in Thailand from abroad.

Death toll increased by 27, while 12,511 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.

Cumulative cases in the country since January 1, 2022 are at 451,042.
 

The country’s total caseload from Covid-19 stands at 2,674,477 – 2,502,323 of whom have recovered, 333,829 are still in hospitals and 22,565 have died.

Separately, another 45,829 people were given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, 33,702 their second shot and 142,389 a booster, bringing the total number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered nationwide to 120,924,813.

According to Worldometer, confirmed cases globally had risen to 420.28 million on Friday, 344.21 million of whom have recovered, 70.19 million are active cases (84,534 in severe condition) and 5.88 million have died (up by 11,212).

Thailand ranks 31st in the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 79.92 million, followed by India with 42.78 million, Brazil with 27.94 million, France with 22.07 million and the UK with 18.5 million.

Published : February 18, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/in-focus/40012470

At least 75 per cent of people in the Betong district of Yala province have had two doses of vaccination, and more than 70 per cent of the workplace is safe and meets health standards with SHA+/ TSC/ Covid-free setting, the Betong district authority said.

Betong sheriff, Ek Yangaphai na Songkhla, said there were 187 establishments that had passed the Thai Stop Covid Plus standard, 59 met SHA standards and 15 met the SHA+ standards.

There are also safety measures at tourist attractions in Betong district, such as Ayer Weng Sea of Mist viewpoint, Winter Flower Garden, Piyamit Tunnel, Chulabhorn Phatthana Village 10 and Betong Hot Spring. which are planned to be opened to tourists.

Many restaurant operators say that if the Thai-Malaysian border is opened, it would generate substantial income for locals, such as for restaurants, traditional massage parlours, hotels, and other establishments, since local establishments mostly rely on Singaporean and Malaysian tourists.

One restaurant owner said that even Malaysia has not opened the country yet. There are around 1,000 domestic tourists coming to visit Betong every day. However, the guide only takes tourists to shops listed on the guide’s list.

Published : February 17, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/in-focus/40012469

Personal-car taxis will have to be certified by the Department of Land Transport before providing public service, following the Ministry of Transport issuing ministerial regulations for hired cars via electronic systems BE 2021.

The move is expected to help the government to control and supervise safe service and create competition in the development of services under the same rules.

Chirut Wisanchit, director-general of the Department of Land Transport, revealed that there have been three applications for verification, namely, Hello Phuket Service, Bonku and Grab.

Currently, there are two verified applications — Hello Phuket Service, whose main service area is Phuket, and Bonku, which operates in Bangkok and its vicinity. Both companies must have insurance ​for the driver and passenger within 30 days and must bring all vehicles that are in the system to be registered by July 2022.​

The application under consideration, Grab, still needs to discuss how to improve the system in line with legal requirements, he said.

Any other applications that are in service but have not yet filed for legal certification must apply for certification by March 31, he said.

The department said it would enforce strict laws on both drivers who provide services through the app and system service providers as sponsors.

Published : February 17, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/in-focus/40012468

The Excise Department is studying various aspects of levying a carbon tax, to be collected mainly from people whose activities lead to carbon emissions.

Lawan Sangsanit, director-general of the Excise Department, revealed that the criteria and methods for measuring the amount of carbon emissions will be established along with a clear tax structure for combustion-engine cars, factories or the industrial sector.

EVs are not subject to this tax because electric vehicles have zero carbon emissions.

“We are now starting to study a carbon tax that will not come out anytime soon. The use of oil may begin to gradually decline after its peak [price]​, and a carbon tax will take its place. We are not the first country to have a taxation approach in this regard. There are many countries already doing this,” said Lawan.

Published : February 17, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/in-focus/40012467

Elite Card has launched a new card aimed at attracting foreigners to invest 30 million baht in exchange for a work permit.

Thailand Privilege Card Co Ltd, which operates Elite Card, launched the Flexible Plus Programme to attract qualified foreigners with high purchasing power to invest in Thailand, so as to stimulate cash flow and help the Thai economy recover from the impact of Covid-19.

Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said on Thursday that the proposal had been approved by the Cabinet on October 19, 2021.

The Flexible Plus Programme stipulates conditions for the investor and grants the cardholders the right to work in Thailand.

Foreign investors who can participate in the Flexible Plus Programme include Thailand Elite Card members with a card validity of 10 years or more, while existing members’ cards, including Elite Ultimate Privilege, Elite Superiority Extension and Elite Privilege Access, must have at least five years of validity and the cardholders must have invested at least $1 million (Bt32 million) within a year​.

The target groups of the project are mainly China, Japan, Britain, Hong Kong, Russia, France, USA and Singapore, among others.

Currently, more than 16,000 people are Thailand Privilege Card members.

Published : February 17, 2022

By : THE NATION