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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011133

The government has instructed related agencies to set up field hospitals and community isolation centres to cope with the rising number of Covid-19 cases.

So far, 27,597 hospital beds have been added to the public health system, government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said on Saturday.

“The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, along with Defence and Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation ministries have jointly opened 118 new field hospitals with a combined capacity of 24,646 beds,” he said. “Currently, 2,611 beds are occupied, leaving 22,035 beds free for future patients.”

Provincial authorities, meanwhile, have set up 11 new community centres that can accommodate about 2,951 patients. So far, 201 beds at these centres are occupied, leaving 2,750 free for future patients.

“In the first 14 days of 2022, most people have been adhering to disease control measures, which has kept the new infection rates at manageable levels even though the Omicron variant is highly transmissible,” Thanakorn said.

“Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is urging people to continue protecting themselves by following the Covid-19 free setting, getting vaccinated with a booster shot and taking ATK tests regularly. If you or anybody in your family has tested positive for Covid-19, call the 1330 hotline or the local public health office immediately.”

The Public Health Ministry on Saturday reported 7,793 new infections, 270 of whom had arrived from overseas. The death toll hit 18, while 5,202 people have been discharged from hospital.

In the first 14 days of January, Thailand has seen 92,973 new Covid-19 cases.

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Published : January 15, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011129

A new community isolation centre was recently opened in Bangkok’s Dusit district to exclusively treat young Covid-19 patients from across the city.

The centre has been set up in a collaboration with the Dusit district office, the Phraya Bhirom Bhakdi Foundation and Boon Rawd Brewery.

“The project is mainly supported by the ‘Singha R-Sa’ team of volunteers from Boon Rawd Brewery, who helped donate drinking water, ready-to-eat meals, PPE suits, N95 face masks and alcohol hand sanitiser,” Thanin Nianhorm said while inspecting the centre on Friday.

The centre is located on Nakhon Chaisi Road in Kiak Kai sub-district.

“Data from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration [CCSA] shows that from December 1 to January 7, more than 1,000 new Covid-19 patients were in the age group of 0 to 19, which has prompted Bangkok to set up a centre specifically for the treatment of children,” he added.

Medical professionals working in the centre have been supported by Dusit’s 38th Public Health Office and Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health.

Since the Covid-19 outbreak hit Thailand, Phraya Bhirom Bhakdi Foundation and Boon Rawd Brewery Ltd. have donated over 250 million baht and more than 3 million bottled waters to field hospitals and community isolation centres nationwide.

Related News

Bang Sue Grand Station opens 400-bed isolation centre as Bangkok cases surge

Bangkok readies isolation centres to tackle surge in Omicron cases

Bangkok to open 6 isolation centres for children as Omicron surge looms

Published : January 15, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011128

The Public Health Ministry said on Friday that it is planning to reduce the quarantine period for people at high risk once the number of Covid-19 cases is stabilised.

Permanent secretary Kiatiphum Wongrajit said the quarantine period will be halved from 14 to seven days.

Under this system, those being quarantined will have to take an antigen test on the fifth or sixth day and can step out of isolation if they test negative. However, they are required to strictly adhere to prevention measures and take another antigen test on day 10.

The ministry will present this plan to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), which will make a final decision.

The ministry said it has based its decision on the fact that cases in Thailand are at a medium level, while death rates are low.

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Thailand to declare Omicron ‘endemic’ this year as nation learns to live with virus

Disability no obstacle to cheap ATK tests in Bangkok

Published : January 15, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011124

Ministry of Public Health reported on Saturday (January 15) morning that in the past 24 hours there are 7,793 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19, 270 of whom have arrived in Thailand from abroad.

Death toll increased by 18, while 5,202 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.

The country’s total caseload from Covid-19 stands at 2,316,408 – 2,217,124 of whom have recovered, 77,368 are still in hospitals and 21,916 have died.

Separately, another 56,398 people were given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, 144,824 their second shot and 401,265 a booster, bringing the total number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered nationwide to 108,916,435.

According to Worldometer, confirmed cases globally had risen to 324.35 million on Saturday, 265.33 million of whom have recovered, 53.47 million are active cases (96,194 in severe condition) and 5.55 million have died (up by 7,626).

Thailand ranks 26th in the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 66.16 million, followed by India with 36.85 million, Brazil with 22.93 million, the UK with 15.07 million and France with 13.57 million.

Published : January 15, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011118

The Thailand Meteorological Department said on Saturday (January 15) that the westerly trough moved through the upper North of Thailand, causing isolated thundershowers and gusty winds in the areas. People in the upper North should beware of the severe conditions by keeping off open areas, big trees and unsecured billboards, while farmers should prevent for crop damage.

Meanwhile, the weak high-pressure system covers upper Thailand and the South China Sea, bringing cool to cold weather and light fog in the morning to the North and the Northeast. Mountaintops in the North and the Northeast are cold to very cold with temperature ranging from 7 to 15 °C. All transports should take caution due to poor visibility. 

The Department also mentioned that the northeast monsoon across the Gulf of Thailand and the South brings isolated light rains to the South.

The weather forecast for the next 24 hours is as follows:

North: Cool weather with light fog in the morning and thundershowers in 30 per cent of the areas along with gusty winds; temperature lows of 16-21 degrees and highs of 28-34 degrees Celsius. Temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 7-15 degrees Celsius.

Northeast: Cool to cold weather with light fog in the morning; temperature lows of 15-19 degrees and highs of 31-33 degrees Celsius. Temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 10-15 degrees Celsius.

Central: Cool weather with light fog in the morning; temperature lows of 19-22 degrees, highs of 32-34 degrees Celsius.

East: Cool weather with light fog in the morning; temperature lows of 18-23 degrees, highs of 31-34 degrees Celsius; waves less than a meter high and over a meter high offshore.

South (east coast): Partly cloudy with isolated light rains; temperature lows of 20-25 degrees, highs of 30-32 degrees Celsius; waves 1-2 meters high and about 2 meters high during thundershowers.

South (west coast): Partly cloudy; temperature lows of 20-24 degrees, highs of 32-34 degrees Celsius; waves a meter high and 1-2 meters high offshore.

Bangkok and surrounding areas: Cool weather with light fog in the morning; temperature lows of 22-24 degrees, highs of 32-35 degrees Celsius.

Source: Thailand Meteorological Department

Published : January 15, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011110

Thailand’s leading livestock official was summoned to an emergency meeting with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Friday amid allegations of a swine fever cover-up.

Livestock Development Department chief Sorawit Thaneeto was summoned to report on the African Swine Fever situation after a sample collected from a Nakhon Pathom slaughterhouse tested positive for the disease on Tuesday.

Livestock Department officials entered Government House at 1.30pm via a backdoor, apparently to avoid reporters. They were seen carrying a presentation board.
Sorawit had repeatedly denied his department was covering up the spread of ASF, which is harmless to humans but deadly for pigs. On Tuesday, Sorawit insisted he knew of no other ASF cases in the country before the Nakhon Pathom sample tested positive.
However, the Thailand Veterinary Dean Consortium said on Thursday it had alerted the department in December to the existence of the virus, detected in pork samples examined at Kasetsart University’s Kamphaeng Saen campus.
Sorawit also denied rumours that the soaring price of pork was being caused by an outbreak of ASF. He dismissed claims that Thailand’s pig herd had dropped by half, saying checks on livestock in transit last year revealed just one million fewer pigs than normal in the system.

Speaking to reporters at 2:30pm after a 30-minute meeting with Prayut, Sorawit said the prime minister told him to take urgent action to control the spread of ASF.
The PM also instructed him to rehabilitate affected pig farmers and speed up development of a vaccine against the virus.
Sorawit said he was also instructed to find out exactly how many pigs had disappeared from the Thai market, because official figures contradicted those of pig farmers. The prime minister wanted the Livestock Development to work with the Interior Ministry on the study.
He said the prime minister did not give a deadline on the four issues but asked him to share information with neighbouring countries.
He also told Prayut that a study on pork prices across the production system would take eight to 12 months.
Sorawit said he had handled several outbreaks of disease in livestock before and was not discouraged by the latest situation.

Published : January 14, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011109

The proposed 300-baht arrival tax will not affect Thai nationals returning from overseas, Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said on Friday.

However, he confirmed that the tax would be collected from all foreign tourists at every port of entry.

Half of the Bt300 payment will go to a tourism promotion fund, while 20 per cent will be help fund insurance cover for up to 45 days of each visitor’s stay in Thailand. The remainder will be set aside for administration costs, Phiphat explained.

He expects the arrival tax to be collected from April 1. The plan has been approved by the National Tourism Board and will be finalised by the Tourism Promotion Fund Committee before being submitted to Cabinet for approval, he added.

The minister predicts tax revenue of about Bt1.5 billion from some 5 million foreign tourists entering Thailand between April 1 and September 30, when the current fiscal year ends.

The Tourism and Sports Ministry proposed the arrival tax after a painstaking study including consultations with stakeholders in the tourism sector, according to Phiphat.

Published : January 14, 2022

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011101

The Commerce Ministry is seeking an urgent budget of Bt1.4 billion to reduce the price of everyday goods as the cost of living rises in Thailand.

Minister Jurin Laksanawisit announced the subsidy move after visiting a Tesco-Lotus mall in Bangkok’s Rattanathibet area to inspect prices.

He said he will ask the Cabinet on Tuesday to approve Bt1.4 billion from the central fund to subsidise cheaper consumer goods at alternative shops.

The project will last three months and will intervene in the market in a bid to bring down prices, he said.

The Commerce Ministry is also trying to lower prices of major foods by balancing the needs of both farmers and consumers, Jurin added. The price of pork has soared to around 240 baht per kilo since New Year, while prices for chicken and eggs are also rising.

Jurin said the increase was caused by a pig shortage and the Commerce Ministry had reacted by imposing 3-month ban on pork exports that should add about 1 million pigs to the market.

He added that the Commerce Ministry will also sell pork at the subsidised price of Bt150 per kilo at 667 “blue-flag” outlets around the country while promoting alternative protein sources. Meanwhile, it will boost production by small-time pig farmers by offering cheap loans of Bt300,000 via the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives. The move should add about 300,000 piglets to the system, Jurin said.

On the rising egg prices, he said hen farmers, middlemen, supermarkets and exporters have promised to help fix the farm-gate price at Bt2.90 per egg until the situation eases.

He said the Internal Trade Department will meet on January 17 with representatives of chicken farmers and other producers to seek ways of preventing the price of chicken from rising further.

Meanwhile, the Commerce Ministry will sell chicken at below market price at 3,050 outlets nationwide. They include 1,500 PT petrol stations, public parks, convenience stores and markets, the minister added.

Published : January 14, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011097

Data in Thailand indicates the Covid-19 Omicron variant is highly contagious but causes less severe disease than previous strains, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Friday.

Anutin confirmed the infection rate had increased in the first 14 days of 2022 after the Omicron entered Thailand. However, the number of severely ill patients has not risen sharply and fatalities remain below 20 per day.

Anutin added that his ministry will advise the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) to ease disease restrictions as soon as is safely possible.

The ministry has blamed the rapid spread of Omicron after New Year on people failing to follow prevention measures. However, the daily caseload had stabilised after public warnings for people to show more caution, it said.

The ministry is monitoring the situation closely in case of further virus mutations. It urged citizens, especially unvaccinated people, to get the jab to prevent serious illness or death.

It also asked entertainment venues to follow strict Covid-19 controls and people to avoid travelling for non-essential reasons.

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Disability no obstacle to cheap ATK tests in Bangkok

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Published : January 14, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011095

K-pop band BlackPink’s only Thai member, Lalisa “Lisa” Manoban, has broken the record of the world’s most popular South Korean pop star with more than 70 million followers on Instagram.

Other members of BlackPing and the all-boy band BTS were also part of the top 10 K-pop stars, with each having tens of millions of followers.

Lalisa is one of a handful of non-Koreans who have made it big in the world of K-pop, which has become a global trend in recent years.

Born in Thailand’s Buri Ram province, K-pop’s favourite dancer/rapper Lalisa has apparently made time to help her band members with their own Instagram accounts, South Korean news outlet Seoulspace said recently.

She is also heavily involved with fashion and beauty, and her Instagram feed is proof of that. Her account passed the 50 million followers mark in April 2021 and is now nearing 75 million with 71.5 million as of press time.

Other members of her band are catching up with Jennie having won 60.1 million followers, Jisoo 53.4 million and New Zealand-born, Australia-raised Rosé coming in a close third with 53.3 million followers.

According to Seoulspace, entertainment companies specialising in K-pop train their artists on how to manage their social media channels.

Groups like Big Bang, EXO, SNSD, BTS and BlackPink all have special social-media accounts that are part of the record labels’ marketing strategy and a way for the idols to connect with their fans.

It is still unclear if K-pop stars are in full control of their social media account or if it is managed by their entertainment company.

Published : January 14, 2022