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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003796

Weather bureau warns of flash floods as heavy rains forecast for North, East

The Thailand Meteorological Department said on Tuesday that the strong southwest monsoon prevails over the Andaman Sea, Thailand and the Gulf of Thailand, while a monsoon trough lies across Myanmar, the upper North, Laos and upper Vietnam.

Isolated heavy rains are likely in the North and the East of Thailand. People in these areas should beware of the severe conditions that may cause flash floods, the department said.

Waves in the upper Andaman Sea are likely to be 2-3 metres high and more than three metres high during thundershowers. All ships should proceed with caution and small boats should keep ashore, the departnent said

The weather forecast for the next 24 hours:

North: Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 22-24 degrees Celsius, highs of 28-34°C.

Northeast: Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 23-25°C, highs of 32-34°C.

Central: Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 23-25°C, highs of 32-34°C.

East: Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 24-27°C, highs of 29-33°C; waves 1-2 metres high and two metres during thundershowers.

South (east coast): Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 23-25°C, highs of 31-35°C; waves 1-2 metres high and two metres during thundershowers.

South (west coast): Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 21-28°C, highs of 32-34°C; waves 2-3 metres high and over three metres during thundershowers.

Bangkok and surrounding areas: Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 25-27°C, highs of 33-35°C.

Source: Thailand Meteorological Department

Published : July 27, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003787

Backlog of 2m doses points to slowing vaccination effort

National vaccination efforts are running slower than expected, causing a backlog of doses to build up, Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) spokeswoman Apisamai Srirangsan said on Monday.

The Department of Disease Control reports that vaccines have been delivered to other provinces but there are still about 2 million doses that have not been used. Hence, health officials are urging local agencies to speed up vaccination efforts.

The number of people given jabs in Thailand on Sunday (July 25) fell below 100,000 – to 90,934.

That took the total number of doses administered to 15,960,778, the CCSA reported.

In Bangkok, 56.24 per cent of the population have received their first dose, while 54 per cent of those aged 60 or over and 70.52 per cent of vulnerable people with chronic disease have had at least one dose.

Meanwhile, the Bang Sue Grand station vaccination site is upgrading its queueing system after measures to allow elderly walk-in recipients from surrounding provinces caused crowding. The Bang Sue site will be expanded to cope with growing demand triggered by travel restrictions imposed on metropolitan Bangkok, said the CCSA.

Published : July 26, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003786

Bangkok runs out of ICU beds for Covid patients

Bangkok has run out of ICU beds to treat severely ill Covid-19 patients, the Department of Medical Services (DMS) announced on Monday.

Department chief Dr Somsak Ankasil admitted that all public hospital beds available for “red” category patients were now occupied.

He added that critically ill Covid-19 patients were now waiting for treatment in emergency rooms at the DMS’s Lerdsin Hospital and Nopparat Hospital.

Bangkok has a total of 36,977 hospital beds for Covid-19 patients.

However, there are currently 37,668 Covid cases in need of treatment or 691 more than the capacity.

Meanwhile, for “green” category (mild) cases, 1,021 beds are available at hospitels and 257 at field hospitals.

As Bangkok’s daily caseload surges beyond 2,000, scenes of Covid-19 patients lying in hospital corridors and even car parks have added to public alarm.

The bed shortage is being exacerbated by the need to have separate Intensive Care Unit facilities for Covid-19 patients so that infection does not spread to other severely ill patients.

Patients were being tested for Covid-19 before admission to ICUs, Somsak said. The most practical solution was to send those infected with coronavirus to a designated ward, he added.

Bangkok health officials have asked the Army to deploy medics to help cope with the tide of new Covid cases.

Published : July 26, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003780

Warring monkeys bring Lopburi traffic to a standstill

A fierce battle between three groups of monkeys brought a busy intersection in Lopburi province to a standstill on Sunday.

The war was between the Phra Prang Sam Yod group, the market group and the Government Savings Bank lot.

The clip posted on the “Pong Muang Thong” Facebook page shows hordes of monkeys fighting at the intersection near Lopburi’s Phra Kan shrine.

The maker of the video clip explained that the battle was between three groups of monkeys from Phra Prang Sam Yod, the Government Savings Bank and the market.

Normally, these monkeys fight over food, but not this time. There has been discord among the leaders of the three groups for a while, and something seems to have sparked this street battle.

Many monkeys were injured in the battle and peace returned when one of the leaders surrendered and withdrew his troops.

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Warring monkeys bring Lopburi traffic to a standstill

Warring monkeys bring Lopburi traffic to a standstill

Published : July 26, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003783

Bangkok battles rising contagion with rapid antigen tests

Rapid antigen tests are the latest weapon being deployed by Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) in its battle against the wave of Covid-19 infections threatening to swamp the capital.

Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang said BMA has so far deployed officials to conduct rapid Covid-19 tests on Bangkokians living in six districts.

“Antigen test kits are being used at six testing stations to facilitate residents and speed up proactive testing,” he said. The test kits provide results within 30 minutes and are over 90 per cent accurate, he added.

People who get a negative result after taking an antigen test will be allowed to return home, while those who test positive must take an RT-PCR test to confirm the infection, he said.

“This method enables the BMA to conduct tests on 1,000 to 2,000 people per day and laboratories to return test results within two days,” he said.

He added that the National Health Security Office (NHSO) will offer the home/community isolation service or hospitalisation to people whose rapid antigen test comes back positive.

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Bangkok battles rising contagion with rapid antigen testsBangkok battles rising contagion with rapid antigen tests

Bangkok registered 2,573 new infections on Monday as the country logged a new daily high of 15,376 Covid-19 cases, with 87 deaths.

Of them 11,064 have been infected locally, 3,257 were found via proactive tests, 1,041 were inmates and 14 were returnees.

Bangkok battles rising contagion with rapid antigen testsBangkok battles rising contagion with rapid antigen tests

Published : July 26, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003779

Govt must reveal full details of vaccine contracts, say academics and media

Thai academics and mass media workers on Monday issued a statement demanding that the government reveal details of its Covid-19 vaccine management and distribution, under open standards for data.

The statement, which was signed by 333 scholars, mass media agencies and members of the public, said the government must publish details of the process by which each type of vaccine was proposed, approved, procured and distributed in Thailand. The documents must include the number of doses procured, their delivery dates, penalties in case of late delivery, and other details specified in the purchasing contract, it added.

“Furthermore, the government must provide information on vaccine allocation, vaccination plan and daily updates on the vaccination rate with details of vaccine type, target groups and responsible agencies in each province,” read the statement.

“We exercise our right under section 41 (1) of the 2017 Constitution and the Official Information Act of 1997, which state that a person and community shall have the right to be informed and have access to public data or information in possession of a state agency as provided by law,” the statement continued. “We demand that the government provide the information under international open data standards, and in a machine-readable format (XLS or CSV file type) so that people can easily access the information.”

“This demand aims to promote the fair and efficient management and distribution of vaccine and create a cooperative atmosphere between public and private sectors so that we can overcome this crisis together,” said the network.

The statement was issued following a leaked letter from AstraZeneca to the Thai Public Health Ministry that showed the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company was contracted to supply just 5-6 million doses of vaccine per month. The revelation contradicted the Thai government’s claim that it had procured 10 million doses of AstraZeneca per month for the rest of the year and stirred further public concern over authorities’ management of the Covid-19 crisis.

Published : July 26, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003778

DDC offers simple guidelines for isolating at home

Nearly 12 per cent of individuals who have come in close physical contact with Covid-19 patients have tested positive, the Department of Disease Control (DDC) announced recently.

It added that the only way the spread of the virus can be curbed is if those who test positive isolate themselves for at least 14 days.

If living with family members, DDC said personal hygiene must be of top priority for Covid-19 patients. The infected person’s sleeping, living and dining quarters must be separate and every member of the household must always wear a mask and wash their hands frequently.
If the patient’s body temperature is higher than 37.5 degrees Celsius with symptoms like coughing, runny nose, lethargy and diarrhoea, they are required to immediately visit a doctor or the nearest Department of Health Service centre.

In a bid to cut down infections and Covid-related deaths, DDC director-general Opas Karnkwinphong has called for people to cooperate and quarantine when necessary. He said home isolation can be practised in any type of accommodation.

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DDC offers simple guidelines for isolating at home

Here are guidelines:
Isolating at home safely
• Always stay inside
• Maintain a 2-metre distance from other people in the house
• Sleep in a separate room with a different pillow and blanket
• Keep pets away as they can carry the virus on their fur
• Eat alone
• Get delivery staff to leave parcels outside
• Exercise or read books
• Use a separate bathroom or clean it immediately after use
• Use disinfectant on all surfaces
• Seek medical help immediately if you have coughing, difficulty in breathing, sore throat, runny nose or body ache.

Source: Department of Disease Control

Published : July 26, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003776

Photos of medics tending to Covid-19 patients in parking lot grip social media

Dramatic images posted on Facebook of medical staff tending to Covid-19 patients in a parking lot were met with loud applause and appreciation.

The pictures were posted by Bangkok’s Ratchaphiphat Hospital.

Thailand’s medical staff and hospitals have been overwhelmed as the number of new Covid-19 cases has been hitting more than 15,000 daily.

In the post on Sunday, the hospital said medical staff had to tend to patients in the parking lot because its emergency room was overflowing. The hospital also thanked its staff for doing their best.

The post went viral and attracted messages of support and encouragement for Thailand’s medical personnel.

Published : July 26, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003775

There’s enough oxygen for everyone in Thailand: Suriya

Thailand’s supply of medical oxygen is adequate for the current demand and people should not worry about shortages, Industry Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit said on Monday.

He was speaking in response to the fact that people have started hoarding oxygen canisters, fearing shortages now that the number of daily Covid-19 cases has been soaring for the past couple of weeks.

“The ministry’s Department of Industrial Works has contacted industrial gas manufacturers under the Federation of Thai Industries, gas-filling factories as well as gas container manufacturers about their current capacity and all have confirmed that they can produce enough medical oxygen for people’s needs during the outbreak,” he said.

“Currently we have 15 factories manufacturing oxygen at 1,860 tonnes per day. They are located in Ayutthaya, Saraburi, Chonburi, Rayong, Songkhla, Lamphun and Chiang Mai,” added Suriya. “In August a new factory will open in Rayong, driving the country’s total capacity to 2,200 tonnes per day.

“The department reports that country’s total oxygen demand is at 1,260 tonnes per day on average. Of this, the industrial sector consumes 660 tonnes daily, while the medical sector requires 400 to 600 tonnes daily,” Suriya said.

Published : July 26, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40003774

Another high of 15,376 infections, 87 deaths as Thailand rises in global list of most cases

Thailand hit a new high with 15,376 Covid-19 infections and 87 deaths on Monday.

Of them, 11,064 patients were infected locally, 3,257 were found via proactive tests, 1,041 were inmates and 14 returnees.

Bangkok leads the list with 2,573 infections, followed by 1,074 in Samut Sakhon, 970 in Samut Prakan, 867 in Chonburi and 719 in Nonthaburi.

Meanwhile, 6,782 patients have recovered and been discharged in the last 24 hours.

As of Monday, the number of confirmed cases in Thailand had risen to 512,678. So far, 341,475 have recovered and been discharged, 167,057 patients are still in hospitals and 4,146 have died.

Separately, 80,943 people were given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, while 9,991 people were given their second shot, bringing the total number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in Thailand to 15,960,778.

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According to Worldometer, the number of confirmed cases globally had on Monday risen to 194.84 million, 176.79 million of whom have recovered, 13.88 million are still in hospital and 4.17 million have died.

Thailand ranks 47th on the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 35.19 million, followed by India with 31.40 million, Brazil with 19.68 million, Russia with 6.12 million and France 5.99 million.

Another high of 15,376 infections, 87 deaths as Thailand rises in global list of most cases

Published : July 26, 2021

By : The Nation