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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002971

Minister Varawut undergoes self-quarantine after passenger tests positive for Covid-19

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa and permanent secretary Jatuporn Burutphat are presently undergoing self-quarantine after a passenger on their flight returning from Phuket tested positive for Covid-19.

“Last month Minister Varawut Silpa-archa and permanent secretary Jatuporn Burutphat visited Phuket to inspect the province’s readiness to reopen to foreign tourists under the Phuket Sandbox program,” ministry spokesman Pinsak Surassawadee said on Wednesday.

“Both took a Thai Vietjet Air Flight VZ314 back to Bangkok on June 25. The ministry was informed on June 30 that one passenger on the same flight had tested positive for Covid-19.”

Pinsak said Varawut, Jatuporn and accompanying officials received a test on June 30 and the result came back negative. They took a test again on July 6 after news that the president of Surin’s Chamber of Commerce tested positive for Covid-19 after taking a photo with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in Phuket, which prompted the premier to go into quarantine when he returned to Bangkok. The results of the second test also came back negative for all ministry officials.

“[However] the minister and permanent secretary have been in self-quarantine since they returned from Phuket and will remain in quarantine for 14 days,” Pinsak said. “They have cancelled all their outdoor activities scheduled in July but can still participate in ministry meetings via video conference,” he added.

Published : July 08, 2021

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002968

Most of Thailand to be hit by more rains, with heavy showers in some areas

Keep your umbrella handy: the Meteorological Department forecasts more rains with the possibility of isolated heavy to very heavy showers in the North, the Northeast, the Central region, the East and the South’s west coast on Thursday as the monsoon trough prevails across the North and the Northeast while the moderate southwest monsoon hovers over the country, the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand.

The department warned people to beware of severe conditions and flash floods.

Here’s the weather forecast for the next 24 hours:

North: Thundershowers in 70 per cent of the area with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 23-25 degrees and highs of 32-34 degrees Celsius.

Northeast: Thundershowers in 70 per cent of the area with isolated heavy to very heavy rains; temperature lows of 23-25 degrees and highs of 28-33 degrees Celsius.

Central: Thundershowers in 70 per cent of the area with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 24-26 degrees, highs of 34-35 degrees Celsius.

East: Thundershowers in 70 per cent of the area with isolated heavy to very heavy rains; temperature lows of 23-26 degrees, highs of 29-34 degrees Celsius; waves 1-2 metres high and over 2 metres during thundershowers.

South (east coast): Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 24-25 degrees, highs of 32-34 degrees Celsius; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.

South (west coast): Thundershowers in 80 per cent of the area with isolated heavy to very heavy rains; temperature lows of 22-26 degrees, highs of 28-32 degrees Celsius; waves 1-2 metres high and over 2 metres during thundershowers.

Bangkok and surrounding areas: Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the area with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 26-27 degrees, highs of 32-35 degrees Celsius.

Source: Thailand Meteorological Department

Published : July 08, 2021

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002957

Another 2 million doses of Sinovac land in Bangkok

The Chinese Embassy announced on Wednesday that 2 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine have arrived in Bangkok.

“So far, China has delivered 15 lots, totalling 14.5 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to Thailand,” the embassy said on its Facebook page.

From February 28 to July 7, Thailand has administered more than 11.06 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines, with 8.02 million people getting their first jab and 3.04 million getting their second jab.

Published : July 07, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002956

CCSA warns Delta infections could soar to 10,000 next week

Cases of the Delta variant could surge to 10,000 next week, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) warned on Wednesday.

Delta currently accounts for more than 50 per cent of new cases in Greater Bangkok and has spread to 40 provinces, said CCSA spokesman Dr Apisamai Srirangsan.

Health authorities reported 54 new Covid-19 fatalities and 6,519 new cases on Wednesday.

Worryingly, other countries report that Delta is infecting people who have already been vaccinated.

The UK said 92,029 residents have been infected with the Delta strain, of which 20,000 had already had their first vaccine jab and 7,235 had received their second dose. However, only 8 per cent of vaccinated UK residents suffered severe symptoms that required hospitalisation. Delta is now responsible for over 90 per cent of all UK infections and 20 per cent of new cases in the US.

The Thai government is responding to the Delta contagion by speeding up vaccination of senior citizens and people with chronic conditions, said Apisamai.

Even administering first doses to this vulnerable group would reduce serious illness and fatalities, he added.

Delta cases in Thailand could soar to 10,000 next week, the spokesman warned.

“So we have to emphasise personal measures, like keeping distance from others, wearing masks, and washing your hands often.”

Delta has exploded since last month when the first case was detected in Thailand.

Meanwhile, 269,653 vaccine jabs were administered on Wednesday, bringing the total to 11,328,043 since the rollout began last month. The government is targeting 300,000-500,000 jabs per day but a shortage of doses is hampering that effort.

Published : July 07, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002955

Phyathai 2, Samitivej Sukhumvit to provide jabs for expats

Foreigners living in Thailand can now register for their Covid-19 vaccine directly with Phyathai 2 and Samitivej Sukhumvit hospitals since the Thailandintervac.com website is out of commission.

For now, the hospitals are only accepting applications from foreigners who are 60 or above or suffer from underlying conditions like severe chronic respiratory diseases, coronary artery disease, chronic kidney disease (fifth stage), cerebrovascular disease, cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, diabetes or obesity (weighing more than 100kg or with a BMI of above 35kg/m²).

Jabs can be booked as follows:

• Phyathai 2 Hospital: Fill in the form at https://phyathai2international.com between July 12 and 16, from 9am to noon daily. Visit https://phyathai2international.com for more information.

• Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital: Email the hospital at info@samitivej.co.th or call (02) 022 2222.

The hospitals will call the applicant to set an appointment after receiving the details.

For further information, contact the Department of Disease Control by emailing oicddchotline@gmail.com or by calling (02) 590 3832 or (02) 590 3836.

Published : July 07, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002954

Home treatment piloted for mild Covid cases as infections threaten to overwhelm hospitals

The Public Health Ministry is piloting home and community treatment for Covid-19 patients with mild symptoms (green category), as surging cases threaten to overwhelm hospital bed capacity.

Bed occupancy has risen by 10,000 within one month and ICU units are treating 400 critically ill Covid-19 patients, leading to a shortage of beds and healthcare personnel, Medical Services Department director Dr Somsak Ankasil said on Wednesday.

In response, the department has prepared guidelines for a home-isolation care scheme.

The scheme is being piloted by Bangkok’s Rajavithi Hospital, where 18 Covid-19 patients have consented to home treatment consisting of temperature and lung-oxygen checks, with lung X-rays where necessary. Of these, only two patients have had to return to the hospital for treatment.

In total, almost 100 patients are taking part in the embryonic home isolation scheme.

Patients are registered with hospitals directly, so no legal problems are foreseen. However, this may not be the case with the planned community isolation scheme. The Department of Disease Control will propose the community isolation scheme at the next meeting of the National Communicable Disease Control Committee on July 12.

The proportion of mild, moderate and severe Covid cases (coded green, yellow and red) remains 80:15:5, said Dr Nittaya Panupak, head of the Institute of HIV Research and Innovation, on Wednesday. However, the soaring number of cases has created a shortage of hospital beds. Therefore, green-coded patients must be treated differently to ensure sufficient beds for yellow and red patients, she said.

Home isolation and community isolation systems have to be created with support from the Medical Services Department and National Health Security Office (NHSO) to help reduce mortality and infection rates, added Nittaya.

Published : July 07, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002951

‘Mastermind’ behind online vaccine scam arrested in Saraburi

A man suspected of operating an online vaccine scam that stole more than 300,000 baht from victims was arrested in Saraburi on Wednesday.

Police nabbed Weerasak Suksamdang, 26, in front of the TPI Polene building in Kaeng Khoi district and charged him with fraud and computer crime.

Weerasak denied the charges and was transferred to Muang Udon Thani Police Station, where complaints about the scam were filed on June 30.

The complainants said they were scammed by a Line group called “Vaccine Sinopharm”, which advertised jabs for 1,800 baht.

Police said the scammers claimed to be doctors who had procured leftover Sinopharm doses from the Federation of Thai Industries.

Once victims had transferred cash, they were deleted from the Line group and received no vaccine.

The scam netted over 300,000 baht from victims, police added.

‘Mastermind’ behind online vaccine scam arrested in Saraburi

The first suspected scammer, Ronakorn Puttaraksa, was arrested on July 2 in Muang Saraburi.

Police said Ronakorn confessed to setting up the Line group with Weerasak and others because he did not have a job.

Published : July 07, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002950

Royal Academy chief sorry for branding front-line medics selfish over Pfizer demand

Chulabhorn Royal Academy (CRA) head Nithi Mahanonda has apologised for branding medics who demanded Pfizer booster shots “selfish”.

On Tuesday, Nithi acknowledged front-line medics’ concern about exposure to Covid-19 but said those demanding Pfizer shots after receiving two Sinovac jabs were being selfish given many people had not even had their first jab.

His remarks triggered a backlash from social media users and medics, as the health system struggles with surging Covid-19 cases.

On Wednesday, Nithi apologised on Facebook, explaining he had not intended to slam the medics. He said his core message was “we need to prioritise the people’s benefits over our own”.

Nithi ended his post by mentioning that the vaccine demanded by medics will arrive in the next few months. “During this time, we should protect ourselves as well as possible and do not be careless.”

The government has ordered 20 million jabs from Pfizer, while the US has donated another 1.5 million Pfizer jabs to Thailand.

CRA has taken bookings from over 17,000 organisations for Sinopharm jabs the academy has procured from China.

Published : July 07, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002946

Thailand will get its share of Biden’s gift of 80m Covid vaccines to the world

The US Embassy in Bangkok said in a Facebook post on Wednesday that President Joe Biden plans to deliver 80 million Covid-19 vaccines to countries in need, including Thailand.

“Thailand will receive a share of safe and effective vaccines from this worldwide donation. The United States is sharing these vaccines to save lives and to lead the world in bringing an end to the pandemic,” said the post. “President Biden’s plan for the 80 million donated doses includes over 23 million for Asia, an effort that will keep the region – and Thailand – safe. These donations are in addition to the United States’ $4 billion in commitments to Covax, the Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access Initiative, including half a billion Pfizer doses over the upcoming year.”

Citing the two country’s joint work on addressing critical issues affecting public health for 60 years, the post said Washington has, to date, provided over $40 million (1.28 billion baht) in Covid-19 related assistance to Thailand.

“US assistance thus far includes $28.5 million in ventilators, respirators, testing kits, surgical masks, goggles, and other protective equipment to Thai doctors and nurses, plus support for displaced people along the border. Additionally, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has been a partner of Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health for over 40 years, has provided $13 million in COVID-19-related assistance,” the post added. “Our plan to donate vaccines will substantially increase this assistance.”

Published : July 07, 2021

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002944

Protesters storm Public Health Ministry to demand better options for Covid-19 jabs

Protesters, who call themselves “Dek Pak Jaew” (big-mouth kids), showed up at the Public Health Ministry in Nonthaburi on Wednesday to demand the government procure alternative Covid-19 vaccines for the public, including children, and medical professionals.

The protesters tried to storm the premises but were stopped by security officials. They then demanded to see Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, so they could hand him their demand in person. However, the ministry sent its spokesman Dr Rungrueng Kitphati to receive the demand letter, which further angered the protesters.

Protesters storm Public Health Ministry to demand better options for Covid-19 jabs

The protesters had come armed with mock dead bodies and when their demand to see Anutin was denied, they poured red paint on the bodies and set them on fire. Security personnel, however, stepped in and extinguished the fire before the situation escalated. The mock dead bodies were meant to symbolise Covid-19 patients who have died due to the lack of vaccines.

Protesters storm Public Health Ministry to demand better options for Covid-19 jabs

As of press time, protesters were rallying at the gate waiting for Anutin to come out and meet them.

A source said the minister was not in office as he had work elsewhere and had asked the ministry spokesman to take the demand on his behalf.

“Anutin insists he has no plans to run away,” the source added.

Protesters storm Public Health Ministry to demand better options for Covid-19 jabsProtesters storm Public Health Ministry to demand better options for Covid-19 jabs

Published : July 07, 2021

By : THE NATION