The use of medical cannabis is a key government policy and the Drug and Narcotics Bureau under the Department of Medical Sciences is testing and developing health products from cannabis and hemp, said Supakit Sirilak, the department’s director.
In August last year, a local laboratory testing active substances in cannabis plants, extracts and oil became the first lab in Thailand to be granted international standards certification.
The laboratory tests samples for strength and residues such as heavy metals, pesticides, mycotoxins, fungicides and contaminated microorganisms etc.
“Now the testing technique has been passed on to medical science centres nationwide for the analysis of vital substances and residues, and now they can develop laboratories outside the department’s jurisdiction. This will assure the quality and safety of cannabis products,” Supakit said.
The Cabinet on Tuesday approved reduction in social security contributions to Bt75 for two months.
The meeting approved measures to help the insured under Section 33 as proposed by the Ministry of Labour by reducing contributions to the Social Security Fund on the part of employees from 3 per cent, or contributions up to Bt450, to 0.5 per cent, or contributions up to Bt75, for two months (February – March)
Employers will still send their 3 per cent contribution to the Social Security Fund or up to Bt450 for three months (January – March).
Since the first Covid-19 patient was reported in China’s Wuhan city 391 days ago, the number of cases across the world hit 100 million on Monday.
As of 11.45am on Tuesday, 100,285,420 patients were confirmed across the world, of whom 2,149,460 have died and 72,292,827 have recovered. Nearly 26 million patients are still under treatment, with 110,260 in severe condition.
The top five countries with the highest number of cases are the US with 25.86 million, India with 10.68 million, Brazil 8.87 million, Russia 3.74 million and the UK with 3.67 million cases. Thailand was ranked 123rd with 14,646 cases.
According to data released by the Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Ministry, the coronavirus took 311 days to infect the first 50 million people, while the remaining 50 million were infected in just 80 days. Statistics also show that some 10 million people were infected in just 16 days.
Official statements from the Chinese government to the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that the first confirmed case had been diagnosed on December 8, 2019, followed by a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan.
Then several countries, including Thailand, began announcing new cases and on January 30, WHO declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
WHO then named this new disease caused by the novel coronavirus Covid-19. It said this name was chosen to avoid inaccuracy and stigma, which is why it did not refer to a geographical location, an animal, an individual or group of people.
The WHO declared the Covid-19 outbreak a pandemic on March 11, 2020.
A Samut Sakhon Health official on Monday reported a sharp spike in new Covid-19 cases with more than 900 people in the province testing positive. Meanwhile, Bangkok has the second-most number of cases, but the number of red zones marking high risk is down to three districts.
The Samut Sakhon Provincial Public Health Office said at 5pm on Monday that 914 new cases were found. Seventy cases — 35 Thais and 35 foreigners — were found from hospital examination. Proactive screening of 844 Thais and 84 foreigners found 760 cases.
The record-high numbers came after aggressive search in large industrial plants with more than 1,000 employees. Results of 5,217 laboratory tests were released on Monday.
The number of people infected with Covid-19 in Samut Sakhon since the new outbreak is 6,555, 5,178 found from proactive screening — 484 Thais and 4,694 foreigners. Of the cases, 3,535 cases have recovered and returned home — 1,093 Thais and 2,442 foreigners, with two deaths.
A total of 3,018 infected people were in treatment, 467 patients — 232 Thais and 235 foreigners — were in hospitals. Meanwhile, 2,551 foreigners were in quarantine facilities.
Officials conducted 5,574 additional proactive searches in the community on Monday, with an additional 5,217 laboratory test results revealed. The number of proactive searches since Covid-19 was found in the central shrimp market on December 17, 2020, totals 70,468; 5,178 cases are positive — 484 Thais and 4,694 foreigners.
Bangkok saw the most infection from three districts.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) reported Covid-19 cases in each district of Bangkok and found three districts with the highest accumulated infections were Bang Khun Thian district, 148, Chom Thong, 35, and Bang Phlat, 32. At the same time, Saphan Sung and Samphanthawong were still clear of any infection.
Samut Sakhon is considering reopening its main shrimp market in Muang district despite a spike in new Covid-19 cases in the province on Monday.
The market had been ordered shut since December 20 after more than 500 confirmed cases were tracked back to it.
“After over a month of shutdown, the province has tested some 1,217 merchants and people residing nearby,” deputy governor Theerapat Katchamat said. “In the latest round, 113 tested positive and were immediately separated and moved to the field hospital for treatment, which means the market and its surrounding areas should now be virus free.”
Provincial authorities hope to reopen the market by Wednesday after a major clean-up operation on Monday in a bid to revive the province’s economy, which is mostly reliant on the seafood industry.
“The market will not open until we are sure all preventive measures are in place and merchants and visitors can strictly adhere to them, including social-distancing. The selling areas have also been modified to reduce crowds,” Theerapat said.
“As for fears that the 1,104 people who tested negative could be asymptomatic, it is highly unlikely as they have been quarantined for over a month, which is beyond the virus’ incubation period.”
The deputy governor also put the spike in new cases on Monday down to aggressive testing of as many as 10,000 individuals daily, especially in large factories. Monday saw 914 confirmed cases.
“Most of the infected are migrant workers in factories, and we have prepared facilities to quarantine them near their workplaces to limit the chance of the virus spreading to other communities,” said Theerapat.
With the 914 cases on Monday, the total number of new cases in Samut Sakhon has soared to 6,555, 1,218 of whom have been treated and discharged, while two have succumbed to the infection.
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Tuesday reported 959 new cases, the highest number on a single day since the outbreak last year, including 22 people who had travelled from abroad.
Of the new cases, 89 were exposed to the virus while visiting high-risk areas. The province with the highest number of infections is Samut Sakhon (70), followed by Bangkok (17), Samut Songkham (1), and Ubon Ratchathani (1).
Proactive testing led to the discovery of 848 cases — 760 foreigners and 84 Thais — in Samut Sakhon, and four Thais in Bangkok.
Of the returnees, 13 are Thai nationals, returning from the United Kingdom (5), United States (3), Myanmar (3) and Denmark(1). Also testing positive were two Indians, two Sudanese, a Chinese, an Indonesian, a Pakistani, a Briton, a Russian and a Nepali who flew in from their respective nations.
Meanwhile, 119 patients have recovered and been discharged.
As of Tuesday, the number of confirmed cases in Thailand had risen to 14,646. Of these, 12,250 contracted the virus domestically, including 5,532 who were found via proactive testing, and 2,396 are returnees. So far, 10,892 have recovered and been discharged, 3,679 patients are still in hospital and the death toll is 75.
According to Worldometer, as of 10am on Tuesday, the number of confirmed cases globally has hit 100 million (increasing by 449,073), 72.29 million have recovered, 25.84 million are active cases (110,250 in severe condition) and 2.15 million have died (up by 9,597).
Thailand ranks 123rd on the global list of most cases. The US tops the list with 25.86 million, followed by India 10.68 million, Brazil 8.87 million, Russia 3.73 million and the United Kingdom 3.67 million.
Taweesin Visanuyothin, the CCSA spokesperson, revealed that the number of cases in the second wave since December 16 had reached 10,409, after 10 months under the emergency decree.
In the second outbreak, patients had an average age of 34. The age range with most cases is around 20-29 years old (58 per cent) followed by 30-39 years old (29 per cent). Women tended to get infected more often than men with a ratio of 1.36 female patients to 1 male.
Air pollution in 18 provinces hit unsafe levels on Tuesday morning, according to the Pollution Control Department’s Centre for Air Pollution Mitigation.
The 18 provinces are: Chiang Rai, Phayao, Nan, Chiang Mai, Lampang, Phrae, Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, Tak, Phetchabun, Saraburi, Nong Khai, Nakhon Phanom, Khon Kaen, Roi Et, Chaiyaphum, Ubon Ratchathani and Nakhon Ratchasima.
Readings for particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter (PM2.5) in different regions:
North: 35 to 85 micrograms per cubic metre (μg/m3).
Northeast: 40 to 99μg/m3.
Central and West:13 to 59μg/m3.
East: 14 to 40μg/m3.
South: 5 to 20μg/m3.
However, the air quality in Bangkok and its vicinity is termed moderate to very good with PM2.5 readings at 15 to 43μg/m3.
People in areas where PM2.5 pollution is bad have been advised to monitor their health and reduce time spent on outdoor activities, especially the elderly, children, and patients with respiratory diseases.
The PM2.5 situation in Thailand can be followed via Air4Thai.com and bangkokairquality.com websites, or Air4Thai and AirBKK smartphone applications.
Nonthaburi Governor Sujin Chaichumsak on Monday signed an order allowing six businesses to reopen after they had been previously ordered to shut in a bid to control the Covid-19 outbreak.
The businesses are:
1. Driving schools, vocational schools, sport schools
2. Boxing training gyms (excluding boxing ring)
3. Game centres
4. Internet cafés
5. Amulet centres
6. Nursery home for elders
Businesses that are allowed to open must strictly follow disease prevention measures announced by the Ministry of Public Health.
Several businesses in the province, including schools and universities, boxing and cockfight rings, theatres, massage palours, swimming pools and karaoke joints, were ordered to close since January 5 after a new wave of Covid-19 outbreak was reported in Thailand.
The baht opened at 29.99 to the US dollar on Tuesday, unchanged from Monday’s close.
The Thai currency is likely to move between 29.90 and 30.10, Krungthai market strategist Poon Panichpibool said.
On Monday, investors’ concerns on the Covid-19 crisis across the world and lack of certainty of the US stimulus package caused the market to reduce its “reflation trades” status and focus on assets less affected by the virus crisis, as well as safe-haven ones.
This triggered fluctuation in the financial markets.
In the US, the Russell 2000 index fell by 0.3 per cent, while the Nasdaq increased by 0.7 per cent.
Meanwhile, the EU market was in a risk-off state, pressuring the Stoxx 50 to drop by 1.4 per cent.
Also, the German ifo Business Climate Index was worse than observers expected, Poon added.
The US Ten-Year Treasury dropped by over 5.6 basis points to 1.03 per cent. The dollar index rose by 0.14 per cent to 90.37 points, while the euro weakened by 0.3 per cent to 1.214 per dollar.
Poon said that the market today is monitoring results that would be announced by SET-listed companies. Moreover, the IMF World Economic Outlook was another interesting issue for the market.
He added that the dollar could move sideways in the short time, in case negative factors – intensified Covid-19 situation, poor results of listed companies, or delay in the US government’s assistance – happen.
In Thailand, the baht still moved in line with the dollar and foreign funds flow. Poon warned investors to beware of the purchasing power of the dollar at the end of this month.
The Senate spent eight hours on Monday debating amendments to the Criminal Code sections 301 and 305, which would make it possible for women to terminate their pregnancy of up to 12 weeks, before approving the first, second and third readings.
The draft was approved by majority votes of 165 votes in favour and 7 votes against, while 21 abstained from voting and one did not cast a vote.
The amended law reads as follows:
Section 301: A woman who aborts a foetus that is older than 12 weeks shall be liable to no more than six months in prison and/or a fine of Bt10,000.
The penalty for this originally was up to three years in prison and/or a fine of Bt60,000.
Section 305: The offender is not guilty if:
– The pregnancy puts the mother at risk physically or psychologically.
– The baby faces a significant risk of developing physical or mental disorder or disability.
– The woman has been impregnated due to rape.
– The mother-to-be is convinced there is no other option.
– The abortion of foetus that is older than 12 weeks but not exceeding 20 weeks is approved by a doctor or other health professionals as approved by the Ministry of Public Health.
The amendments are expected to go into effect on February 12.
