The sale of seafood in Chiang Mai’s Muang Mai market is reportedly suffering after there was an explosion of Covid-19 cases in Samut Sakhon’s stemming from one of its main shrimp markets.
Muang Mai is the largest seafood market in Chiang Mai, and many vendors said on Tuesday morning that their sales had dropped sharply after news of the virus broke out.
Vendor Payong Wanamkang said his sales has fallen by 20 to 30 per cent, adding that his employees, who are migrant workers, wear gloves and face masks at all times.
Other vendors have also put up signs saying their seafood does not originate from Samut Sakhon in a bid to convince customers.
As of Tuesday, 427 new cases were detected, 397 of whom were migrant workers, which took the total number of cases in the latest outbreak above 1,000.
Nearly 90 per cent of the positive cases were migrant workers, Samut Sakhon governor Veerasak Vichitsangsri said.
The rate of positive results has improved from 40 per cent three days ago to 27.91 per cent on Tuesday.
The Criminal Court has dismissed a lese majeste charge against Patnaree Charnkij, the mother of political activist Sirawith “Ja New” Seritiwat.
Police had accused her of replying “Ja” (Yeah) to Burin Intin, a lese majeste suspect, in a private Facebook message on March 12, 2016. Burin was later jailed for 11 years over the post.
Police said Patnaree’s single-word response constituted an offence under Section 112 of the criminal code, also known as the lese majeste law.
However, the court’s examination of the case found Patnaree had no intention to undermine members of Thai royal family. Academics who inspected the evidence said that the comment “Ja” could not be interpreted as a lese majeste violation.
Patnaree burst into tears on hearing the not guilty verdict, saying that she should not have been accused in the first place and was only targeted because of her son Sirawith’s activities.
Sirawith is leader of the Resistant Citizen group and a well-known critic of the military junta that ruled at the time of his mother’s arrest. He has been attacked and beaten several times by anonymous assailants in what observers suspect are attempts to silence his criticism of authorities.
Patnaree asked the prosecutor not to appeal the case as it had already been heard behind closed doors by a military court, before being transferred to the civilian court.
The government plans to implement a new law on communicable diseases to empower the disease control committee into new issuing measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 next year, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Tuesday.
He said this move was in response to criticism over the use of emergency decree, adding that Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam has checked the new act thoroughly.
“We believe that if the situation does not worsen, we will suspend the emergency decree and implement the new act after New Year holidays,” he said.
He said it was not necessary to launch additional measures during this time, adding that the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has the situation under control.
He also said that people who have symptoms can take a free Covid-19 test at hospitals. “The ministry will get reimbursement from the National Health Security Office,” he added.
Samut Sakhon governor has dismissed online rumours that migrant workers broke down a wall to escape the quarantine facility.
Governor Veerasak Vichitsangsri, who also chairs the Provincial Communicable Diseases Committee, said there is an old broken wall in the area, but it has been secured with razor wire and is guarded by police.
He said people could not escape anyway, because the entire area was guarded round the clock by soldiers and police officers.
“I urge people not to worry about disease control measures in the province. However, they can still notify the authorities if they find any violators. The Disease Control Committee will take the strongest action based on the Disease Control Act and other related laws if there are any violators,” Veerasak added.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) on Monday ordered strict implementation of measures at four public spaces – markets, parks, religious places and entertainment venues – in the capital.
The order requires operators of each place to provide health measures to staff and visitors, such as space for social distancing, temperature checking and hand sanitising gel.
Visitors and staff are also ordered to wear face masks, and the places must be cleaned regularly.
Besides, the operators must collect visitors’ information for tracking, and run a queue system, particularly at parks and entertainment venues.
Under the announcement, entertainment venues – pubs, bars and karaokes – face the greatest challenge to strictly implement the measures.
In addition to the “new normal” measures, operators of entertainment venues are required to limit their customer numbers, with at least four cubic metres for one person. Group customers should be limited to a maximum of five persons.
Singers or other staff are prohibited from being close to customers. Nevertheless, the singers and dancers are allowed to dance on stage.
The BMA also has banned entertainment venues from running promotions of products they sell. Serving of drinks in mugs or other sharing containers are prohibited, while customers are not allowed to bring their drinks into the venues.
The BMA has urged the operators to install CCTV cameras at their venues, and ordered them to save the footage for at least one month before deletion.
The death of another dugong has prompted Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-Archa to push efforts to boost the population of the endangered mammals.
Varawut said urgent action was needed after the discovery of a dugong carcass on a beach in Trang province on Sunday.
The animal is thought to have been killed by a stingray, as a barb was found imbedded in its skin.
Varawut said it was the second dugong found dead within a few days, the other having been pregnant. He said was concerned about Thailand’s population of dugongs, which is thought to number less than 250.
The minister ordered Sophon Thongdee, director-general of the Marine and Coastal Resources Department, to find ways of conserving the population and lowering the death toll.
An existing conservation project aims to boost the number of dugongs in Thai seas to 280 by the year 2022.
House Speaker Chuan Leekpai is still allowing MPs from high-risk provinces to enter the Parliament complex, though he has demanded stricter screening measures.
He said on Tuesday that MPs will meet in Parliament between December 23-25 to vote on laws, adding that Covid-19 was another topic that should be discussed.
He said all MPs, including those from Samut Sakhon’s Mahachai area which has been a source of Covid-19 infections, can enter the Parliament complex but need to be careful.
He added that MPs will only be allowed one person to accompany them, and they must wear a face mask all the time.
As for the migrant labourers building a structure in the complex, Chuan said the company that hired them should be responsible for preventive measures.
A Buddhist chanting ceremony organised by the government at central temples in each province every Saturday will be cancelled from this week to avoid the risk of Covid-19 spreading, Anucha Nakasai, minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office, said on Tuesday.
The activity, arranged by the government through the National Office of Buddhism, had started on December 5, to mark the birthday of late King Bhumibol Adulyadej and to commemorate his royal grace and kindness towards Thai people.
“To avoid the gathering of people according to disease control measures, the Saturday ceremony would be cancelled, as well as the Watchnight Buddhist Service scheduled on New Year’s eve and New Year day,” he said. “During New Year holidays, people are advised to stay at home and spend time with your family. You can also offer Buddhist prayers at home.
“The government is concerned about people’s safety, and urges everyone to follow the measures announced by Department of Disease Control to stay safe from Covid-19, including wearing face masks, washing your hands regularly, avoiding public gatherings or in crowded areas, and taking care of your health,” he added.
By The NationThe Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) reported 427 new cases both in quarantine facilities as well as among migrant workers over a 24-hour period on Tuesday.
Of the cases 397 were migrant workers in Samut Sakhon province, while 16 were local cases, including three in Saraburi, two in Samut Prakan, one in Chachoengsao, five in Bangkok, two in Pathum Thani, one in Phetchaburi, one in Uttaradit and one in Nakhon Pathom. In addition eight Thais and six foreigners tested positive in quarantine.
All the domestic cases reported today were linked to the outbreak in a Samut Sakhon shrimp market.
Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin, spokesman for the CCSA, said health officials have learned that people from 21 provinces had travelled to Samut Sakhon recently.
The provinces in question are Chiang Mai, Phetchaburi, Nakhon Ratchasima, Suphanburi, Kanchanaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Ratchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Samut Songkhram, Chumphon, Saraburi, Pathum Thani, Ayutthaya, Nonthaburi, Bangkok, Songkhla, Samut Prakan, Prachinburi, Chachoengsao, Chonburi and Rayong.
However, Covid-19 cases were only found in a few provinces so far.
A map provided by the CCSA depicts the density of patients in different parts of Thailand. Red stands for most cases (Samut Sakhon), orange covers provinces with cases linked to Samut Sakhon and green marks provinces from where people travelled to the affected area but did not get infected.
The cases in quarantine facilities include one Thai who returned from Bahrain, three returning from Pakistan, three from the United States and one from Kuwait. The foreigners included a Russian IT manager from Germany, a Swiss national from Italy, two students from Sudan, a French chef and a Pakistani businessman.
Meanwhile, 25 patients have recovered and been discharged.
The total number of confirmed cases in Thailand has risen to 5,716 (1,373 in state quarantine and 1,273 from hunt of active cases). Of the total, 1,578 are in hospital and quarantine facilities, while 4,078 have recovered and been discharged. The death toll remains unchanged at 60.
According to Worldometer, as of 10am, the total number of confirmed cases globally has risen to 77.71 million (up by 534,219). Of them, 54.59 million have recovered, while 21.41 million are active cases (106,279 in severe condition) and 1.7 million have died (up by 8,899).
Thailand ranks 143rd for most cases in the world, while the US tops the list with 18.47 million, followed by India 10.07 million, Brazil 7.26 million, Russia 2.87 million and France 2.48 million.
Dr Taweesin said tests on 2,051 people in a 2-kilometre radius of the shrimp market in Samut Sakhon found 914 people positive or a rate of 44 per cent; of the 653 samples in vicinity of the Talay Thai market 91 came out positive accounting for 14 per cent; while of the 1,099 samples in the Thai Union market, 84 came out positive, accounting for 8 per cent of positive rate.
Pie-chart shows the rate of detection of cases in Samut Sakhon.
As for the rising number of people wanting to be tested for Covid-19, he said that is difficult because there is a limited number of health officials. However, he said, people who are concerned and are linked to the outbreak area can ask for a free test.
Meanwhile, he said, everyone should continue wearing masks and keeping their hands clean, because this is still the best way of fighting the virus.
Anutin Charnvirakul 
Chuan Leekpai 
(File Photo) 
SootinClaimon.Com 