Chonburi authorities have decided to put Bang Lamung district, which covers the municipal area of Pattaya, under lockdown in a bid to contain the spread of Covid-19.
In an announcement released on Wednesday, the authorities ordered the temporary closure of pubs, bars, schools, tuition centres, child development centres, pools, amusement parks, nurseries, amulet markets, fitness clubs, internet café, parks, playgrounds, theatres, and snooker clubs.
Shopping complexes are allowed to keep supermarkets and pharmacies open. Banks in the complexes as well as shops selling IT gadgets, electrical appliances and construction materials can also stay open.
Dining in at restaurants and cafes is not allowed, though takeaways are still available. However, restaurants in hotels or resorts can continue serving.
Convenience stores are required to close between 10pm and 5am.
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) reported 250 new cases over a 24-hour period from various sources on Wednesday.
Of the 241 local cases, only two were migrant workers in Nonthaburi.
Of the 241, nine were linked to the central shrimp market in Samut Sakhon and three to a gambling den in Rayong.
Of the new cases, 29 work in high-risk areas like entertainment venues, crowded communities or are medical personnel, comprising 15 in Bangkok, five in Nakhon Pathom, one in Samut Prakan, three in Saraburi, one in Nakhon Nayok, one in Nonthaburi and three in Phetchaburi.
Of the 198 patients under investigation, 12 were found to have been infected in Samut Sakhon, 17 in Nonthaburi, 53 in Rayong, seven in Chanthaburi, one in Trat and 108 in Chonburi.
CCSA spokesperson Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin said the large number of infections in Chonburi can be possibly be linked to a new gambling den, adding that the Department of Disease Control will provide more details later.
Meanwhile, eight travellers tested positive in quarantine facilities, including one Indian national and two Americans who arrived from the US, a Thai national from Australia, two Eritreans from Kenya, a Turkish man from Russia and Kuwaiti diplomat.
A Myanmar man, 30, who was caught trying to cross the border illegally and tested positive was deported.
Meanwhile, 28 patients have recovered and been discharged.
The total number of confirmed cases in Thailand has risen to 6,690 (1,469 in state quarantine and 1,383 from hunt for active cases), of whom 2,417 are in hospital, while 4,212 have recovered and been discharged. The death toll remains at 61.
According to Worldometer, the total number of confirmed cases globally has increased to 82.32 million (up by 611,717). Of them, 58.33 million have recovered, while 22.19 million are active cases (105,939 in severe condition) and 1.79 million have died (up by 13,450).
Thailand ranks 140th for most cases in the world, while the US tops the list with 19.97 million, followed by India 10.24 million, Brazil 7.56 million, Russia 3.1 million and France 2.57 million
Dr Taweesin is calling on people to be careful as the age range of new patient is higher or around 40 on average.
The Office of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) expects the draft on regulations for purchasing electricity from community power plants to be announced by February, secretary-general Komkrit Tantravanich said on Wednesday.
“The office had on November 16 finished drafting the principles and conditions for buying 150 megawatts of electricity under the feed-in tariff method from VSPPs [very small power producers] under the community power plant campaign,” Komkrit said.
“However, the office is awaiting a verdict from the Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives Ministry as to whether or not the community power plant project should be classified as contract farming under the Contract Farming Promotion and Development Act BE 2560,” he said.
If the ministry rules that community power plants are contract farming, then the ERC will have to adjust its regulations to comply with the act, including setting a ratio of energy crops – a minimum of 80 per cent – that power plant operators must purchase from farmers in surrounding communities, Komkrit said.
Under the ERC draft, power producers must supply electricity to the power grid within 36 months of the date on which they sign an agreement.
“We set the amount of electricity to be purchased from plants using biomass fuel at 6 megawatts per plant, totalling 75 megawatts throughout the contract period of 20 years, and electricity from plants using biogas fuel at 6 megawatts per plant, totalling another 75 megawatts throughout the contract,” Komkrit said.
“Producers under the community power plant campaign will comprise a private company that holds 90 per cent of shares, while the remaining 10 per cent will be preferential shares held by a community enterprise that comprise farmers from at least 200 households in the community who grow energy crops to serve the plant,” he added.
A 36-year-old transporter of goods from Bangkok, who contracted Covid-19 last week, had travelled to Samut Sakhon province and then visited several department stores in the capital.
According to an official timeline of his movements, the man travelled to Samut Sakhon’s Mahachai subdistrict on December 14, visiting a Tesco Lotus branch, Central and a 7-Eleven minimart located near a seafood market.
On December 15, he visited Big C and Tesco Lotus in Bangkok’s Bang Pakok subdistrict.
On December 16, the man went to Big C Rama II and Central Chidlom in Bangkok as well as Central Plaza WestGate in Nonthaburi.
On December 17, he stayed home.
On December 18, he transported goods to Big C Dao Khanong, followed by Riverside Plaza, Tree on 3 and a Makro branch in Sathorn.
On December 19, he travelled to Ayutthaya with his family.
On December 20, he visited Seacon Square Srinakarin, Central Festival EastVille and Fashion Island.
Between December 21 and 23, he stayed home, experiencing a sore throat and having mucus.
On December 24, he visited a hospital for a checkup.
On December 25, he was found to have contracted Covid-19.
Chulalongkorn University virology specialist Dr Yong Poovorawan, who usually provides updates and advice on the Covid-19 situation, revealed that he is now at risk of contracting the virus.
The doctor posted on his Facebook page that he was sitting near Samut Sakhon Governor Verasak Vichitsangsri, who has since tested positive for the coronavirus.
Yong is now undergoing self-quarantine for 14 days after the meeting in Samut Sakhon province.
He urged the public to strictly follow preventive measures by wearing face masks, social distancing in public places and regularly sanitising one’s hands to stop the chain of infections.
Yong previously requested that all New Year parties be banned before the coronavirus spirals out of control.
Four men who savagely beat up a hip-hop dancer at a restaurant in Buri Ram’s Lahan Sai district told police they were angry the victim made a “mocking” gesture when they were celebrating a birthday party.
Nopparat Boonrat, 23, who came in second at a hip-hop doubles competition in Poland in 2018, had his skull cracked in the attack on December 23.
Lahan Sai Police summoned the four, warning they would be arrested if they did not turn up to answer questions.
Their families took them to the police station on Tuesday night. The four were identified as Worraphol Kongprakon, 23, Vikrom Kongprakon, 22, Anucha Thongprod, 20, and Sonthaya Kongthong, 22.
Brothers Worraphol and Vikrom together with Sonthaya had escaped to Chon Buri province after the assault.
However, their families reportedly pressured them to go to the police station.
They confessed to police that they went to the restaurant to celebrate Vikrom’s birthday, but when they brought out a cake, Nopparat was seen “crossing his arms”.
The gang interpreted this as a mocking gesture and quickly set upon attacking Nopparat.
The police detained them at the station but had to screen them for Covid-19 as Chon Buri is a high-risk province.
The four were charged with severely assaulting another person.
A medical officer in Phetchaburi province has reportedly contracted Covid-19 after carrying out an operation in Samut Sakhon province on December 23.
According to a report on Wednesday morning, the 47-year-old medical officer lives in Kaeng Krachan district. She was one of 30 personnel who had been sent to the red zone area that day.
After the operation, all personnel were ordered to quarantine themselves.
This latest Covid-19 case has increased the number of infected patients in the province to 19.
Some 863 people have been checked and found free of the virus. However, 3,297 are awaiting test results.
A woman who was beaten by a Norwegian man at a supermarket in Ubon Ratchathani province eventually reconciled with him on Wednesday.
On December 26, the 26-year-old woman accidentally wheeled away a cart belonging to the 54-year-old Norwegian, who thought she was stealing his belongings and kicked her from behind. She thought the cart belonged to her mother, who had left a few minutes earlier to go out to her car.
The woman tried to apologise for the mistake but the man kicked her a couple of times more. He then followed her around and she decided to run back to her car.
When the man left, she was able to capture a picture of his car’s licence plate.
He was later summoned to a police station in Warinchamrab district and told the police that he thought she was stealing his belongings.
The Norwegian paid a Bt500 fine and some more money to meet the woman’s medical expenses. She subsequently decided not to pursue further legal action against him.
The baht opened at 30.05 to the US dollar on Wednesday, weakening from 30.04 at close on Tuesday, Krungthai Bank markets strategist Poon Panichpibool said.
He said the currency would move between 29.90 and 30.15 per US dollar due to low financial transactions as this was the year-end.
Financial markets were in a risk-off state, pressuring the S&P 500 and Russell 2,000 Index to drop by 0.2 and 1.87 per cent, respectively, the main factor being US senators’ objection to increasing government assistance from a monthly $600 to $2,000 for Americans. This led to market concerns over a US recovery from the Covid-19 crisis.
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