Ministry of Public Health reported on Wednesday (December 15) morning that in the past 24 hours there are 3,370 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19, 111 of whom have been found in prisons.
Death toll increased by 29, while 4,557 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.
The country’s total caseload from Covid-19 stands at 2,178,276 – 2,110,701 of whom have recovered, 46,315 are still in hospitals and 21,260 have died.
Separately, another 114,675 people were given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, 181,505 their second shot and 96,936 a booster, bringing the total number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered nationwide to 98,046,970.
According to Worldometer, confirmed cases globally had risen to 271.75 million on Wednesday, 244.31 million of whom have recovered, 22.1 million are active cases (89,426 in severe condition) and 5.34 million have died (up by 7,271).
Thailand ranks 24th in the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 51.14 million, followed by India with 34.71 million, Brazil with 22.2 million, the UK with 10.93 million and Russia with 10.07 million.
The Thailand Meteorological Department said on Wednesday (December 15) that the rather strong high-pressure system over upper Thailand is weakening. Cool to cold weather is likely in the North, the Northeast, the Central and the East with temperature drop by 1-2 °C. Mountaintops in the North and the Northeast are cold to very cold. People should take care of their health due to variable weather.
Meanwhile, the moderate northeast monsoon prevails across the Gulf and the South, causing waves in the Gulf to rise to over 2 meters high. All ships should proceed with caution. During December 15-18, the active low-pressure cell over the lower South China Sea and Borneo is expected move west to Malaysia and the lower South of Thailand and bring isolated heavy rains in the lower South. People in this area should beware of severe condition that may cause overflows and flash floods.
The weather forecast for the next 24 hours is as follows:
North: Cool to cold weather; temperature lows of 14-17 degrees and highs of 28-32 degrees Celsius. Temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 4-12 degrees Celsius.
Northeast: Cool to cold weather; temperature lows of 14-19 degrees and highs of 28-31 degrees Celsius. Temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 8-14 degrees Celsius.
Central: Cool weather in the morning; temperature lows of 19-21 degrees, highs of 30-32 degrees Celsius.
East: Cool weather in the morning; temperature lows of 19-23 degrees, highs of 31-32 degrees Celsius; waves a meter high and 1-2 meters offshore.
South (east coast): Cool weather in the morning with thundershowers in 30 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 21-26 degrees, highs of 29-31 degrees Celsius; waves 2 meters high and more than 2 meters during thundershowers.
South (west coast): Partly cloudy with thundershowers in some areas; temperature lows of 23-25 degrees, highs of 32-34 degrees Celsius; waves a meter high and 1-2 meters offshore.
Bangkok and surrounding areas: Cool weather in the morning; temperature lows of 21-22 degrees, highs of 31-32 degrees Celsius.
The Cabinet on Tuesday earmarked 642 million baht to provide as education loans to alleviate the burden of school fees on families affected by the Covid-19 crisis.
The government had previously spent 23.23 billion baht to provide aid to some 11.93 million students, deputy government spokesperson Ratchada Dhnadirek said.
The new budget will cover 321,461 students in three groups: 15,264 students who have not received any aid, 231,839 students pursuing primary and secondary education, and 74,358 children at Child Development Centres.
The Cabinet on Tuesday agreed to earmark 82.5 billion baht to rehabilitate Bangkok’s Saen Saeb canal over the next decade (2021-2031). The proposal for the canal’s rehabilitation was made by the Office of National Water Resources (ONWR).
Of the funds earmarked, 81.4 per cent will come from the national budget, 3.5 per cent from funds allocated for Bangkok and 15.1 per cent from public-private investments.
The aim is to clean the canal of toxic waste dumped by factories and garbage from canal-side communities.
In 2020, 807,672 cubic meters of untreated wastewater was released into the Saen Saeb canal and its tributaries daily bringing the average biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) to 12.2mg per litre.
BOD stands for the amount of oxygen required to decompose organic matter and readings above 8mg/l represent severe pollution.
Wastewater dumped into the Saen Saeb canal ends up in Chachoengsao’s Bang Pakong River.
Thailand is getting closer to attaining herd immunity against Covid-19 now that more people are getting vaccinated, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said.
As of Tuesday, 97,893,176 doses of Covid-19 vaccines had been administered in Thailand, including 140,461 jabs on the day itself. Of the total doses administered, 50,012,231 people received their first dose, 43,572,451 their second dose, 4,266,735 their third dose, and 41,759 their fourth jab.
The Public Health Ministry has reduced the interval for the booster dose after the second jab, so those who received their second jab between August and September will be eligible for a booster this month.
He also advised people to not be duped into paying for fake vaccination certificates.
“Other than being dangerous for you and those around you, it is also an illegal act, punishable with imprisonment. The actual vaccination certificate has a QR code indicating the recipient’s name, date, place and provider of the jab as well as the vaccine’s brand and bottle number. These details can prove whether a certificate is real or fake.
“So, I urge you to not become victims and report to the police if you come upon people offering such services,” the minister said.
Police on Monday raided a clinic in Pathum Thani’s Muang district for allegedly conducting unauthorised Covid-19 tests and arrested two suspects.
The clinic’s owner Wasita (last name withheld) was charged for running an unlicensed medical facility and can face up to five years in prison and/or 100,000 baht in fines.
The service provider Pornnapha (last name withheld) was charged for performing medical procedures without a licence and stands to face up to three years in prison and/or up to 60,000 baht in fines.
The crackdown was announced in a press conference called on Tuesday afternoon by the Central Investigation Bureau, Department of Health Service Support (HSS), Food and Drug Administration and Pathum Thani Public Health Office.
This case came to light when HSS received a report from the provincial health office that a clinic was illegally providing rapid antigen tests.
HSS then called on the Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD) to investigate the matter.
Police showed up at D LAB Intergroup on Monday morning and learned that the clinic provided Covid-19 ATK tests for 500 baht per person. Police also found that the clinic did not get a licence from the Pathum Thani Public Health Office, but had a stamp of approval from a local hospital.
Investigators also learned that the clinic’s staff members were not doctors or medical technologists and that thousands of blood and urine samples were not being stored properly.
To protect consumers from being duped by such operations, HSS director-general Tares Krassanairawiwong called on people to first check the list of licenced hospitals at http://mrd-hss.moph.go.th/ before wasting time and money on questionable clinics.
CPPD commander Anan Nanasombat reiterated Taras’ advice and called on clinics and doctors to stop violating the law.
FDA’s deputy secretary-general Supartra Boonserm, meanwhile, said that though the clinic used ATK tests approved for home use, the services were not being provided by medical personnel. She also said that members of staff lacked medical knowledge.
Hence, she said, people wanting to test for Covid-19 should check each hospital’s licence and ATK test kit registration at http://www.fda.moph.go.th.
She also urged people to report illegal practices via the 1556 hotline or email 1556@fda.moph.go.th.
People wanting to get an RT-PCR test can check hospitals and labs authorised by the Department of Medical Sciences listed on http://www.dmsc.moph.go.th.
People can also report fake clinics or labs via the 1426 HSS hotline or contact provincial health authorities. Reports can also be lodged via CPPD’s 1135 hotline or through its Facebook page.
Though Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha insisted on Monday that the controversial Chana Industrial Estate project in Songkhla will go ahead, he admitted that the state should pay more heed to local residents.
He also ordered state agencies to ensure the project is carried out transparently and as per people’s demands.
“This is a lesson for the government. Our aim was to boost economic activities in the South, but policy problems occurred so a review and more public input is necessary,” he said.
The premier’s statement came after 300 members of the “Chana Rak Thin” (Protect Homeland Chana) group began marching from the United Nations building towards Government House but were blocked by crowd-control police. Clashes broke out until protest leaders intervened.
Meanwhile, Seksakol Atthawong, a vice minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office, met the protesters’ representatives on Tuesday afternoon and accepted their petition to submit to the Cabinet later in the day.
Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow also announced he would travel to Chana district personally to gather facts.
The group is rallying to pressure the government into suspending the development of the controversial Chana Industrial Estate until a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is completed. The protesters are also demanding that all legal action against the 37 protesters arrested on December 6 be dropped.
The group has set up camp, dubbed “Look Talay” (Children of the Sea), at the Chamai Maruchet Bridge to await the Cabinet’s resolution on the subject.
The Chana Industrial Estate will focus on the energy industry, with a 16,800-rai power plant and deep-water seaports. The locals, most of whom are fishermen, are afraid that this will have a huge impact on the environment and hurt their livelihood.
Face masks will be made controlled products by mid next year and producers will be required to get a Thai Industrial Standard (TIS) stamp, the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI) announced on Tuesday. This was after 41 face mask brands failed standards tests.
TISI told the press that new regulations for disposable masks are being proposed to the Council of State and they should be approved by mid-2022.
The announcement came after the Consumer Organisation Council and the Academic Network for Consumer Protection tested face-mask brands in a Facebook Live session on November 30 and found that 41 did not meet the standard.
Banjong Sukreetha, TISI’s secretary-general, told reporters that four of the 41 brands had been given TISI’s okay and are now being retested.
He said warning letters have been sent to all face mask manufacturers, who stand to have their licence suspended if they fail the standard.
Banjong said that once face masks have been marked as controlled products, manufacturers, importers and retailers will be required to get a TISI licence. In the meantime, he said, consumers should ensure they only purchase face masks that have been given the TIS stamp.
Five government-sponsored countdown events will be held on New Year’s Eve under Covid Free Setting and SHA standards, government spokesperson Ratchada Dhnadirek said on Tuesday.
The “Amazing Thailand Countdown 2022” will be held at Royal Park Rajapruek in Chiang Mai, Nakhon Ratchasima City Hall, Moonlight Beach in Rayong, Ayutthaya’s Wat Phra Ram and Saphan Hin Beach in Phuket, she said.
“Apart from these five spots, 44 other provinces will also be holding countdown events under disease control measures set by the Public Health Ministry.
“The Tourism Authority of Thailand [TAT] will also be holding a variety of events at these places from December 27 to 30. The events will run from 4pm to 11pm,” Ratchada said. “These include art and cultural performances, concerts by Thai and foreign musicians, traditional food festivals, and light and firework shows.”
TAT expects some 15,000 visitors to show up at each location.
“Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has said all events be held under the new normal standards, namely Covid Free Setting and TAT’s Amazing Thailand Safety & Health Administration standard or SHA to keep participants safe from Covid-19,” she added. “Eventgoers must be fully vaccinated or test negative via ATK before entering the fair. Alcohol hand sanitisers will be provided in the event areas, while social distancing practice will be enforced along with mandatory facemasks.”
No alcoholic beverages will be allowed at the countdown events, insisted Ratchada.
Responding to complaints from local residents, technicians from internet provider 3BB and other internet companies showed up on Tuesday to remove cables cluttering the stairs of a pedestrian bridge in Bangkok’s Thonburi area.
Atechnician said the cables on the bridge are actually for the internet and not live electrical wires as feared by residents. He also said these cables will pose no harm to pedestrians.
The technicians apologised for the inconvenience caused and promised that they were always ready to help.
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