Bkk Brian

The actual study in the Lancet is here: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02183-8/fulltext

Yea right.............. He said the fund isn’t intended to remediate financial losses suffered due to the pandemic, but rather to support long-term, local economic growth. "The additional cost won't have an impact on tourists, as we want to focus on the quality market," said Mr. Yuthasak. https://www.travelpulse.com/news/impacting-travel/thailand-to-impose-new-tourist-tax-next-year.html

The report marked that of the COVID patients in care only 35 were designated as ‘Red patients’ (zero change since Sept 15 report) More details here https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-marks-177-new-covid-cases-three-more-deaths-81605.php 11,834 covid cases to 83 deaths leads to a current CFR of 0.07%

Gaining traction on some travel websites now also: Thailand’s timing out on welcome tax BANGKOK, 5 October 2021: The timing is out on Thailand’s announcement that it will impose an additional THB500 fee on foreigners entering the country sometime next year. Someone has lost touch with the bellwether’s warning that travellers are fed up with the increased costs associated with a visit to Thailand. Yet it is about to add another cost, and it won’t go down well with leisure travellers keen to keep travel expenses down in the wake of Covid-19. Thailand To Impose New Tourist Tax Next Year The extra capital is also intended to help the country restructure its industry from mass tourism to a high-value economic model and environmentally concerned type of tourism. It’s also meant to help bankroll budget insurance offerings for foreign visitors and other development initiatives run by the government, rather than the private sector.

Correct and we all know how unsuccessful that was for the majority of local Thai's in Phuket. Extending it now to other Provinces will also mean that those returning expats and Thai's no longer have to go to Phuket if they've got no ties there and can instead travel to one of the other sandbox Provinces closer to home. Good for them but dilutes the original Phuket sandbox, there's only so many people returning.

PCR test positive cases, total of 9,869 official new infections, with 273 of those from prison and 9,596 from the community. 92 official covid deaths recorded. The fourth day of a welcome double digit number. Rapid tests positive cases, highest for previous 14 days, 3,495 bringing the unofficial total to 13,364 https://ddc.moph.go.th/covid19-dashboard/ Last 7 days Ventilator Capacity: 29/09/21 = 729 30/09/21 = 717 01/10/21 = 709 02/10/21 = 725 03/10/21 = 712 04/10/21 = 719 05/10/21 = 701 Rolling 7 day average (up to 2nd Oct) which includes prison cases and bar chart of community cases from daily official announcements. https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus/country/thailand

This link answers the question very well in my opinion "When it comes to infectious diseases, "exposure" means coming into contact with a virus or bacteria. Infection happens when someone is exposed and actually becomes sick from the exposure. Exposure does not always lead to an infection. If the time a person is exposed to the virus is very short, if the amount of virus that enters the body is not in a large enough quantity, or if the body's immune system is able to quickly fight it off, then exposure will be less likely to lead to infection."

COVID infections in 4 southern provinces rising, now 21% of new cases Monday Thailand’s 5 southernmost provinces, of Nakhon Si Thammarat, Songkhla, Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, are among those with the highest COVID-19 infection rate today (Monday). The combined cases in the four provinces except Nakhon Si Thammarat accounted for 21% of all new cases reported in the last 24 hours, up from 17% last week, according to the Centre for COVID-10 Situation Administration (CCSA). https://www.thaipbsworld.com/covid-infections-in-4-southern-provinces-rising-now-21-of-new-cases-monday/

I'm surprised by that, I agree it leads to complacency. Thermal scanners may not be very effective but its a covid measure that should be in place and sets the tone for awareness of the other measures, masks, sanitizer etc. While vaccination rates are so low then not applying this rule because of laziness is asking for further rule breaking. I've got no problem with them at all even though I know they have minimal effect, it takes just a second to put your hand near it and done. I'm pleased to report that is not the case here in Phuket where they are still used extensively even with high vax rates. I understand in places like the UK where they are living with the virus already they they are not necessary.

Just got an email from my daughters school, appointments for students with Pfizer this weekend (Phuket)

Follow on to that: The 3rd wave had led to 1.62 million cases and 17,017 deaths since April 1 with a mortality rate of 1.05%. There are 109,748 patients who are being treated at hospitals. Of that, 3,071 are in critical condition including 719 on ventilators.

Registrations for AstraZeneca booster shots for those with 2 Sinovac jabs open Thursday The COVID-19 vaccination site at Bang Sue Grand station in Bangkok has announced that they will start providing AstraZeneca booster shots, for those who were already vaccinated with two doses of Sinovac before July 31st. Registrations will be open from this Thursday (October 7th) at 9am through mobile phone providers, and the vaccinations will start from October 9th to 31st, from 9am to 5pm, free of charge. Walk-in appointments are not available. https://www.thaipbsworld.com/registrations-for-astrazeneca-booster-shots-for-those-with-2-sinovac-jabs-open-thursday/

Voluntary inoculation of school students with Pfizer vaccine begins in Thailand Thailand’s mass voluntary Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination campaign, for students aged 12 to 18, began today (Monday October 4th). 3.6 million students in this age group, or 71% of the 5 million nationwide, have received consent from their guardians for their inoculation with the US-German mRNA vaccine, following the arrival in Thailand of the first lot of 2 million doses last Wednesday. A further 28 million doses are on order and will follow. Six more million Pfizer doses are expected to arrive later this month. https://www.thaipbsworld.com/voluntary-inoculation-of-school-students-with-pfizer-vaccine-begins-in-thailand/

We all know the lack of testing missing many covid deaths has hidden the true cost of this pandemic here in Thailand

Lets hope the next one Thailand does in fact do what it says below Thailand Emphasizes Universal Health Coverage in Tackling COVID-19 On this occasion, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed the importance of strengthening UHC to better address COVID-19 and prepare for future pandemics. He shared the following key priorities: (1) promoting equitable, affordable, timely and universal access to vaccines and medicines by ensuring technology transfer to scale up production capacities at all levels - national, regional and global; (2) tackling the challenge of underinvestment in healthcare infrastructures and services by strengthening global medical health financing mechanisms to help developing countries; and (3) integrating UHC as part of post COVID-19 response strategies by including UHC as an important part of international conversations on preparedness and response to future global health emergencies, including in the ongoing conversation on development of a pandemic treaty. https://thailand.prd.go.th/ewt_news.php

We all know Thailand still has a long way to go and that the original 70% figure for vaccinations they targeted is not enough but once there what does it actually mean for Thailand and having the virus as an endemic disease that we live with, here's a good explainer by an Epidemiologist in a thread. "Whether a disease is endemic, epidemic, eliminated, or eradicated does NOT tell us how serious it is, and does NOT tell us how many people get sick or die. We have to CHOOSE that number. So here’s the kicker: “endemic” doesn’t mean “never think about covid again”. It’s exactly the opposite! Endemic means someone is ALWAYS thinking about covid. Endemic means public health is always monitoring disease & always intervening when cases cross the “acceptable” level. Every time I tweet about this I get people in mentions saying “but we don’t take precautions for the flu!” Those people are 100% WRONG! Thousands of people work daily to monitor, prepare for, & respond to fluctuations in flu number and in the flu virus itself! It’s a HUGE task! But that is because PUBLIC HEALTH KNOWS WHAT IT’S DOING!!! There are clearly defined “acceptable” levels for different strains of the flu, and we spend so so much time & energy & money working to keep the flu below those levels. So that YOU don’t get sick. So what does this tell us about how pandemics end? Well, it tells us that we CAN put in the work to really get rid of it once & for all, if we have the will and the strength and the interest and the resources. It probably gets harder & harder the longer we wait, though. Because pandemics don’t end by a disease just fading away, & pandemics don’t end with everyone able to completely forget about the disease. Pandemics end when we decide how much death and disease we’re satisfied with." https://twitter.com/EpiEllie/status/1444088921961504770

I'm noticing that too, the decline is slowing and appears to be heading for a flat line scenario. We had one Health Ministry doctor saying it would hover at 10,000 a day and then the next week saying it would decline to 5,000 a day, lets see which of his predictions comes to pass.

PCR test positive cases, total of 9,930 official new infections, with 362 of those from prison and 9,568 from the community. 97 official covid deaths recorded. The third day of a welcome double digit number. Rapid tests positive cases, highest for previous 14 days, 1,743 bringing the unofficial total to 11,673 https://ddc.moph.go.th/covid19-dashboard/ Last 7 days Ventilator Capacity: 28/09/21 = 738 29/09/21 = 729 30/09/21 = 717 01/10/21 = 709 02/10/21 = 725 03/10/21 = 712 04/10/21 = 719 Rolling 7 day average (up to 2nd Oct) which includes prison cases and bar chart of community cases from daily official announcements. https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus/country/thailand

Cheap but quality ATKs to be available at GPO stores in Bangkok on Oct 18th The Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) will put two million quality rapid antigen test kits (ATKs) on sale to the public, for home use, at 40 baht per kit at its eight stores in Bangkok from October 18th. GPO Deputy Director Sirikul Matevelungsun said today (Sunday) that the ATKs, procured by the GPO, are of standard quality and are much cheaper than those available in private pharmacies. https://www.thaipbsworld.com/cheap-but-quality-atks-to-be-available-at-gpo-stores-in-bangkok-on-oct-18th/

He's only stating the obvious with experience from other countries but nothing wrong with that, being endemic and learning to live with it is a given now. As .long as its controlled at or below acceptable levels. Of course vaccinations need to be upped a long way yet. Thailand's not there yet. Endemic does not mean harmless so constant monitoring will be required for the foreseeable future.

Pattaya launches major vaccination drive ahead of November opening Chonburi’s tourist magnet, Pattaya City, is accelerating its Covid-19 vaccination drive in a bid to boost herd immunity before the city reopens in November. The authorities are placing a special focus on elderly, bed-ridden patients as well those with chronic diseases and those vulnerable to infections. Pattaya’s mayor Sonthaya Kunplome on Saturday oversaw the vaccination drive at Pattaya City Hospital and also led teams to the homes of bed-ridden patients. https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40006973

Luring Foreign Tourists Back to Thailand Will Be Very Slow Thailand took a major step in trying to revive its devastated tourism industry on Friday as it reduced quarantine time for fully vaccinated travelers arriving to Thailand from 15 days to 7. No one should expect a quick surge in tourism anytime soon and should be cautious in treading the path to tourism recovery, however. The number of new infections nationwide is still precariously high at 10,000 plus and death toll around a hundred per day is still high by international standards and will be factored in by some potential foreign tourists currently mulling a visit to Thailand. https://www.khaosodenglish.com/opinion/2021/10/02/luring-foreign-tourists-back-to-thailand-will-be-very-slow/

How testing reveals the true impact of covid deaths in SE Asia Thailand and the Philippines have huge spikes in Excess deaths compared to Singapore and Malaysia. Compare covid testing they do in the Charts below and that can be a major reason why. https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus-testing https://ourworldindata.org/excess-mortality-covid

PCR test positive cases, total of 10,828 official new infections, with just 104 of those from prison and 10,724 from the community. 77 official covid deaths recorded. The second day of a welcome double digit number. Rapid tests positive cases, highest for previous 14 days, 2,839 bringing the unofficial total to 13,667 https://ddc.moph.go.th/covid19-dashboard/ Last 7 days Ventilator Capacity: 27/09/21 = 728 28/09/21 = 738 29/09/21 = 729 30/09/21 = 717 01/10/21 = 709 02/10/21 = 725 03/10/21 = 712 Rolling 7 day average (up to 1st Oct) which includes prison cases and bar chart of community cases from daily official announcements. https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus/country/thailand

Yep, same here, my daughter back on Monday, bi weekly ATK tests, all parents and teachers vaccinated