Time to restrict entry for Chinese to Thailand

[SiSePuede419]

On 1/27/2020 at 8:01 PM, Trujillo said:

We should take a page from Taiwan's playbook and ban all tour groups

I think we should ban all tour groups with leaders that carry around a flag. 

 

Man, those are annoying for some reason. 

 

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition. ????

Edited January 28, 2020 by SiSePuede419

[sqwakvfr]

In other news it looks like Singapore has made a decision:

 

[Travel Advisory]
 

UPDATE ON CORONAVIRUS PNEUMONIA SITUATION

Singapore Airlines is closely monitoring the development of the coronavirus pneumonia situation.

 
TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS TO SINGAPORE
 
On Tuesday 28 January 2020, the Singapore government took the following steps to further limit the risk of community spread in Singapore. 
 
• From 29 January 2020, 1200hrs (GMT +8), all new visitors with recent Hubei travel history within the last 14 days, or those with People’s Republic of China passports issued in Hubei, will not be allowed entry into Singapore, or transit through Singapore.
 
• Returning residents (Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents) and long-term pass holders – either with travel history in Hubei or with People’s Republic of China passports issued in Hubei – will be quarantined at home or other suitable facilities. 
 
• Previously issued short-term and multiple-visit visas, as well as visa-free transit facilities for those with People’s Republic of China passports issued in Hubei, will also be suspended with immediate effect. During this period of suspension, this group will not be allowed entry into Singapore.
 
Singapore Airlines and SilkAir passengers who are affected by the entry restrictions will not be allowed to travel to Singapore.

More information can be found here: https://bit.ly/2RyWE9m

Affected customers can contact their travel agents, or the Singapore reservations team at +65 6223 8888 or [email protected], if they require assistance.

MEASURES TO SAFEGUARD CREW AND PASSENGERS 

The safety of our crew and passengers is our highest priority. We are working closely with the authorities to take measures to minimise the spread of the coronavirus.
 
This includes the proactive screening of passengers on the ground and the distribution of a health advisory notice by Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH). As an added measure, inflight announcements regarding the coronavirus will be made on all flights to and from Mainland China.
 
We also have in place a set of standard operating procedures to handle various inflight medical emergencies, including potentially infectious diseases. Any unwell passenger will be attended to by the relevant medical authorities immediately after the aircraft lands.
 
Passengers and crew who are feeling unwell and have travelled to China recently are strongly advised to promptly seek medical attention, and report their travel history.
 

WAIVER POLICY FOR CUSTOMERS TRAVELLING TO AND FROM MAINLAND CHINA

We will waive all cancellation and change fees for customers with tickets issued on or before 28 January 2020 for travel to and from Mainland China from 24 January 2020 to 29 February 2020. Customers can contact the Singapore reservations team at +65 6223 8888 or [email protected] before departure if they would like to change their flight date or destination, or request a refund of their tickets. The new travel date must commence on or before 31 May 2020.

Last updated on 29 January 2020, 0018hrs (GMT+8)

[Onrai]

While quarantine is considered interchangeable with cordon sanitaire -containment means keeping people in and out of a specific area, the 11 million Chinese tourists make up a huge part of the Thai tourist economy and I see screening at the airport as a more effective  solution than barring them from entering the country. By the time they had an effective vaccine for SARS, the spread of the disease was already on the decline. 

 

[runamok27]

For anyone who wants to keep track of what's going on:

 

https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

 

So far this really isn't all that bad. This flu does not appear to be any deadlier than any normal flu outbreak that happens every year somewhere worldwide. The only people who need to be worried are really old people, infants and immune compromised people and they should probably be worried every flu season, not just now.

 

An analysis led by Chinese scientists published in The Lancet Public Health in September 2019 found that there were 84,200 to 92,000 flu-related deaths in China each year, accounting for 8.2 percent of all deaths from respiratory diseases.

 

That's 230 per day on the low end and 252 per day on the high end. According to that web site above there has been 131 confirmed deaths, which is not even equal to just one day of normal flu deaths. 

Edited January 29, 2020 by runamok27
misspelled word.

[DannyCarlton]

1 hour ago, runamok27 said:

That's 230 per day on the low end and 252 per day on the high end. According to that web site above there has been 131 confirmed deaths, which is not even equal to just one day of normal flu deaths. 

A completely pointless comparison. Established flu viruses are well established and global. This is a new, relatively localised virus that has yet to establish itself globally. Infections from common flu viruses number in the millions. You need to wait a few weeks before you can make a comparison.

[lensta]

On ‎1‎/‎27‎/‎2020 at 8:12 PM, ProbPossConf said:

What about all the other non-Chinese people who had traveled within China and now arrive in Thailand?

Ban all flights from China. End of

[Trujillo]

Fourteen cases now in Thailand. Last bunch were, you guessed it, all Chinese. 

[lensta]

6 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

In other news it looks like Singapore has made a decision:

 

[Travel Advisory]
 

UPDATE ON CORONAVIRUS PNEUMONIA SITUATION

Singapore Airlines is closely monitoring the development of the coronavirus pneumonia situation.

 
TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS TO SINGAPORE
 
On Tuesday 28 January 2020, the Singapore government took the following steps to further limit the risk of community spread in Singapore. 
 
• From 29 January 2020, 1200hrs (GMT +8), all new visitors with recent Hubei travel history within the last 14 days, or those with People’s Republic of China passports issued in Hubei, will not be allowed entry into Singapore, or transit through Singapore.
 
• Returning residents (Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents) and long-term pass holders – either with travel history in Hubei or with People’s Republic of China passports issued in Hubei – will be quarantined at home or other suitable facilities. 
 
• Previously issued short-term and multiple-visit visas, as well as visa-free transit facilities for those with People’s Republic of China passports issued in Hubei, will also be suspended with immediate effect. During this period of suspension, this group will not be allowed entry into Singapore.
 
Singapore Airlines and SilkAir passengers who are affected by the entry restrictions will not be allowed to travel to Singapore.

More information can be found here: https://bit.ly/2RyWE9m

Affected customers can contact their travel agents, or the Singapore reservations team at +65 6223 8888 or [email protected], if they require assistance.

MEASURES TO SAFEGUARD CREW AND PASSENGERS 

The safety of our crew and passengers is our highest priority. We are working closely with the authorities to take measures to minimise the spread of the coronavirus.
 
This includes the proactive screening of passengers on the ground and the distribution of a health advisory notice by Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH). As an added measure, inflight announcements regarding the coronavirus will be made on all flights to and from Mainland China.
 
We also have in place a set of standard operating procedures to handle various inflight medical emergencies, including potentially infectious diseases. Any unwell passenger will be attended to by the relevant medical authorities immediately after the aircraft lands.
 
Passengers and crew who are feeling unwell and have travelled to China recently are strongly advised to promptly seek medical attention, and report their travel history.
 

WAIVER POLICY FOR CUSTOMERS TRAVELLING TO AND FROM MAINLAND CHINA

We will waive all cancellation and change fees for customers with tickets issued on or before 28 January 2020 for travel to and from Mainland China from 24 January 2020 to 29 February 2020. Customers can contact the Singapore reservations team at +65 6223 8888 or [email protected] before departure if they would like to change their flight date or destination, or request a refund of their tickets. The new travel date must commence on or before 31 May 2020.

Last updated on 29 January 2020, 0018hrs (GMT+8)

"The safety of our crew and passengers is our highest priority"

Wouldn't it be nice to here something like this from the Thai government about it's citizens, but no!!

[drbeach]

On 1/28/2020 at 1:56 PM, Logosone said:

Excellent idea. 

 

Since the flu kills 12000 to 61000 people in the US each year, let's also ban all Americans then.

 

And since the swineflu epidemic killed 500,000 in 2009 let's also ban all Europeans.

 

Great idea. Good thinking. Let's do this!

The former Mexican ambassador to China tweeted how during the swine flu crisis in 2009, China rounded up ALL Mexican nationals it could find and forcibly quarantined them irrespective of whether they were sick or not.

 

So it seems that some countries DO resort to such drastic and over the top measures, China being one.

 

North Korea has reportedly banned ALL foreigners from entering it's territory until further notice, effective since last week. No surprises there.