Contagion raging because employees not sent home: health chief

By The Nation

 

Dr Thanarak Palipat

 

Public health authorities have warned that the directive to work from home is being ignored by people and employers, pushing up the daily count of Covid-19 infections.

 

The number of cases will continue to rise unless 70-80 per cent of government organisations and private companies comply with the measure, authorities say.

 

Dr Thanarak Palipat, deputy director-general of the Disease Control Department, said the anti-virus measures launched so far would remain ineffective without full collaboration from the public.

 

He said that the work-from-home directive was crucial to reduce the spread of Covid-19, now that the rate of new cases had risen above 100 per day.

 

The department has targeted a reduction to 10 new cases per day before the disease can be brought under control at a daily rate of 1-2 new infections.

 

“The roads are still jammed and car parks are still full, which shows people are still leaving their homes as usual,” Thanarak said. “This means that both government organisations and private companies are not complying with the work-from-home measure, which is a very unsatisfactory state of affairs.”

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30385207

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-04-01

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Im not sure why Thailand seems to think we can just fudge by, and get away with a lasse faire attitude to CVD19. We need a LOCKDOWN and to GET REAL about this, or the country may never recover from the massive injury this contagion will cause.

 

I agree this is serious!  What I see when the daily figures are announced, the new infected cases are not in offices or factories aside from the 3 CW complex and a hospital worker.  I must be missing the posts on this?

work from home ... stay at home and be safe.  thanks

It' time to name and shame publicly these companies and people

We are open but have those that can WFH are, our daily production is reduced due to Ford/Mitsubishi/Toyota temp closures so excess floor staff are now on 75% stay at home pay.

Well it looks like all those people who wanted the 70 and above crowd and the under 5 crowd to stay at home just ensured the whole rest of us no longer can socially distance an exercise in the fresh air.  At this rate I see June when we may see daylight again.  So much for mental health, better prepare for more than just Covid-19 bodies piling up. 

9 minutes ago, jmccarty said:

I agree this is serious!  What I see when the daily figures are announced, the new infected cases are not in offices or factories aside from the 3 CW complex and a hospital worker.  I must be missing the posts on this?

We are all missing the big picture, as we are not being told the truth but a pack of lies.  If the numbers are as low as they say, why the near total shutdown, and limited curfew.......please tell us

4 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

We are all missing the big picture, as we are not being told the truth but a pack of lies.  If the numbers are as low as they say, why the near total shutdown, and limited curfew.......please tell us

 

I'm going to guess that its to stop the spread of COVIS_19.     But its only a guess.

Many places closed to the public but makes it's employees go to work. What idiots. Shut Thailand down for 3-4 weeks would hopefully stop the spread of this virus. But Thai owners don't give a rats ass about their employees. 

This 'work from home' directive appears to have become an international mantra. Yet I do wonder whether it is really a practical option.

 

Ok, there are the minority of people who do work remotely via their phones and computers. But for the great majority, they need to be at their workplace, be it desk, workshop, kitchen or whatever.

 

Life must go on. And for the most part that means, for the great majority, getting on with their job and accepting the risk that they may become a Covid casualty. And let's face it, for the great majority that simply means going through a few days of minor illness and a short period of isolation.

 

Edited April 1, 20206 yr by Moonlover

5 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

We are all missing the big picture, as we are not being told the truth but a pack of lies.  If the numbers are as low as they say, why the near total shutdown, and limited curfew.......please tell us

I completely agree. When I see figures of around 100 new cases/day, out of 60 million people, I’ll be honest and say I don’t take it too seriously. If the figures were 1,000s with 100s dying each day I’d think differently. If that sounds irresponsible so be it. But I don’t think of it in that way. 

Brought to you by the same agency that late last week was predicting 3,000 cases by end of April. So which is it ? A slow increase or ‘raging’.

 

Despite what he is saying, data released yesterday indicated 40-50% decreases in Bangkok road and BTS/MRT traffic. It’s a start and seems consistent with my own travelling in Bangkok.

 

I am still partly working in our Bangkok office. Many business partners are as well and some things can’t be done from home. 

 

Government should help by clearly delaying all kinds of normal corporate requirements to help people survive. At the moment (aside from real and serious business issues) many are reluctant to go home as some government agencies remain operating and delays have not been offered. Too many agencies are doing different things- just look at the immigration nonsense for the past week. There’s the establishment leading by example...

 

Finally, instead of a general ‘suggestion’, a clear and firm ‘lockdown’ order from the Big Guy for non-essential operations (with a definition) would obviously remove any confusion !

Has Anutin finally been put out to grass?

The main one is immigration offices, they should be closed until further notice. And all visa's extended until its under control.

Never going to happen.

31 minutes ago, LeamchabangLarry said:

It' time to name and shame publicly these companies and people

Thai Immigration right at the top.

 

13 minutes ago, Changoverandout said:

Has Anutin finally been put out to grass?

No but judging by some of his ill timed statements sure likes to smoke it!

work from home ? really ? how ? I think most work day to day jobs.

 

Cook phad thai from home ? Massage from home ? nightmarket from home ? 

It's certainly not raging, compare Thailand to some European countries :

 

 

 

Source : https://coronawiki.org/compare/linear/france/germany/italy/thailand/united-kingdom

 

Edited April 1, 20206 yr by ukrules

Can't believe it....not a mention of foreigners....

53 minutes ago, Wiggy said:

I completely agree. When I see figures of around 100 new cases/day, out of 60 million people, I’ll be honest and say I don’t take it too seriously. If the figures were 1,000s with 100s dying each day I’d think differently. If that sounds irresponsible so be it. But I don’t think of it in that way. 

The figures very probably ARE 1000's of new cases with many dying every day- they are just not admitting it being afraid of panic and mostly anti government sentiments over their incompetence. How anyone can take their figures any more seriously than the Chinese lies is amazing.

56 minutes ago, Shocked said:

Many places closed to the public but makes it's employees go to work. What idiots. Shut Thailand down for 3-4 weeks would hopefully stop the spread of this virus. But Thai owners don't give a rats ass about their employees. 

 

Anutin stated it in an interview. They don't want to use up their assets. If business keeps going, they spend less on helping the people.. 

Work from home in Thailand? You gotta be joking! The Thai government is addicted to paper; can you imagine people ferrying trolleys full of photocopies from the office, to work from their 30 sqm condos? WFH would be simply disguised paid unemployment. And I refrain from commenting on the attitude of the unsupervised average Thai worker. There is no alternative to lock down and food stamps.

1 hour ago, Changoverandout said:

Has Anutin finally been put out to grass?

We live in hope,,,,

1 hour ago, LeamchabangLarry said:

It' time to name and shame publicly these companies and people

Immigration

Maybe Thailand could follow Singapore:

 

COVID-19: Firms that do not allow telecommuting where 'reasonably practicable' may be issued stop-work order, says Josephine Teo

SINGAPORE: Companies that do not allow telecommuting wherever possible may be issued a stop-work order, said Manpower Minister Josephine Teo on Tuesday (Mar 31). 

In a press conference held by the multi-ministry task force tackling the COVID-19 outbreak, Mrs Teo said the manpower ministry is looking at levelling fines and other penalties on such companies, who do not arrange for flexible work arrangements that might help to stop the spread of the coronavirus. 

 

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/covid19-firms-do-not-allow-telecommuting-stop-work-order-12594322

"contagion raging" is rather an overstatement.

 

New York, Italy, Spain - that is where it is raging.

 

Need to remember that Thailand's economy is manufacturing/export based.  Factory workers can't work from home. I know out where I am, the factories are all still open. They take various precautions, space people out, where masks etc, but they are open and it would be a calamity for hundreds of thousands of households if they had to shut.

 

I suspect the percentage of Thais employed in a job that could be done from home is pretty small.

Completely predictable, TiT. The only thing that will work is to get the tanks on the streets, Otherwise it's the deadly cultural flaw at work, maibpenrai.

1 hour ago, ukrules said:

It's certainly not raging, compare Thailand to some European countries

Would love to, but first they would have to test more than just a few hundred per day. Without that the numbers are just selective manipulation.

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Thai Immigration right at the top.

I managed to get my 90d executed by letting a company do it. Now the question is how to disinfect the passport that I've put in a plastic zip bag. I think I'll put it in the sauna in 82 degrees for an hour. Must be covered with SARS-CoV-2 from the IOs and other petri dish occupants.