15 Covid cases found in quarantine

By The Nation

 

 

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration on Wednesday reported 15 new cases in quarantine over a 24-hour period.

 

The latest cases are both Thai and foreigners from abroad undergoing quarantine in Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Chon Buri:

 

> A stewardess, aged 29, and a male British adviser, 43, who arrived from the United Arab Emirates.

 

> A woman, 27, from Hong Kong.

 

> A 32-year-old male chef assistant at supermarket in Hungary.

 

> A male student, 28, and a man, 20, from the United Kingdom.

 

> A masseuse, 40, from Bahrain.

 

> A 42-year-old male tunnel construction worker, and an Indian businessman, 31.

 

> A female chef, 52, from the United States.

 

> A Brazilian man, 32, and a French female teacher, 48, who arrived from their respective countries.

 

> Three women, aged 24, 33 and 34, working at an entertainment venue in Myanmar.

 

Meanwhile, 28 patients have recovered and been discharged.

 

As of Wednesday, the number of confirmed cases in Thailand has increased to 4,261 (1,267 in state quarantine). Of these, 224 are in hospital and 3,977 have recovered and been discharged. The death toll remains at 60.

 

According to Worldometer, as of 10am the number of confirmed global cases has risen to 73.8 million (increasing by 587,137). Of these, 51.81 million have recovered, 20.34 million are active cases (117,877 in severe condition) and 1.64 million have died (an increase of 12,635).

 

Thailand ranks a safe 152nd for most cases in the world. The US has the most number, with 17.14 million, followed by India 9.93 million, Brazil 6.97 million, Russia 2.7 million and France 2.39 million.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30399684

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-12-16

 

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Are they contracting covid in quarantine?   Presumably they tested negative before flying (non-Thais at least)........these hotels seem to be a hot bed of infection......you have to wonder what controls are in place.....there are three hotels on my soi are quarantine hotels.....not happy.

1 hour ago, webfact said:

a male British adviser

 

Hi, I'm British, and I'm here to advise you.

3 hours ago, Surelynot said:

Are they contracting covid in quarantine?   Presumably they tested negative before flying (non-Thais at least)........these hotels seem to be a hot bed of infection......you have to wonder what controls are in place.....there are three hotels on my soi are quarantine hotels.....not happy.

Thats the part I just dont understand?

      

If all the foreigners are tested, and are negative, before flying..how do they "catch" covid in quarrantine? Its either at airport/on way to airport/on plane etc etc...  Or in the quarrantine?   

 

Of course....the untested Thais on the flight...could be the cause...Ive no idea why they dont need to get tested before being allowed to fly? 

 

Also why do some people show a positive test after say 12 days? Does this mean they got covid in Thai quarrantine hotels?  What I mean is,,,sure they may well have "caught" it during travel to and from their home country and the Thai hotel.......but? 12 days after arriving?  Im no virologist............But 12 days after landing?

 

All seems odd to me...

 

Edited December 16, 20205 yr by welshguy
spelling

5 minutes ago, welshguy said:

Thats the part I just dont understand?

      

If all the foreigners are tested, and are negative, before flying..how do they "catch" covid in quarrantine? Its either at airport/on way to airport/on plane etc etc...  Or in the quarrantine?   

 

Of course....the untested Thais on the flight...could be the cause...Ive no idea why they dont need to get tested before being allowed to fly? 

 

Also why do some people show a positive test after say 12 days? Does this mean they got covid in Thai quarrantine hotels?  What I mean is,,,sure they may well have "caught" it during travel to and from their home country and the Thai hotel.......but? 12 days after arriving?  Im no virologist............But 12 days after landing?

 

All seems odd to me...

 

Asymptomatic before flight showing negative, developing into full infection during guarantee?

Just now, Srikcir said:

Asymptomatic before flight showing negative, developing into full infection during guarantee?

Yes  sure I can appreciate that..

 

I just would have thought...it would take less than 12 days (plus the time before test was taken in home country...which could be up to 3 days) to then develop into full infection ? 

 

For example...............I understand in the U.K. apparently the "new" self isolation" , for when you are tested positive with covid is going to be 10 days?  Yet it seems in Thailand, some people are testing positive after 12 days in isolation?

 

As I say, Im no scientist/virologist etc!  IF these figures are to believed...why are there some people saying 10 days isolation is enough in Thai quarrantine when it appears some are contacting it in quarrantine...........in Thailand AFTER  MORE! then 10 days...............This is Thailand!

3 hours ago, Surelynot said:

Are they contracting covid in quarantine?   Presumably they tested negative before flying (non-Thais at least)........these hotels seem to be a hot bed of infection......you have to wonder what controls are in place.....there are three hotels on my soi are quarantine hotels.....not happy.

Could it be the fact after some one leaves the hotel the rooms are not being deep cleaned or the transport from the airport to the hotel ?

Edited December 16, 20205 yr by Jumbo1968

7 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

Could it be the fact after some one leaves the hotel the rooms are not being deep cleaned or the transport from the airport to the hotel ?

Or the quality of the medical and Cleaning Staff in ASQ.

Not a criticism of them personally, but the way in which they may, or may not be being Trained in such a demanding Job.

The recent spike of infections in ASQ workers clearly defines that there are flaws in the system.

Near enough, really is not good enough where the health and wellbeing of the people in ASQ is concerned. And of course their own welfare and well being. 

48 minutes ago, welshguy said:

Also why do some people show a positive test after say 12 days? Does this mean they got covid in Thai quarrantine hotels? 

I don't see where it says any of these people tested positive 12 days after arrival.

 

IIRC, there was one case where that happened, with the French/Thai lady from Phuket, but I believe they were supposed to have traced that back to gym equipment in the ASQ hotel.

 

My vote (at least as far as the foreigners are concerned) is on them catching it from Thais on the flight who did not have to have Covid tests before flying.

Edited December 16, 20205 yr by GroveHillWanderer

And daily more and more after I said last week these numbers in ASQ are starting to put me off returning . They were so so before , but now it’s constantly 20 plus a day . I am now thinking of not returning until they make everyone on the flight take a PCR test within 72hrs departure as what is the point of making non Thais take them and pay for them only to get on a flight with a non tested Thai !! Then if you happen to test positive after you have arrived or after a few days locked in your room , you then need pray that your insurance you took out will cover the coming hospital quarantine you will be put into and costs !

If things don’t change in the next month I’m pretty sure I will be staying where I am for at least another 3 months and my wife will have to carry on waiting for me to return.

4 hours ago, GroveHillWanderer said:

I don't see where it says any of these people tested positive 12 days after arrival.

 

IIRC, there was one case where that happened, with the French/Thai lady from Phuket, but I believe they were supposed to have traced that back to gym equipment in the ASQ hotel.

 

My vote (at least as far as the foreigners are concerned) is on them catching it from Thais on the flight who did not have to have Covid tests before flying.

Ive read (on here!) where it says that people have tested positive 12 days after arrival, 

 

Thats what I think too...People catching it from non tested Thais on the flight......Thats why I dont understand why Thais arent tested before flying?

Edited December 16, 20205 yr by welshguy
spelling

5 hours ago, Jumbo1968 said:

Could it be the fact after some one leaves the hotel the rooms are not being deep cleaned or the transport from the airport to the hotel ?

 

Yes, not deeply cleaning is a money-maker for those hotels.

 

Also one reason why the military junta doesn't open the borderlines as soon as possible. Do they worry about the Thai people? Never, the black  money would stop "flying" to them. The demanded prices in those hotels are too high compared with prices in pre-covid time.

2 hours ago, puck2 said:

 

Yes, not deeply cleaning is a money-maker for those hotels.

 

Also one reason why the military junta doesn't open the borderlines as soon as possible. Do they worry about the Thai people? Never, the black  money would stop "flying" to them. The demanded prices in those hotels are too high compared with prices in pre-covid time.

Sure but seems to me there's another point:

 

All of the ASQ hotels are 5 star and 1 or 2 six star hotels.

 

I have no interest or need for 5 star hotels, happy to stay in 4 star and even 3 star hotels, and I'm sure there would be plenty of 3 and 4 star places that can comply with the Covid 19 quarantine regulations.  

 

I know of one great 3 star hotel in the Ramkhamhaeng area which could easily comply with quarantine regulations by isolation one floor, about 12 rooms. Run by a very professional Thai family all speak advanced English, all educated abroad and well aware of Western methods etc., and serious about safety regulations etc., close to 3 big hospitals, good Thai and Western food. Their normal room rate for longer stay is around 800Baht per night. (For 15 nights = 12,000Baht + costs of tests etc.)

 

And the pricing would probably be at least 30% cheaper and even 80% cheaper than the current list.

26 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Sure but seems to me there's another point:

 

All of the ASQ hotels are 5 star and 1 or 2 six star hotels.

 

I have no interest or need for 5 star hotels, happy to stay in 4 star and even 3 star hotels, and I'm sure there would be plenty of 3 and 4 star places that can comply with the Covid 19 quarantine regulations.  

 

I know of one great 3 star hotel in the Ramkhamhaeng area which could easily comply with quarantine regulations by isolation one floor, about 12 rooms. Run by a very professional Thai family all speak advanced English, all educated abroad and well aware of Western methods etc., and serious about safety regulations etc., close to 3 big hospitals, good Thai and Western food. Their normal room rate for longer stay is around 800Baht per night. (For 15 nights = 12,000Baht + costs of tests etc.)

 

And the pricing would probably be at least 30% cheaper and even 80% cheaper than the current list.

I think it’s a case of who you know what you know,  Thais think foreigners are walking ATMs.

11 hours ago, welshguy said:

Ive read (on here!) where it says that people have tested positive 12 days after arrival.

As mentioned, one person - not "people." And in the case of that one person, there was a proposed explanation - that she caught it from contaminated gym equipment in the ASQ hotel.

Edited December 17, 20205 yr by GroveHillWanderer

19 hours ago, Surelynot said:

Are they contracting covid in quarantine?   Presumably they tested negative before flying (non-Thais at least)........these hotels seem to be a hot bed of infection......you have to wonder what controls are in place.....there are three hotels on my soi are quarantine hotels.....not happy.

Plenty of places to get infected at in 3 days before the flight, at airports and on the flight itself. Latter is especially true if sitting next to COVID infected Thai who never got tested and food/drinks are served. Probably even higher likelihood of getting infected would be in line, boarding the plane, and after landing, waiting to disembark, when air circulation (which sends air through HEPA filters) is turned off and many people in very close proximity with stale air.

 

Getting infected in quarantine is obviously possible, especially if quarantine facility lacks proper disinfection of the rooms and common areas, but there are other places far more likely. And my bet would be on start/end of the flight - airport and embarking/disembarking.

16 hours ago, welshguy said:

If all the foreigners are tested, and are negative, before flying..how do they "catch" covid in quarrantine? Its either at airport/on way to airport/on plane etc etc...  Or in the quarrantine?   

 

Of course....the untested Thais on the flight...could be the cause...

Imagine you take a flight on the 15th of the month. If there's no testing, the person next to you will be infectious (on average) if they picked up the virus between the 1st and the 12th. Any sooner and it will have cleared their system. Any later and they can't yet pass it on. That means the Thais have about a 12 day window to pick up the virus and be infectious on the plane.

 

If you test on the 12th of the month, you won't catch anything picked up after the 9th, so the falangs have about a 4 day window to pick up the virus and be infectious on the plane.

 

In other words testing reduces the risk that the passenger will be infectious by about 65%. That's well worthwhile, but it doesn't mean there are no infectious falangs on the flight. If a good majority of the passengers on the flight are falangs, you are more likely to pick it up from one of them than from a Thai. On my flight there were at least 5 falangs for every Thai.

 

If you believe that masks are effective (I do) then you've got to look at at that too. I can only go on what I saw on my flight, which was that the Thais kept them on properly the whole time, whereas the vast majority of the falangs treated them as optional. That means that in my case there was way way more chance of picking up the virus from another falang than from a Thai.

 

It could be that the reason the falangs thought they didn't need to bother with masks was that they'd just been tested... but testing plus no mask is probably no better than no testing plus mask, so if that's the case it makes testing fairly pointless.

17 hours ago, Jumbo1968 said:

Could it be the fact after some one leaves the hotel the rooms are not being deep cleaned or the transport from the airport to the hotel ?

Hotel room and transport should of course be thoroughly cleaned when people arrive, depart, enter the room to stay, when they depart the hotel etc.

 

Seems to me catching the virus while in quarantine is happening world wide, therefore it's in the travelers own interests to carry a good supply of masks, face shields, many gloves (and change them continuously) , and of course sanitizer and on arrival thoroughly clean the door and lock handles etc., all counter surfaces/bedside tables, microwave all over, carry plastic bags to hold TV remote and change the bag every day and immediately after the room cleaner has touched the TV remote bag. Also a thorough clean of taps/shower fitting/basin fittings/basin itself, glass shower door and especially where hands/fingers are likely to have touched the glass, also the towel rails etc., etc.  And carry enough new plastic cutlery/plastic cups for the 15 days so no need to use what's provided by the hotel. And carry enough 3 in 1 coffee satchels for the duration and never touch the hotel supplies (I dislike 3 in 1 but...).

 

Also put on gloves before handling your own suitcases/bags to get from the airport carousel to the bus and then to the guest room. In the room immediately clean down the suitcases etc., especially the handles and then quickly change the gloves.

 

Sounds crazy but it's my life/your life. I'm 75 years old I need to be super careful and take extra precautions.

Edited December 17, 20205 yr by scorecard

1 hour ago, tomazbodner said:

Plenty of places to get infected at in 3 days before the flight, at airports and on the flight itself. Latter is especially true if sitting next to COVID infected Thai who never got tested and food/drinks are served. Probably even higher likelihood of getting infected would be in line, boarding the plane, and after landing, waiting to disembark, when air circulation (which sends air through HEPA filters) is turned off and many people in very close proximity with stale air.

 

Getting infected in quarantine is obviously possible, especially if quarantine facility lacks proper disinfection of the rooms and common areas, but there are other places far more likely. And my bet would be on start/end of the flight - airport and embarking/disembarking.

True...and if that is the case, flights throughout the world must be a major vector in spreading the disease.....scary.

Go to Thailand and get Covid.  Yeah, sounds like a great vacation. 

4 minutes ago, garyk said:

Go to Thailand and get Covid.  Yeah, sounds like a great vacation. 

We can see straight into the bedrooms of these poor souls in quarantine......they are going stir crazy.