Thailand sees biggest jump in Covid-19 cases as global numbers hit 100m

[CockneyGit]

1 hour ago, stubuzz said:

Why is there such a high number of positive cases in quarantine?

On repatriation flights, the Thais don't need to have a negative covid test before boarding, just the foreigners.

Then you're packed in all together for 8-12 hours, absolutely no social distancing.

[kevin612]

If Thailand actively continues to test Covid, it’s gonna be a big jump daily. If Thailand does not want to spend any money, cases will be very low.

[DLock]

1 hour ago, FarFlungFalang said:

From yesterday's numbers from Samut Sakhon 5,574 tests with 914 positives  gives a infection rate of 16% which as you said is quite high.

 

I agree, it feels exceptionally high.

 

If it was me, this would be a huge red flag and rather than diverting our attention every day with Vaccine posts, I'd be increasing testing exponentially to understand the problem and put in place a proper strategy to reduce transmission of the virus.

 

I just don't feel like the have a handle on the scope of the problem...and would rather not know the true numbers...

 

End of January. Nope. Mid February. Nope.

 

 

[metisdead]

A post with insulting comments toward other forum members has been removed. 

 

A troll post of a crude nature has been removed. 

[RBOP]

1 hour ago, dinsdale said:

Please give us these numbers. I live there. The largest population I would say are from Isan. Mahachai does have a large number of migrant workers but I would love to see some evidence to support your statement. With a population around 600,000 that's alot of migrant workers.

Just my 2 cents:  A 2010 census put Samut Sakhon population at 887,191. Anecdotal news published in The Asean Post on 18 Jan 2021 said in Samut Sakhon there are 400,000 migrant workers – mostly from Myanmar.  

[ThailandRyan]

2 hours ago, dinsdale said:

Already here. This is what happens with active mass testing. Find those who have it and have been spreading it. Needs to happen in BKK. Cannot wait until and rely upon vaccines. Pro-active is the way and always has been. Thailand seems to have head in the sand approach. Samut Sakhon approach needs to be widened to other red zones in the first instance. 10 days with no local transmittions seems to be the global benchmark. Thailand is a long way from this. Only way it will happen soon is a coverup of true numbers.

Many of us have been saying this for quite awhile so that we can have clarity in what is really happening in the country.  However, there are those who espouse no testing is needed if the hospitals are not full, and there are no bodies in the streets.  We all know that Thailand has done fairly well in the past, but then they have not really tested unless someone showed up at a hospital ill, and even then they did not test those that could have had the virus because they did not meet the MOPH's specific requirements.  Now that it seems that since they are finding cases on a wider scale then they envisioned in Samut Sakhon they kicked up the testing, but only after they had hearded all of the migrants into close proximity and barbed wired them in, while still allowing the Thai's to travel outwards, why?, because only foreigners carry the virus.  See how well that has worked out, Ok yes they have shown a few cases here and there in the provinces, and then you have had the illegal entry without quarantine group of Thai's, but now here in Bangkok we have had some hi-so style individuals and a top police officer infected after a Birthday party here in Sathon.  Yes they need to kick up the testing, but I am afraid that with the proclivity of hospitalizing all, even Asymptomatic, individuals that will happen, may fill up the beds with people who would be taking up the bed from someone needing it for other medical reasons.  Yes it it a toss-up, as letting people self quarantine at home did not go over very well the first time the little ghosts came back from South Korea.  It seems we have reached a tipping point because of the Holiday Travel, New Years partying, complacency, and the rules are not meant for me group of foreigners, partygoers, youngsters, illegal gamblers who gather late at night and party in groups smoking Shisah, and doing who knows what else.  This is only in regards to Thailand, so those that want to jump in and compare countries with what I am saying please stay in your rooms, or stay on Topic. 

[Senyo]

There goes Thai tourism hopes... 

[Surelynot]

Just now, Senyo said:

There goes Thai tourism hopes... 

TAT revision on its way......only 24 million this year?

[Xaos]

Virus like migrants only? 

Edited January 26, 2021 by Xaos

[OneeyedJohn]

What's the expression....cluster something or other

 

[Fairynuff]

Obviously the more you test the more you’ll find, even trump (remember him?????) worked that one out. But surely it’s best to know and forget about your image. 

[taxin]

2 hours ago, stubuzz said:

Why is there such a high number of positive cases in quarantine?

Possibly because Bangkok is where people arriving from overseas are being asked to quarantine, they are probably catching it from the Burmese cleaning staff in the hotel, rather than importing it.
 

I’m amazed hotels in Bangkok are still advertising ASQ packages, but unfortunately the government don’t wish to lose face, they do not want to admit they were wrong by doing a u-turn on Phuket.
 

If there was going to be a 2nd outbreak it was always going to be in Bangkok with 1,000’s of immigrants being smuggled in daily, and not in an empty Phuket with zero immigrants crossing the border.

[Jonathan Swift]

3 hours ago, Mavideol said:

where did they find 760 infected foreigners, the country is closed to uncontrolled arrivals, if they arrived under any special visa scheme and tested positive, then straight to quarantine

I don't think you've been following the story. 

[Elreeco]

58 minutes ago, Xaos said:

Virus like migrants only? 

It's a very 'selective' virus.....

[Jonathan Swift]

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

Many of us have been saying this for quite awhile so that we can have clarity in what is really happening in the country.  However, there are those who espouse no testing is needed if the hospitals are not full, and there are no bodies in the streets.  We all know that Thailand has done fairly well in the past, but then they have not really tested unless someone showed up at a hospital ill, and even then they did not test those that could have had the virus because they did not meet the MOPH's specific requirements.  Now that it seems that since they are finding cases on a wider scale then they envisioned in Samut Sakhon they kicked up the testing, but only after they had hearded all of the migrants into close proximity and barbed wired them in, while still allowing the Thai's to travel outwards, why?, because only foreigners carry the virus.  See how well that has worked out, Ok yes they have shown a few cases here and there in the provinces, and then you have had the illegal entry without quarantine group of Thai's, but now here in Bangkok we have had some hi-so style individuals and a top police officer infected after a Birthday party here in Sathon.  Yes they need to kick up the testing, but I am afraid that with the proclivity of hospitalizing all, even Asymptomatic, individuals that will happen, may fill up the beds with people who would be taking up the bed from someone needing it for other medical reasons.  Yes it it a toss-up, as letting people self quarantine at home did not go over very well the first time the little ghosts came back from South Korea.  It seems we have reached a tipping point because of the Holiday Travel, New Years partying, complacency, and the rules are not meant for me group of foreigners, partygoers, youngsters, illegal gamblers who gather late at night and party in groups smoking Shisah, and doing who knows what else.  This is only in regards to Thailand, so those that want to jump in and compare countries with what I am saying please stay in your rooms, or stay on Topic. 

You can't separate countries with regard to a world wide pandemic, it's all connected, it's all "on topic". Quite a short sighted statement in your last sentence to make after an editorializing rambling rant containing mostly speculation and unproven assertions. There is a reason that this is the job of epidemiologists and not self styled "expert" commenters. Comparisons are quite relevant, it is the only means by which to measure this. It's all new, never been seen or dealt with before. I'm sure Thailand is doing the best it can, and continues to improve. I'm sure they have been looking very closely at illegal immigration of workers since the first group was recently identified. I've certainly got no complaints, I'd rather be here than in the US. Above all else, I am NOT an epidemiologist or any other kind of medical or government expert, and will not pose as if I am one. In many ways, even the "experts" are not yet full experts since this is a continuously evolving and extremely complex new problem

Edited January 26, 2021 by Jonathan Swift
correction

[joecoolfrog]

3 hours ago, stubuzz said:

Why is there such a high number of positive cases in quarantine?

Quarantined people are tested , tests equate to a percentage of positives , its pretty straight forward.

Conversely the low level of testing over the last year has been reflected in Thailands recorded levels of infection and deaths, again fairly obvious to anybody with the smallest grasp of logic.

[Moonlover]

I really don't think we should be too alarmed about this. This is a planned mass testing in a known infected area. I remember reading that they had even been erecting field hospitals in readiness for a large number of cases. So these results were not unexpected. This was mentioned in the English language summary from CCSA yesterday.

 

As long as the region remains locked down and travel restrictions strictly enforced, the chances of the virus spreading are low IMO. 

[Pattaya Spotter]

4 hours ago, stubuzz said:

Why is there such a high number of positive cases in quarantine?

Many of these returnees are coming from countries where the virus is out of control, so it stands to reason some number will be infected with the virus.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand reported 959 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday - the biggest single day rise in new infections since the outbreak of the virus in the country

Amazing what you can find when you test.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, Mavideol said:

where did they find 760 infected foreigners, the country is closed to uncontrolled arrivals, if they arrived under any special visa scheme and tested positive, then straight to quarantine

They class migrants working in the country as foreigners..

[spidermike007]

This is not welcome news. After three weeks of a somewhat level number of cases per day, they now find this? It leads one to question how much testing they have been doing, why Samut Sakhon has not been locked down like a penitentiary for the past five weeks, and then the major question. Is anyone asking if Anutin is in way over his head? This man who has absolutely not background in the health field.

 

It appears Anutin, Prayuth and Pipat are all in way over their heads. Are the Thai people asking those same questions? Let us hope. Resignations in the face of massive failure? Well deserved, but highly doubtful. 

[Mavideol]

2 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

They class migrants working in the country as foreigners..

thanks, that's what got me confused as I thought we were the foreigners and migrants being migrants

[visacrack]

Just as a reminder: With covid, we're in fact talking about some kind of flu, not fx a kind of ebola - provided you keep your body fat in check through proper diet and regular exercise. Without excess fat, your immune system will be able to defeat the attack; plus, you won't suffer life-style diseases like diabetes or high blood pressure (so-called precondition).  

 

Still they treat it as if it were something like ebola. Go figure...
 

[DLock]

23 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

I really don't think we should be too alarmed about this. This is a planned mass testing in a known infected area. I remember reading that they had even been erecting field hospitals in readiness for a large number of cases. So these results were not unexpected. This was mentioned in the English language summary from CCSA yesterday.

 

As long as the region remains locked down and travel restrictions strictly enforced, the chances of the virus spreading are low IMO. 

 

Given the way the Government react to a few days of down numbers and release news like this...we should be extremely alarmed.

 

They are so far out of their depth and trying to minimize a problem that is far greater than they care to admit.

 

 

[Bangkok Barry]

4 hours ago, dinsdale said:

Thailand seems to have head in the sand approach.

 

Really? Thailand and UK, similar population:
UK: 3,669,658 cases, 98,531 deaths

Thailand: 14,646 cases, 75 deaths

Care to re-think? And don't tell us that Thailand has hidden millions of cases and thousands of deaths and social media conspired to block the victims' families revealing the state secret.

[Jim Morrison]

My countryman are being told of a curfew for the fist time since WW2.? They are arresting us, chasing us in horseback, beating us, locking us in our house? All of this over a flu that everyone seemingly gets at one time or another.

  I am 72. During my life I have had  a flu several times. Everyone I know has felt the fever, aching bones, chills, ice bags on my head. and then Then we went back to school or work and saw empty chairs has others too had the flu. thats life and it went on. Until this virus, which is being used to shut down and control +the people. It is practice. Now there are different strains going around. Does Thailand wait until covid19 is gone and then the next strain gone..71 people have died in a country of 70 million. So a flu that kills 1 in a million has shut down the country? I'm more worried about driving on the roads ! "Thai media report 12,304 people have been registered as dying at accident scenes in Thailand so far this year."

https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/road-deaths/thai-road-death-toll-tops-12000-in-2019

[OneeyedJohn]

Keep off the roads and u'll be alright, just be sure to wear a mask.

[dinsdale]

6 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

Really? Thailand and UK, similar population:
UK: 3,669,658 cases, 98,531 deaths

Thailand: 14,646 cases, 75 deaths

Care to re-think? And don't tell us that Thailand has hidden millions of cases and thousands of deaths and social media conspired to block the victims' families revealing the state secret.

Compare testing and get back to me. Never mind. Almost 4 mil in the last wk in UK. UK have not been wearing masks, have kept borders open, large gatherings etc. Handled it very poorly. Remember Boris said it was just the flu like plenty on here said. Maybe you were one. As for deaths well that is up for debate as are the the first and now second wave infection numbers. 24/1 uk tested 412,000. Total tests for Thailand 1,217,873. Total tests for Australia 12,777,031. Guess I've re-thought. 

[DavisH]

4 hours ago, dinsdale said:

Please give us these numbers. I live there. The largest population I would say are from Isan. Mahachai does have a large number of migrant workers but I would love to see some evidence to support your statement. With a population around 600,000 that's alot of migrant workers.

At least 200,000. Google is your friend. I would say it's much higher than this, with all the undocumented workers. About 250,000 are Thi migrant workers (those from other parts of Thailand. The resident population is about 450,000. 

[KhaoYai]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Of the returnees, 13 are Thai nationals, returning from the United Kingdom (5), United States (3), Myanmar (3) and Denmark(1).

Minor point but who does the maths for The Nation?  These figures fail to add up on a regular basis. I know this is Thailand but when I went to school 5 + 3 + 3 + 1 was 12.