Bang Khae market COVID-19 cluster spreads to 4 more provinces

The Bang Khae markets cluster of COVID-19 infections has, so far, spread to Suphan Buri, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Sakhon and Phetchaburi, according to the Public Health Ministry.

Dr. Opas Karnkavinpong, director-general of Disease Control Department, said today that the Bang Khae fresh market, located on the Petkasem Road, is huge and normally frequented by more than 1,000 vendors and shoppers, adding that there are six other smaller markets close by.

He pointed out, however, that the some of the smaller markets are old and poorly ventilated, like the Pornpat fresh market in Pathum Thani, which was blamed for a cluster infections that spread to over ten provinces last month.

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/bang-khae-market-covid-19-cluster-spreads-to-4-more-provinces/

 

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An interesting series on SBS Australia now about wet markets in Asia, scary stuff, not to be viewed around meal times.

monkey should get a clue that all such markets should be closed

A worrying development, I see they have asked anyone who attended any of six bustling Bangkok markets for a 3 week period to report for testing.

How many 10,000s would that be ? Not even including the close contacts of these people.

I wonder how the authorities will respond, or if they are able to respond ? The area quarantine (of mostly migrants) approach used in Samut Sakhon is going to be impossible in Bangkok. This might be the cluster that finally beats them and we head into another widespread lockdown. At which point their snail-paced vaccine acquisition programme comes home to roost. 

Time for a public health initiative to completely shut down/refurbish or modernize many of these markets, which lets face it, were often pretty disgusting pre-COVID and have not modernized at the same pace as the rest of Bangkok. I recall during the first lockdown in early-mid 2020 many vendors and customers in these markets were simply not bothering with precautions. 

 

And the PM still keeps telling us that the Covid situation is under control !

The Covid pandemic has made me realize Thailand is still stuck in third world status with a few nice shopping malls and condo projects thrown in.

Test and ye shall find, or do not test and the numbers will be zero except for those sick enough to walk in to a hospital.  To test or not to test, That is the question

59 minutes ago, jaiyen said:

And the PM still keeps telling us that the Covid situation is under control !

What else can he say? The truth? 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The Bang Khae markets cluster of COVID-19 infections has, so far, spread to Suphan Buri, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Sakhon and Phetchaburi

Quick, quick, shut the gate!

1 hour ago, realfunster said:

A worrying development, I see they have asked anyone who attended any of six bustling Bangkok markets for a 3 week period to report for testing.

How many 10,000s would that be ? Not even including the close contacts of these people.

I wonder how the authorities will respond, or if they are able to respond ? The area quarantine (of mostly migrants) approach used in Samut Sakhon is going to be impossible in Bangkok. This might be the cluster that finally beats them and we head into another widespread lockdown. At which point their snail-paced vaccine acquisition programme comes home to roost. 

Time for a public health initiative to completely shut down/refurbish or modernize many of these markets, which lets face it, were often pretty disgusting pre-COVID and have not modernized at the same pace as the rest of Bangkok. I recall during the first lockdown in early-mid 2020 many vendors and customers in these markets were simply not bothering with precautions. 

 

It’s a far more complex solution required rather than just shut down and modernise. 

These markets should be burned down and shut permanently

4 minutes ago, Darksidedude said:

These markets should be burned down and shut permanently

No they shouldn't,they are a breeding ground for new virus and bacteria which have just as much right to life as you.I know which I would put my money on to survive the longest,they have been here longer than we have so you should really respect your elders. 

1 hour ago, jaiyen said:

And the PM still keeps telling us that the Covid situation is under control !

It would be if he pulled his thumb out of where the sun don't shine and inoculated everyone.

1 hour ago, realfunster said:

A worrying development, I see they have asked anyone who attended any of six bustling Bangkok markets for a 3 week period to report for testing.

How many 10,000s would that be ? Not even including the close contacts of these people.

I wonder how the authorities will respond, or if they are able to respond ? The area quarantine (of mostly migrants) approach used in Samut Sakhon is going to be impossible in Bangkok. This might be the cluster that finally beats them and we head into another widespread lockdown. At which point their snail-paced vaccine acquisition programme comes home to roost. 

Time for a public health initiative to completely shut down/refurbish or modernize many of these markets, which lets face it, were often pretty disgusting pre-COVID and have not modernized at the same pace as the rest of Bangkok. I recall during the first lockdown in early-mid 2020 many vendors and customers in these markets were simply not bothering with precautions. 

 

It's not the markets, its those that employ myamese who are smuggled across the border and who then spread it to family and friends and though areas where they are employed by lowlife scumbags who have never been held accountable. 

My wife's mother has been a market vendor for life, never been sick and neither have I, or any other family that work these markets, its a problem caused by the government sharks letting fish head bring slave labour into the LOS

They painted a picture that farangs are dirty, closing the country to the western world touting their low numbers and success ideas after ideas about travel bubble, C.O.E. insurance, testing, quarantine, vaccine passport, when all this time the problem was in their backyard! 

December, 5,500 cases, March, 26,000 plus, each day 100 plus cases, is it really the market or is it migrants workers freely entering?????

Ohhhhh of course it has only spread to 4 more provinces, woe betide that naughty virus if it dare to go elsewhere. I was going to liken the powers to be with Muppets but that would be an insult............. to the Muppets.

This outbreak just goes to show that this pandemic will never be "under control" because the virus always sets the rules & has the upper hand. And until the government actually gets something done about constant monitoring & testing at markets & other mass gathering places these outbreaks will continue for ever. To compound the problem is the completely brain dead way that the vaccination programme is being handled. Total reliance on a single vaccine is utter folly on so many levels. Couple this with the disastrous performance of Astra Zeneca as a producer and deliverer and Thailand will see this year pass by with a very low percentage of the population covered, a tourism industry in complete devastation and a population that has lost all respect for those who masquerade as a government.

7 minutes ago, thailand49 said:

They painted a picture that farangs are dirty, closing the country to the western world touting their low numbers and success ideas after ideas about travel bubble, C.O.E. insurance, testing, quarantine, vaccine passport, when all this time the problem was in their backyard! 

December, 5,500 cases, March, 26,000 plus, each day 100 plus cases, is it really the market or is it migrants workers freely entering?????

I was under the impression that they closed the country to pretty much the whole world, not only Western. They also did so far quicker than 'the Western world' and in my opinion have done a great job in keeping Covid out of their backyard and I dread to think how the healthcare system would have coped otherwise, (not for sure)  ...............Don't think we'll ever know where it's coming from, not even sure the scientists do either................................

2 hours ago, MasterBaker said:

monkey should get a clue that all such markets should be closed

Virus doesn’t come from wet markets for Christ’s sake! 

With the number of Corivirus cases increasing will they still proceed with Songkran celebrations?

4 hours ago, bojo said:

I was under the impression that they closed the country to pretty much the whole world, not only Western. They also did so far quicker than 'the Western world' and in my opinion have done a great job in keeping Covid out of their backyard and I dread to think how the healthcare system would have coped otherwise, (not for sure)  ...............Don't think we'll ever know where it's coming from, not even sure the scientists do either................................

 Well, I guess there will always be those who succumb to the need for a hero, so good luck. Personally I don't think Thailand done a very good job at all except in being able to convince the world that their numbers are as low as they have reported.  I guess that Mr Prayuth is feeling like he sold the Brooklyn Bridge at a good price  right about now.

As the old saying goes "you can fool all the people some of the time, or some of the people all of the time…"

Markets here are historically a focal point for several outbreaks, there is no denying that. Gambling dens and boxing stadiums come in a distant second and third. Nor should it come as a shock given the number of people who traverse a market on a daily basis. 

As such, they should get extra daily scrutiny - and maybe they already are - involving inspections, enforcement, pooled-testing. I'd re-focus some of the village health care workers, of which there are one million, onto the markets.

 

 

To be frank, a majority of the ramshackle wet markets around the country are shockingly filthy breeding grounds for all sorts of germs, not only the coronavirus.

Perhaps the authorities should have turned their attention to Thailand's wet markets after the Sakhon Nakhon seafood market disaster instead of closing down gyms, cinemas, entertainment places, restaurants, barber shops and the like in a sort of kneejerk reaction.

Under the bed, ! under the bed !   

In my second quarantine now in Indonesia, 4 more days of a 5 day quarantine, two tests then i'm out, few beers and a scour round the town then back to work......  10,000 bht a quarantine....... lovely.......  Keep the coin coming in until the doors fall off at the border, then it'll be just like walking over the green belt in Cyprus.......       Ghost town, with thousands of emaciated mummified bodies hiding under beds, patiently waiting for the all clear..........  

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

Test and ye shall find, or do not test and the numbers will be zero except for those sick enough to walk in to a hospital.  To test or not to test, That is the question

Watson ,   get me Khun Somchai   !!    this is an important question  .....

56 minutes ago, SwampyThai said:

Ohhhhh of course it has only spread to 4 more provinces, woe betide that naughty virus if it dare to go elsewhere. I was going to liken the powers to be with Muppets but that would be an insult............. to the Muppets.

Hey, did it fill in a TM30 ?     

The blame game this time was poor ventilation ...... anything but illegal migrant workers.

well I am like the general I do not want a vaccine any vaccine for months I want to wait and see how it goes with the people that have had them, I old school and my Thai wife has said she never wants one, with no prodding from me

3 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Test and ye shall find, or do not test and the numbers will be zero except for those sick enough to walk in to a hospital.  To test or not to test, That is the question

Test! The reason that Thailand and most of the other East Asian countries have been so successful at controlling the pandemic is that they actively seek out the asymptomatic carriers. If you ignore it, it will not go away, that is the delusional thinking that landed the UK and US in such a mess.

 

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

It would be if he pulled his thumb out of where the sun don't shine and inoculated everyone.

Not with the same thumb, I would hope?