By Erich Parpart

 

Eleven taxi-drivers have died from coronavirus infection in Bangkok over the past three weeks, the Department of Health said on Monday.

 

The drivers are one of the venerable groups at risk of catching the virus and spreading it to their passengers so prevention measures should be strict, said Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai, the director general of the department.

 

He urged drivers who have high fever, coughing and breathlessness to stop driving and seek medical attention immediately.

 

Full story: https://www.thaienquirer.com/27595/covid-claims-11-bangkok-taxi-drivers/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Inquirer 2021-05-18

 

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Maybe it would be a good idea to regularly test taxi drivers rather than merely suggest they stop driving when they get sick.

 

Good point .  The best way to spread Covid.????

With a case fatality rate of 1.6% a total of 700 taxi drives statistical have been infected.

There is about 60,000 taxis in Bangkok, so in round numbers 100,000 drivers, meaning 0.7% have been infected. 

Kind of make sence and although taxi drivers might be more exposed,  they also tend to protect themselves well.

The infection rate could be 0.5% in the general population or 100,000++.

I suggest a new rule where Taxi drivers can only be by themselves inside their vehicles.

18 minutes ago, edwinchester said:

Maybe it would be a good idea to regularly test taxi drivers rather than merely suggest they stop driving when they get sick.

 

Now that would require being proactive, something that is not part of Thai government culture.

26 minutes ago, edwinchester said:

Maybe it would be a good idea to regularly test taxi drivers rather than merely suggest they stop driving when they get sick.

 

And how do you propose they track down 140,000 taxis drivers in Bangkok for "regular testing"?

39 minutes ago, edwinchester said:

Maybe it would be a good idea to regularly test taxi drivers rather than merely suggest they stop driving when they get sick.

 

Not too difficult to do either for the licensed cabs.

1 hour ago, bkk6060 said:

And how do you propose they track down 140,000 taxis drivers in Bangkok for "regular testing"?

Drivers are licensed and their details on record so shouldn't be too difficult.

My daughter's school kids back in the UK are tested twice a week. If there's a will there's a way as the old saying goes.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

He urged drivers who have high fever, coughing and breathlessness to stop driving and seek medical attention immediately.

Dept of Health should do better than just throw back the problem to the taxi drivers. They should be more pro-active like fitting the taxi with covid shield like in Singapore. 

https://mustsharenews.com/taxis-plastic-shield/

3 hours ago, edwinchester said:

Maybe it would be a good idea to regularly test taxi drivers rather than merely suggest they stop driving when they get sick.

 

Regularly test, you mean more than once for each driver... god forbid man do you have any idea of the cost and where we are?

 

3 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

And how do you propose they track down 140,000 taxis drivers in Bangkok for "regular testing"?

I think yes . If Denmark has managed managed to do 65 milion test on a population of 6 milion maybe it's not  to much asking to test 140.000 taxi drivers every week . Times are changing and is time Thailand becomes proactive . Just saying .

19 minutes ago, Marco100 said:

I think yes . If Denmark has managed managed to do 65 milion test on a population of 6 milion maybe it's not  to much asking to test 140.000 taxi drivers every week . Times are changing and is time Thailand becomes proactive . Just saying .

Should we cut that 65 million in half?

Just saying. 

 

1 hour ago, Eric Loh said:

Dept of Health should do better than just throw back the problem to the taxi drivers. They should be more pro-active like fitting the taxi with covid shield like in Singapore. 

https://mustsharenews.com/taxis-plastic-shield/

 

I had to take a taxi out to MTT in BKK a couple weeks back for an in person 90 day report, for an early morning trip.

 

I kept rolling down the rear passenger seat window where we were sitting to allow fresh air inside, and the driver kept using his panel to roll up the window.

 

"He urged drivers who have high fever, coughing and breathlessness to stop driving and seek medical attention immediately."

 

Absolutely, poor souls.  And how about the asymptomatic yet still infectious drivers? 

4 hours ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

With a case fatality rate of 1.6% a total of 700 taxi drives statistical have been infected.

There is about 60,000 taxis in Bangkok, so in round numbers 100,000 drivers, meaning 0.7% have been infected. 

Kind of make sence and although taxi drivers might be more exposed,  they also tend to protect themselves well.

The infection rate could be 0.5% in the general population or 100,000++.

There were 60,000 taxis but  a third to a half went out of business according to an article I read in the Bangkok post.

6 hours ago, edwinchester said:

Maybe it would be a good idea to regularly test taxi drivers rather than merely suggest they stop driving when they get sick.

 

 

And as a passenger always wear: a mask (maybe 2), plus a face shield, disposable gloves and change them often, carry hand sanitizer and use it as needed, and wear a long sleeve shirt.

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Eleven taxi-drivers have died from coronavirus infection in Bangkok over the past three weeks

I don't believe this for a second... 15 months into this and how many reported taxi driver deaths? I honestly don't know... but I have not seen any reports have you? And now suddenly 15 in three weeks? I'm not buy it.

Suddenly those blue english taxi's in bkk seem like a good idea if you need to get a taxi . Never sat in one but my geuss is that the rear of the taxi is closed off from the front where the driver sits . 

41 minutes ago, Freeduhdum said:

I don't believe this for a second... 15 months into this and how many reported taxi driver deaths? I honestly don't know... but I have not seen any reports have you? And now suddenly 15 in three weeks? I'm not buy it.

 

Me too, must be a couple of hundred deaths and hundreds of positives at least.

 

I doubt drivers have been/are paying much attention to:  sanitizing their cabs; taking cash with very infrequent/zero hand sanitizing; masks not worn / worn incorrectly to facilitate communication with passengers. 

7 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

I had to take a taxi out to MTT in BKK a couple weeks back for an in person 90 day report, for an early morning trip.

 

Don’t be concerned…attending to necessary and vitally important government business must always take priority over minor distractions like pandemics.

 

 

 

Edited May 18, 20215 yr by Hayduke

On 5/18/2021 at 1:19 AM, edwinchester said:

Maybe it would be a good idea to regularly test taxi drivers rather than merely suggest they stop driving when they get sick.

 

Priority Vaccinate them. They came under "essential services" in Singapore from what I read.

While I am sure some taxi drivers may be venerable, IMO the adjective the OP should have used is vulnerable.