Thailand reports 2,713 COVID-19 cases, 30 new deaths

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

In looking back at past reporting, it looks like the government was planning on 61 million AZ doses during the second half of 2021... They're now talking about 30+ million doses... That's quite an unannounced production reduction...

 

Exhibit A: government news report from late April -- 61 million AZ doses during the second half of the year.

 

 

Before, they were talking about a total goal of 100 million doses being acquired by the end of the year... Today they're talking about 60+ million... not including Moderna.

 

What gives???

 

How did we get from 61 million AZ doses down to this today:

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 24, 2021 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[FarFlungFalang]

1 hour ago, anchadian said:

“Elderly people are one of the most vulnerable groups because they have a higher chance to become severely ill or die from the infection,” said Dr Apisamai Srirangsan, the CCSA’s deputy spokeswoman.

No explanation of why they are not vaccinating these vulnerable people before Phuket hospitality workers and taxi drivers?Nobody asking this question either so this group of elderly and vulnerable people are being consigned to the covid scrape heap and thrown to the ravishes of the covid wolves by the money hungry generals and associated cohorts of corruption.Anyone who thinks this is acceptable without question has totally lost the covid plot.Anybody that says Thailand is handling this pandemic with any sort of moral compass needs to take off their blindfolds and see these people as they really are.Either that or the whole thing is totally beyond comprehension and we have been fed a whole lot of fairytales.

[FarFlungFalang]

1 hour ago, blackcab said:

How is the government going to reach its 70 per cent target with 2 million doses per month?

With skill, dexterity and lots of creative accounting, the same way they deal with any numbers.

[FarFlungFalang]

1 hour ago, Bkk Brian said:

yea really whats he going to do, take Siam Bioscience to court? ????

On previous form he's likely to blame the ai falang for his accelerated ineptitude.

[ExpatOilWorker]

1 hour ago, anchadian said:

A new cluster found in 3 nursing homes in Bang Khae was reported earlier today.

It is probably also rampant in mental institutions, where patients are confined and it is a seriously underfunded part of the Thai health care system. 

[anchadian]

Today, Chiang Mai are celebrating zero new cases. This will be reflected on the national tally tomorrow #COVID19 #โควิด19 #โควิดวันนี้ #Thailand

 

 

https://twitter.com/ThaiNewsReports/status/1396783194335182851

 

[Petey11]

16 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

No explanation of why they are not vaccinating these vulnerable people before Phuket hospitality workers and taxi drivers?Nobody asking this question either so this group of elderly and vulnerable people are being consigned to the covid scrape heap and thrown to the ravishes of the covid wolves by the money hungry generals and associated cohorts of corruption.Anyone who thinks this is acceptable without question has totally lost the covid plot.Anybody that says Thailand is handling this pandemic with any sort of moral compass needs to take off their blindfolds and see these people as they really are.Either that or the whole thing is totally beyond comprehension and we have been fed a whole lot of fairytales.

Your post nails it. Younger workers can earn money=status quo of tea money and ✉️ keeps going, the elderly who are not working don't earn and drain money in form of pensions, healthcare etc.

[ExpatOilWorker]

3 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

A good overall recap in English of the day's various COVID numbers:

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/OICDDC/posts/3983102068477023

 

Do you have the number for ICU patients for today?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Just now, ExpatOilWorker said:

Do you have the number for ICU patients for today?

 

My very first post at the beginning of the thread.

 

[FarFlungFalang]

1 minute ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

It is probably also rampant in mental institutions, where patients are confined and it is a seriously underfunded part of the Thai health care system. 

And seriously overcrowded.This is not even on the radar of most Thai people let alone us falang. I wonder how long they will keep the lid on this pandoras box?  

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

50 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

In looking back at past reporting, it looks like the government was planning on 61 million AZ doses during the second half of 2021... They're now talking about 30+ million doses... That's quite an unannounced production reduction...

 

Exhibit A: government news report from late April -- 61 million AZ doses during the second half of the year.

 

 

Before, they were talking about a total goal of 100 million doses being acquired by the end of the year... Today they're talking about 60+ million... not including Moderna.

 

What gives???

 

How did we get from 61 million AZ doses down to this today:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a mess.....

 

In looking further, their AZ numbers COULD add up, in fact do add up, if you assume their reference about "July to November 10 million doses" were to mean 10 million doses for each and every of those five months, even though it doesn't say that.

 

 

But how to reconcile the above from the NBT news release with the following 35 million AZ dose figure from their chart:

 

[wensiensheng]

4 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Even though the total number of new COVID cases reported Monday declined from the prior day, Ministry of Public Health officials said Thailand's COVID outbreak is continuing to grow and spread with increasing numbers of cluster outbreaks around the country.

 

The chart below shows the number of active COVID clusters the MoPH has been monitoring around the country during the past 10 days. The brown bars show the number not under control, the green bars show the number considered under control, and the gray bars show the number of areas involved in the clusters.

 

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/informationcovid19/posts/331408738477457

 

Good to see this kind of analytical work being done by the MOPH. More meaningful than dozens of so called press releases one sees from government talking heads.

[wensiensheng]

3 hours ago, anchadian said:

Concern for real estate industry as COVID-19 spreads among construction workers

 

The Thai Real Estate Association and related agencies are discussing ways to control the spread of COVID-19 among construction workers, amidst rising concerns that it could delay construction of many buildings, which will lead to an increased contraction of the real estate sector.

 

Thailand’s real estate construction is worth an average of 1 trillion baht each year. Therefore, the COVID-19 pandemic, which has put most construction work on hold, will eventually further contribute to the country’s economic slowdown, said Patai Padungtin, CEO of the Builk One Group.

 

Mr. Patai feels that the government should help small contractors to verify information on their construction workers’ whereabouts, using the Thai Chana app, while contractors should reduce the number of workers on site

 

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/concern-for-real-estate-industry-as-covid-19-spreads-among-construction-workers/

Lol, you couldn’t write the script.

 

the guy wants to control the virus among construction workers because it will delay building projects. 
 

I can see why that’s a concern, but shouldn’t it be secondary to concern over the health of the workers?

 

it seems every industry is trying to do what the tourist industry in Phuket and elsewhere did. Apply for government assistance because they are vitally important to the economy. I know that IS a factor, but a public health crisis needs a public health response, not one base primarily on economics.

[wensiensheng]

4 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

At a meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, a plan to divide 35 million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine was given approval. They are first to be distributed as a first doses between June and September, before second doses are provided from October to December.

 

During the June to September period, vaccination will focus on areas with outbreaks and Dark Red zones, including the provinces of Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Nonthaburi and Pathumthani, as well as destinations popular among tourists such as Phuket.

 

17 provinces along the borders have also been prioritized and will receive vaccinations by July. They are Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Songkla, Sa Kaeo, Tak, Mukdaharn, Narathiwat, Ranong, Nong Khai, Surat Thani, Phang Nga, Krabi, Chantaburi, Chonburi, Rayong, Cha Choeng Sao and Samut Sakhon. After people in these targeted areas are vaccinated, the focus will shift to the nation's other 55 provinces.

 

(more)

 

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/nbtworld/posts/10158036485897050

 

I'm guessing the hoped for Moderna vaccines are not included/listed in the above plan because those would be coming via the private sector hospitals as opposed to the government's vaccination program.  Although, the Johnson and Johnson vaccines listed above also have never been mentioned as being part of the government's own vaccination program.

 

 

 

 

No mention of Phuket in the 17 prioritized provinces?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

So far, the two government vaccination centers for foreign nationals in BKK aren't being very communicative.

 

The Bangrak Vaccination and Health Center has a newly created Facebook page with nothing other than their name, and messages left there went unanswered on Monday.

 

Vimut Hospital, from various reports, hasn't yet sent confirmation messages to the people who have already filled out their pre-registration form. Messages on their Facebook page also went unanswered on Monday...

 

But one poster said he did receive the following response from Vimut through some means:

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/vimuthospital/posts/179898340709402

 

So no apparent need to be anxiously waiting by the phone looking for their response.

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

19 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

No mention of Phuket in the 17 prioritized provinces?

 

Phuket is there...

 

[anchadian]

Thai FDA has announced that they are in the process of evaluating the registration application for Sinopharm. The FDA has so far approved four vaccines: AstraZeneca, Sinovac, Johnson & Johnson, and Moderna. And two more are submitting documents, Covaxin and Sputnik V #Thailand

 

https://twitter.com/ThaiNewsReports/status/1396806436135391238

 

[dinsdale]

My guess for tomorrows numbers. 7000+. Nah just joking. Whatever the numbers are the comments here will be about VACCINES AGAIN. Tomorrow's numbers will probably be around the same as today's which has been around the same for a month or so. With all the news of clusters etc BKK seems a bit of a basket case but never fear the numbers will still hover around the same mark. Another 30 odd dead but who cares. How are the ICU bed numbers going? How many tests are being done? Been days now since people have been locked into squalor the perfect conditions for virul transmission of any kind yet the numbers stay pretty much the same. All's under control I'm sure.

Edited May 24, 2021 by dinsdale

[riparian]

2 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

In looking back at past reporting, it looks like the government was planning on 61 million AZ doses during the second half of 2021... They're now talking about 30+ million doses... That's quite an unannounced production reduction...

 

Exhibit A: government news report from late April -- 61 million AZ doses during the second half of the year.

 

 

Before, they were talking about a total goal of 100 million doses being acquired by the end of the year... Today they're talking about 60+ million... not including Moderna.

 

What gives???

 

How did we get from 61 million AZ doses down to this today:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Perhaps they just remembered that Siam Bioscience are supposed to be producing vaccine for half of SE Asia.

 

[wensiensheng]

50 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

So far, the two government vaccination centers for foreign nationals in BKK aren't being very communicative.

 

The Bangrak Vaccination and Health Center has a newly created Facebook page with nothing other than their name, and messages left there went unanswered on Monday.

 

Vimut Hospital, from various reports, hasn't yet sent confirmation messages to the people who have already filled out their pre-registration form. Messages on their Facebook page also went unanswered on Monday...

 

But one poster said he did receive the following response from Vimut through some means:

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/vimuthospital/posts/179898340709402

 

So no apparent need to be anxiously waiting by the phone looking for their response.

 

 

I sense the following:

 

1. Initially no attention was paid to vaccinating foreigners, hence no process for doing it.

 

2. There was a reaction, perhaps one could call it an outcry, and probably some comments from the WHO,  and feeling embarrassed, the Thai authorities put together some announcements making it seem as though foreigners are being taken care of through a co ordinated process.

 

3. In reality there probably isn’t enough vaccine to cover all the governments priority targets and foreigners aren’t really one of those. So underneath the announcements and slide show presentations, there isn’t really much substance.

 

Just have to hunker down till the process plays out. 

[wensiensheng]

59 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Phuket is there...

 

Got it. I was focusing on the white box to the right of the text in the blue box. It lists 17 provinces and Phuket wasn’t included, for the good reason that it’s covered in text in the blue box.

 

which prompts a further comment, by the time you take the provinces listed in text in the blue box, add in the list of 17 provinces in the the white box, the word “focus” isn’t so apt. The area is so large, it’s pretty unfocused.

[anchadian]

3 hours ago, anchadian said:

A new Covid-cluster has been reported at a Sino-Thai construction worker camp. Most of the 519 infected workers were involved in construction at the parliament building. Public Health Minister Anutin has close ties to the Sino-Thai company.

 

https://twitter.com/ThaiEnquirer/status/1396768381223596032

 

Worker housing in Nonthaburi closed as over 500 contract COVID-19

 

Nonthaburi provincial officials have ordered a lockdown of Sino-Thai’s construction worker housing in Suan Yai sub-district, after more than half of the 959 workers there, screened for COVID-19 infection, tested positive.

 

Provincial health officials conducted active screening at the housing facility on Saturday and found 515 of the occupants infected with the virus, most of them asymptomatic.

 

The infected workers include 43 Thais, 265 Myanmar migrant workers and 207 Cambodians.

 

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/worker-housing-in-nonthaburi-closed-as-over-500-contract-covid-19/

[Blumpie]

53 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

My guess for tomorrows numbers. 7000+. Nah just joking. Whatever the numbers are the comments here will be about VACCINES AGAIN. Tomorrow's numbers will probably be around the same as today's which has been around the same for a month or so. With all the news of clusters etc BKK seems a bit of a basket case but never fear the numbers will still hover around the same mark. Another 30 odd dead but who cares. How are the ICU bed numbers going? How many tests are being done? Been days now since people have been locked into squalor the perfect conditions for virul transmission of any kind yet the numbers stay pretty much the same. All's under control I'm sure.

It's all the vaccines homie.  Or lockdowns.  Pick yer poison.  

Which is why I openly mock these buffoons for saying that Thailand will be open this fall.  Maybe in the sense of "come visit Thailand where our health care system is nearly collapsing and we're worried.  It's an amazing place!".

 

Edited May 24, 2021 by Blumpie

[JayClay]

3 hours ago, FarFlungFalang said:

No explanation of why they are not vaccinating these vulnerable people before Phuket hospitality workers and taxi drivers?

 

I mean I'm sure your posts are to promote an anti-lockdown agenda rather than express genuine concern for the elderly but if you really can't see why vaccination of taxi drivers is a good thing then let me explain....

 

The elderly are vulnerable if exposed to the virus. They can safe guard against this by staying at home and limiting exposure to other people as much as possible.

 

While Mr Elder is staying at home, taking care not to interact with others, Mr Taxi driver is in contact with tens of people every day. Should he become infected with Covid, while he will most likely survive (and may not even show any symptoms), he has the possibility to spread the infection to all of his passengers. Who can then of course spread it to anybody they come into contact with.

 

When there's a limited supply of vaccines, then the priority needs to be vaccinating those who come into regular contact with lots of people (potential super spreaders), whilst ensuring that the vulnerable keep out of harms way.

[dinsdale]

14 minutes ago, Blumpie said:

It's all the vaccines homie.  Or lockdowns.  Pick yer poison.  

Which is why I openly mock these buffoons for saying that Thailand will be open this fall.  Maybe in the sense of "come visit Thailand where our health care system is nearly collapsing and we're worried.  It's an amazing place!".

 

I don't think it's either or it's both and the science aint in yet on vaccs and varients and length of cover from vacs. Lockdown? We are seeing now the consequence of not locking down. This may have been nipped in the bud but it seemed the the buffoons didn't think the Thong Lor spread was serious and that Sonkran travel was good for the economy. Actually it's been exactly the opposite. As for opening up absouluty every expert with an ounce of sense says open to early and you open youself up for increased infections and an even worse hit to the economy. Buffoon is a great noun. Very fitting.

[Blumpie]

1 hour ago, dinsdale said:

I don't think it's either or it's both and the science aint in yet on vaccs and varients and length of cover from vacs. Lockdown? We are seeing now the consequence of not locking down. This may have been nipped in the bud but it seemed the the buffoons didn't think the Thong Lor spread was serious and that Sonkran travel was good for the economy. Actually it's been exactly the opposite. As for opening up absouluty every expert with an ounce of sense says open to early and you open youself up for increased infections and an even worse hit to the economy. Buffoon is a great noun. Very fitting.

In essence, it's just not going to open.  No family is coming to Thailand under these circumstances. Will an expat or traveller who enjoys spending six months a year there do it?  Maybe yes, some no.  

The numbers of people who spend six months a year in Thailand are pretty minimal considering what 39 million tour visits a year?  

Thailand has yet to see the hurt.  After the end of the high season of 2022 (spring), they will be in agony.

I do hope that I'm wrong but I can't see it going any other way.  

If what I think will happen happens, what will the tourism industry look like?  I think the cheap days of Thailand will be over, but I"m less certain of this.  I'm just pontificating.  (oooh, the second big word of the day!)

[Surelynot]

6 minutes ago, Blumpie said:

 I'm just pontificating.  (oooh, the second big word of the day!)

Sesquipedalianism................get you.

[Bkk Brian]

8 hours ago, JayClay said:

 

I mean I'm sure your posts are to promote an anti-lockdown agenda rather than express genuine concern for the elderly but if you really can't see why vaccination of taxi drivers is a good thing then let me explain....

 

The elderly are vulnerable if exposed to the virus. They can safe guard against this by staying at home and limiting exposure to other people as much as possible.

 

While Mr Elder is staying at home, taking care not to interact with others, Mr Taxi driver is in contact with tens of people every day. Should he become infected with Covid, while he will most likely survive (and may not even show any symptoms), he has the possibility to spread the infection to all of his passengers. Who can then of course spread it to anybody they come into contact with.

 

When there's a limited supply of vaccines, then the priority needs to be vaccinating those who come into regular contact with lots of people (potential super spreaders), whilst ensuring that the vulnerable keep out of harms way.

Most countries vaccination plans disagree with you. The WHO vaccination plan guidance also disagrees with you.

 

Its all down to prioritizing vaccines when they are in short supply and protecting those who are old and vulnerable first along with the health workers, after that the WHO advises taxi drivers(transportation workers) only when there is a 21-50% vaccine availability:

 

Stage 3 ( 21-50% vaccine availability) covered low to moderate risk health workers, vaccine producers and high risk lab staff, other essential workers outside health and education sectors such as police officers, municipal services, child-care providers, agriculture and food workers, and for example miners and food processors, transportation workers, government workers essential to critical functioning of the state not covered by other categories.

 

https://www.who.int/immunization/sage/meetings/2020/october/Session03_Roadmap_Prioritization_Covid-19_vaccine.pdf

[FarFlungFalang]

10 hours ago, dinsdale said:

My guess for tomorrows numbers. 7000+. Nah just joking. Whatever the numbers are the comments here will be about VACCINES AGAIN. Tomorrow's numbers will probably be around the same as today's which has been around the same for a month or so. With all the news of clusters etc BKK seems a bit of a basket case but never fear the numbers will still hover around the same mark. Another 30 odd dead but who cares. How are the ICU bed numbers going? How many tests are being done? Been days now since people have been locked into squalor the perfect place for virul transmission of any kind yet the numbers stay pretty much the same. All's under control I'm sure.

Yes looks like they got the prison numbers under control pretty quick just lock and seal no one in to do the testing just wait for herd immunity so they don't have to test any more so the outbreak is contained just wind down the numbers over a few days to make it look like they got it under control.

[FarFlungFalang]

10 hours ago, wensiensheng said:

I sense the following:

 

1. Initially no attention was paid to vaccinating foreigners, hence no process for doing it.

 

2. There was a reaction, perhaps one could call it an outcry, and probably some comments from the WHO,  and feeling embarrassed, the Thai authorities put together some announcements making it seem as though foreigners are being taken care of through a co ordinated process.

 

3. In reality there probably isn’t enough vaccine to cover all the governments priority targets and foreigners aren’t really one of those. So underneath the announcements and slide show presentations, there isn’t really much substance.

 

Just have to hunker down till the process plays out. 

A bit like the PM in Oz Scotty from Marketing it's all announcement and no delivery.