REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

 

Thailand on Friday (July 23) reported 14,575 new COVID-19 cases and 114 additional deaths over the past 24 hours. 

 

● 13,503 new infections

● 1,072 prison / prison infections

 

Friday’s cases bring the total number of COVID-19 infections in Thailand to 467,707 with 3,811 deaths. 

 

(Total infections since April 1: 438,844)

 

The news comes as KKP Research, of Kiatnakin Phatra Bank, has predicted that the latest COVID-19 outbreak will be longer than expected, due to the Delta variant, the slow imposition of lockdown measures and slow roll out of mass vaccinations, and that semi-lockdown measures will have to be in place for at least three months to ease the situation. 

 

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Thailand on Friday set yet another new record high for daily COVID cases, reporting 14,575 along with 114 new deaths. The tally was Thailand’s seventh record high daily new case total in the past eight days.

 

Friday’s news also was the first time daily cases passed the 14,000 mark, surpassing the 13,655 new cases reported the day before. The 114 new deaths was the second highest daily figure of the pandemic, surpassed only by the 141 COVID deaths reported July 17.

 

Friday’s update included 13,503 new cases in the general population and 1,072 new cases among the nation’s prisons, the highest daily prisons number since early June. Thailand has now totaled 467,707 COVID cases and 3,811 COVID deaths since the start of the pandemic in January 2020, though most of those have occurred just since this April.

 

Overall, Thailand's current level of daily COVID cases has more than doubled from the 6,000-range in daily cases of just two weeks ago. Even apart from the 1,072 new prison cases, the 13,503 general population cases Friday also was a record high for the country.

 

The spiraling case count has forced the government to impose a series of restrictions that took effect this week, including on Thursday halting regular commercial domestic air flights into and out of Bangkok and another dozen restricted provinces. Exempted are flights to/from Phuket and Samui that recently have begun allowing only fully vaccinated tourists.

 

Starting today, as required by the national government, Bangkok province is imposing new closure rules for many types of venues including sports stadiums, sports fields, public parks (to the disbelief of many), swimming pools, beauty salons and barber and tattoo shops, libraries, museums, art galleries, exhibition centers and historical sites.

 

The national government also imposed in those same 13 areas an overnight curfew, an order telling residents to stay home as much as possible, and restrictions on interprovincial travel via police checkpoints and cancellation of long-distance bus services. The rules are slated to remain through August 2.

 

Thailand’s COVID outbreak, now in the worst of a so-called third wave that began in April, has spread lately from its original center in Bangkok and several adjoining provinces to the entire nation. All or almost all of Thailand’s 77 provinces lately have been reporting new COVID cases on a daily basis.

 

Health experts said the rising COVID case and death tolls in Thailand have been driven by the highly contagious Delta (India) variant of the coronavirus that’s now become dominant in the country. The pandemic has led to increased poverty, rising unemployment and simmering protests against the government, particularly over a lagging COVID vaccinations program that has seen only about 5 percent of the population fully vaccinated.

 

The country’s health care system has been hit to the breaking point by the broadening pandemic. Thailand on Friday again reported new record highs for active COVID cases hospitalized (143,744), the share of those in critical condition (3,984), and the share of critical patients on ventilators (900).

 

Total COVID hospitalizations have almost doubled in the past two weeks, and the share of those in critical condition has doubled in the past three weeks. As of Friday, Thailand's tally of critical condition COVID patients had risen to new daily records for the past 34 days in a row.

 

In other developments:

--Government reports showed the coronavirus spreading in intensity to more of Thailand’s 77 provinces, with 35 of them on Thursday reporting more than 100 new COVID cases each, one of the highest 100+ tallies in days. No province had zero new cases.

 

--Thailand on Thursday made it into the world's top 50 countries (ranking 50^th) based on total numbers of COVID cases since the start of the pandemic at 453,132. Thailand also has one of the highest per capita rates of current new COVID cases among ASEAN countries, trailing only Malaysia and Indonesia.

 

--A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that two doses of the Pfizer vaccine are more effective (88%) against the now prevalent Delta virus variant than two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine (67%) in preventing symptomatic infections.

 

The Latest Lockdown & Curfew Rules:

 

Continue to apply to Bangkok, five adjoining provinces (Nahon Pathom, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan and Samut Sakhon) and four southern provinces (Narathiwat, Pattani, Songkhla and Yala) that already had many of them since July 12, along with three newly added provinces (Chonburi, Ayutthaya and Chachoengsao). These are called “dark red” zone provinces.

 

--Continue daily curfew between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m.

 

--Residents now ordered not to leave their homes other times except for necessities such as work, food shopping, health care, vaccinations, etc.

 

--Public gatherings of more than 5 people still banned.

 

--Government/private sector work from home still encouraged.

 

--Highway checkpoints set up to discourage travel out of dark red zone provinces. Public asked to register online at https://covid-19.in.th/en in advance of any such trips to obtain a QR code document.

 

--On Thursday, the government banned most all regular domestic air flights traveling into or out of Bangkok and the other dozen dark red zone restricted provinces. Exempted are flights to/from Phuket and Samui, areas that are operating under more relaxed rules.

 

--Passengers on bus and rail lines limited to 50 percent of maximum capacity (also nationwide), and public transport remains closed during the overnight curfew times. Also this week, the state-run Transport Company announced the complete nationwide suspension of its interprovincial bus line services at least until August 2.

 

--General department store, shopping center, and community mall shops remain closed, except for the following that can open until 8 p.m. -- supermarkets, takeout food outlets, banks & financial institutions, pharmacies, building supplies, postage/parcel & mobile phone related shops.

 

--No sit-down restaurant dining allowed. Takeout food & beverage service allowed till 8 p.m. Delivery services allowed outside of curfew hours.

 

--Bars and night clubs remain closed, and on-site alcohol consumption remains forbidden. Massage parlors and spas remain closed.

 

--Convenience stores & night markets remain closed 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.

 

--Classroom instruction remains shut down, but online learning is allowed.

 

--Essential venues can remain open including hospitals, clinics, factories, drug stores, banks, gas stations, postal services and mobile phone shops.

 

The government’s COVID oversight agency, the CCSA, has further clarified what businesses and public venues must be closed in the 13 so-called dark red zone provinces including Bangkok.

 

Not included in the closures list below are any kind of factories or manufacturing facilities, even though those have had some of the largest and most prevalent COVID outbreak clusters in the country.

 

Closure until at least August 2 was ordered for:

 

--Entertainment places and service parlors including pubs, bars, and karaoke shops; massage parlors; bathing, sauna and herbal sauna places; weight control, beauty and health clinics; beauty salons, hairdressing, manicure and tattoo shops

 

--All kinds of sports fields; swimming pools, public parks and botanical gardens; water and amusement parks; children's playgrounds; zoos; skating areas; fitness clubs, and martial arts gyms.

 

--Theatres; public venues for performances; exhibition centers; learning centers and art galleries; libraries; museums; historical parks and archaeological sites.

 

--Boxing stadiums and boxing schools; cockfighting rings and cockfighting practice grounds, bullfighting and fish fighting rings; horse racing venues, and all kinds of competition venues.

 

--Snooker and billiard clubs; bowling lanes and games machine arcades; internet and game shops; dancing schools; meeting and party venues; amulet centers, and daycare centers.

Shocking new highs in infections again and back to 3 digit deaths daily. The delta wave continues is destructive pathway breaking through any measures imposed so far and continuing to grow stronger.

 

14,575 positive cases today with 1,072 of those from prisons, 114 deaths

 

Rolling 7 day average (up to 21st July only) which includes prison cases and bar chart of community cases.

https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus/country/thailand

We are seeing new record highs in infection everyday this week (+14,562) Death toll also remains high with +114 fatalities #หาเตียงโควิด #โควิด19วันนี้ #Thailand #Covid19

 

https://twitter.com/ThaiEnquirer/status/1418368548980752388

 

Marches on......

Getting ready for the weekend backlog of artefacts.

NEW HIGH: Chonburi Public Health Office has just announced they have 669 new cases and four more deaths. Most new cases are in Chonburi City (109), Bang Lamung/Pattaya (229), and Si Racha (169). The total cases so far is now 18,452 with 8,209 remaining in care #Thailand

 

https://twitter.com/ThaiNewsReports/status/1418365461192839170

 

So worse and worse by the day. It will not be long before 20,000 cases that are reported officially the way this trend is going. The government must be really proud of themselves. (sarcasm intended).

Ventilators being withheld for certain patients. Sign of a complete breakdown in services:

 

"Thammasat University Hospital just issued an order on criteria for withholding intubation for elderly #COVID19 patients in critical conditions. Two criteria are the patient is 75 & over & have chronic diseases."
 

https://twitter.com/PravitR/status/1418236643811594246

 

NEW HIGH - #COVID19 Update on Friday: 14,575 cases & 114 deaths (1,072 cases from prisons). Full details at 12:30pm #Thailand

 

19 July: 11,784 - 81 dead

20 July: 11,305 - 80 dead

21 July: 13,002 - 108 dead

22 July: 13,655 - 87 dead

23 July: 14,575 - 114 dead <— TODAY

https://twitter.com/ThaiNewsReports/status/1418371249466605568

 

 

So true..................

 

"Every day seems to be a new record high. How long will it be until we reach a daily average of 20,000? The Thai government has #@%& up big time. They lost the opportunity to nip it in the bud last year by being too complacent and now it’s going to take months to turn this around."

 

https://twitter.com/RichardBarrow/status/1418373137289207809

 

3 minutes ago, anchadian said:

We are seeing new record highs in infection everyday this week (+14,562) Death toll also remains high with +114 fatalities #หาเตียงโควิด #โควิด19วันนี้ #Thailand #Covid19

 

https://twitter.com/ThaiEnquirer/status/1418368548980752388

 

Walk-in cases were almost 10,000 yesterday, and positive lab tests hit 3,600.  Very high numbers. 
 

 

 

CNBC (U.S.)

 

Delta variant is one of the most infectious respiratory diseases known, CDC director says

PUBLISHED THU, JUL 22 20215:19 PM EDT UPDATED 35 MIN AGO
Rich Mendez

The delta Covid variant is one of the most infectious respiratory diseases ever seen by scientists, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.

 

The variant is highly contagious, largely because people infected with the delta strain can carry up to 1,000 times more virus in their nasal passages than those infected with the original strain, according to new data...

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/22/delta-variant-is-one-of-the-most-infectious-respiratory-diseases-known-cdc-director-says-.html

so even with these partial lockdowns with pubs, schools etc. there is zero difference...

 

won't be surprised if they ban alcohol again, that was what they thought fixed last years wave

4 minutes ago, anchadian said:

Bang Lamung/Pattaya (229)

oh dear, per capita the numbers in pattaya and siracha are the higher than Bangkok, with testing levels much lower - houston we have a problem

7 minutes ago, Laughing Gravy said:

So worse and worse by the day. It will not be long before 20,000 cases that are reported officially the way this trend is going. The government must be really proud of themselves. (sarcasm intended).

Lik i said yesterday they switched strategy. They can't get them down so now they aim for higher numbers each day. They seem to be succeeding. If the goal is not obtainable.. reset the goal posts. ????

2 minutes ago, smedly said:

oh dear, per capita the numbers in pattaya and siracha are the higher than Bangkok, with testing levels much lower - houston we have a problem

And I was just reading of someone asking where various services were to be found in town, as he was in need of some variety beyond what was openly seen. (Another Forum). Be careful out there. 

their opening up for tourists isnt looking good at the moment  while this is going on   the holiday for  songkran  was not a good idea but everyhing is under control remember

BP reported that a respiratory disease expert called on the govt to halt the purchasing of China's Sinovac vaccine.

 

 

1 minute ago, jacko45k said:

And I was just reading of someone asking where various services were to be found in town, as he was in need of some variety beyond what was openly seen. (Another Forum). Be careful out there. 

Wonder what kind of services those are ???? 

3 thoasand jabs and promise of more to come says Pattaya mayor Sonthaya Khunplume. 

 

https://thepattayanews.com/2021/07/22/three-thousand-chonburi-people-vaccinated-with-sinovac-vaccine/?amp&__twitter_impression=true

 

@TallGuyJohninBKK today's opening summary excellent!

Again thanks and of course the other guys posting summaries and updates. So appreciated @anchadian @Bkk Brian

and others. Ta

Quote

Not included in the closures list below are any kind of factories or manufacturing facilities, even though those have had some of the largest and most prevalent COVID outbreak clusters in the country.

Yes, we don't want to close down the places where the infection is definitely spreading in high numbers.    Let's close the parks, beaches and swimming pools instead where no infections have been caused.   At least then it looks like we are doing something.   Then, once the infection has spread through the factories, the markets, the construction sites, the families of those workers, then finally starts to run out of people to infect in several months time and begins its decline, we can then point to how successful the lockdown measures have been and state with absolute confidence it was the lockdowns that forced the virus into submission.    

Good news today the numbers are below the expected 30,000

must be really frustrating for the government not being able to blame all this on those 'dirty foreigners' anymore.

 

They only have themselves to blame.

 

At this trajectory Monday will see Thaiand surpass the 500,000 (official) infections mark with >4000 deaths and sitting in the mid 40's on the covid charts which represents a jump of around 72 spots in around three months basically going up around 24 spots a month. Obviously this is the fault of the people and not Mr. Empty Head who will accept absolutely no responsibility for this rapidly unwinding disaster.

37 minutes ago, anchadian said:

We are seeing new record highs in infection everyday this week (+14,562) Death toll also remains high with +114 fatalities #หาเตียงโควิด #โควิด19วันนี้ #Thailand #Covid19

 

https://twitter.com/ThaiEnquirer/status/1418368548980752388

 

 

This Thai language update also appears to include updated hospitalization, critical condition and ventilated critical patients for the day:

 

--record 143,744 (+6,686) hospitalized

 

--record 3,984 (+128) in critical condition

 

--record 900 (+11) of those on ventilators

 

10 minutes ago, Changbeer4me said:

3 thoasand jabs and promise of more to come says Pattaya mayor Sonthaya Khunplume. 

 

https://thepattayanews.com/2021/07/22/three-thousand-chonburi-people-vaccinated-with-sinovac-vaccine/?amp&__twitter_impression=true

 

Where is the Baan Suan that this occurred?

Southeast Asia saw a sharp jump in new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, while the death toll continued its upward trajectory, collated data showed.

https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40003639