Lockdown set to be relaxed next week: DDC

[Jonathan Fairfield]

 

The Department of Disease Control (DDC) has said that lockdown measures could be relaxed as early as next week.

 

Speaking on Monday, DDC chief Dr Opas Kankawinpong said that COVID-19 in Thailand may already have peaked and that the number of new cases will continue to decline.

 

As a result, Dr Opas said that many of the restrictions and lockdown measures put in place throughout Thailand will likely be relaxed from the beginning of next month.

 

On Monday, the new number of new cases fell to 17,491, while 22,134 recoveries were also reported.

 

Dr Opas said that if the downward trend continues over the next three or four days then Thailand can begin to gradually lift restrictions from September. 

 

Dr Opas said the decline in cases was due to people co-operating with the restrictions put in place and the accelerated rollout of the vaccine throughout the country.

 

However, he added that ensuring there are enough vaccines being given to people in the ‘dark red’ zones still remains a priority. 

 

 

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[Caldera]

5 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Speaking on Monday, DDC chief Dr Opas Kankawinpong said that COVID-19 in Thailand may already have peaked and that the number of new cases will continue to decline.

It may have peaked. We cannot be sure, but we'll relax the rules anyway...

[Shuya]

Wake me when September ends

[RotBenz8888]

Dont get too excited, it might only be IT stores are allowed to open in addition to banks in malls. 

[Kadilo]

Step 1. Good news. 

[Anton9]

12 minutes ago, Caldera said:

It may have peaked. We cannot be sure, but we'll relax the rules anyway...

Probably because waves follow the same pattern regardless of restrictions, they always peak and start to drop once a certain amount of people already got infected(and we all know there are way more than reported)

[djayz]

Although I'm sick and tired of  these lockdowns, and long for life to go back to the way it was (notice how I avoided using "normal"), I can't help but feel that it might be a tad too early to open up again. 

Yes, I know that a lot of people and businesses are hurting, but what if infection rates start climbing again? What do we do then? Another lock down? 

Would it not be more sensible to leave things as they are for a few more weeks in the hope that this thing will blow over? 

[new2here]

I agree that it’s good news…

 

I ALSO agree that we could find ourselves right back here (strict lockdown/restrictions) again- VERY QUICKLY…. so… I am cautiously optimistic..

 

I also agree that any “relaxing” is probably going to be gradual… which, I tend to agree with… so, while I’m optimistic, hopeful and feeling better, I also realize that we could go right back to where it is now, literally overnight and any relaxing is going to be slow and gradual…. 

 

but i’m ok with that.. small steps forward … but keep making those steps each week.

 

 

[Will B Good]

Do they not follow what is happening in other countries?

[ukrules]

It's not going away, any reduction in measures will be met with a proportional increase in infections.

 

But it's almost like they're beginning to realise that something's changed since last year - this is not the same scenario that happened in Europe in 2020.

 

There's nowhere near as many deaths here when you compare them to detected infections.

 

There's been a million detected infections in Thailand with 9562 deaths.

 

In the UK when they reached 1 million detected infections (October 31, 2020) there had been 46,645 deaths

In Italy at 1 million infections (November 11, 2020) there had been 42,953 deaths.

 

That's quite a difference, likely many contributing factors to this, especially population age and of course it's not the same virus that it was a year ago...it's mutated multiple times since then so I guess it's kind of hard to compare as it's not comparing like with like.

 

 

[Dmaxdan]

23 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Dr Opas said the decline in cases was due to people co-operating with the restrictions put in place and the accelerated rollout of the vaccine throughout the country.

As far as I can make out, the vaccine rollout has so far accelerated about as fast as a tortoise riding an overloaded grocer's bicycle.

[KannikaP]

1 minute ago, ukrules said:

That's quite a difference, likely many contributing factors to this, especially population age and of course

And telling the truth!

[Why Me]

Nice! Thailand is following India's delta curve. Crazy high followed by steep drop. India had 25k cases yesterday with more than 15 times the population. If the pattern holds we should be heading into the low 1000s in a month.

 

Can't be to do with the vax/lockdown patterns then which are totally different in the two countries. Looks like delta tends to weaken (by mutation?) as it spreads.

[brewsterbudgen]

Some good news (if true). Let's hope schools are included.

[HappyExpat57]

5 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

Do they not follow what is happening in other countries?

T.I.T.S.

Theirs is the only true way, no one else matters. How many countries have made their coastal beaches secure, and Pattaya continues to replace the sand only for the storms to blow them away?

[Rimmer]

Troll post removed

[buick]

i'm glad they didn't announce the lockdown will stay in place until 80% of the adult population has had at least one jab. 

[GStewart70]

10 minutes ago, Why Me said:

Nice! Thailand is following India's delta curve. Crazy high followed by steep drop. India had 25k cases yesterday with more than 15 times the population. If the pattern holds we should be heading into the low 1000s in a month.

 

Can't be to do with the vax/lockdown patterns then which are totally different in the two countries. Looks like delta tends to weaken (by mutation?) as it spreads.

Funny, UK 30000 plus a day with a highly vaccinated population.

Maybe Delta only weakens when it puts its foot down on the tarmac at BKK.

Or maybe Thailand, India and other third world countries haven't a clue what's going on by restricting testing and lying through their teeth.

I wonder which one it could be.

[2long]

Interesting to see that there's still a fair number of negative people on here, and those who want the lockdown to continue. Maybe they are retired and live out of town. 

Yes, many locals in the same situation want lockdown to continue, but most people want and need to get back to being able to earn money, spend money and get their kids to school.

If the cases are way higher than reported (which I believe to be the case) and deaths and hospitalisations level off or decrease, then we need to open up. Gradually yes, but start opening up on Sept. 1st.

[Johnny Mac]

46 minutes ago, Caldera said:

It may have peaked. We cannot be sure, but we'll relax the rules anyway...

So you want to hide away from the lergy behind your sofa forever?

[gk10012001]

56 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

However, he added that ensuring there are enough vaccines being given to people in the ‘dark red’ zones still remains a priority. 

I see food lines in Pattaya, but not many or any lines of people getting vaccinations.  I question the Thai idea of what priority means

[utalkin2me]

Good news. Unlock it all. 

[gk10012001]

15 minutes ago, buick said:

i'm glad they didn't announce the lockdown will stay in place until 80% of the adult population has had at least one jab. 

If they did ever announce that, then Thailand would never open.  No way the country will ever reach 80 per cent. Thailand will delay or simply never do 80 percent vaccinating.  They never maintain anything long term, except on going coups and military take overs

[utalkin2me]

2 minutes ago, gk10012001 said:

I see food lines in Pattaya, but not many or any lines of people getting vaccinations.  I question the Thai idea of what priority means

You know why that is, because people are not scared. People do get very afraid of things that put them in imminent danger. 

[tomacht8]

19 minutes ago, ukrules said:

Snip

There's been a million detected infections in Thailand with 9562 deaths.

Snip.

These are roughly the official total numbers since the pandemic started 1.5 years ago.

First good insight, the virus won't go away. Everyone has to learn to live with the situation.

 

As long as the majority of the population is not provided with effective vaccinations, the hysteria will continue.

The critical size should therefore be the ICU hospital bed capacity, where really only the intensive cases are dealt with. Before that, Thailand had taken everyone who was C19 positive to the hospital. As the number of people vaccinated increases, the situation is more likely to shift from severe to lighter cases.

 

A more rational assessment of the overall situation on the part of those responsible would be desirable.

[ukrules]

23 minutes ago, GStewart70 said:

Maybe Delta only weakens when it puts its foot down on the tarmac at BKK.

Deaths from Delta are greatly reduced everywhere, the problem with looking at the UK or European data is that there are very large numbers of vaccinated people there.

 

In India and Thailand the number of people who are or were vaccinated when Delta hit was very low, that's the difference that makes the difference here....

[pchappo]

funny.... rent due next week... announce this week that maybe (DANGLE THE CARROT) maybe we open next week... so people who have closed businesses think - do i risk paying the rent to maybe open next week and make some money???

 

 

[sapson]

1 hour ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Speaking on Monday, DDC chief Dr Opas Kankawinpong said that COVID-19 in Thailand may already have peaked and that the number of new cases will continue to decline.

 

Minimal testing and manipulated figures bearing no resemblance to reality as the Doctor said.

 

The Junta revert to default setting and enter another period of denial and delusion similar to the initial year of the pandemic.

 

The rugs back in place brooms at the ready!

[djayz]

1 hour ago, Will B Good said:

Do they not follow what is happening in other countries?

Are you mad?! That's not the Thai way.! 

[fredscats]

Restrictions ease...numbers up again...restrictions re-imposed