Doctors warn government must strike right balance in easing restrictions

[webfact]

 

By Cod Satrusayang

 

Senior doctors are warning the government that the right balance must be struck when considering easing Covid-19 restrictions otherwise hard-earned gains may be erased.

 

The government is due to meet on Friday to discuss re-opening restaurants and easing other restrictions after Covid-19 numbers have fallen from previous highs due to Thailand’s lockdown measures.

 

But doctors say that case numbers are still high and that Thailand is not out of the woods yet when it comes to Delta.

 

Discover Cigna’s range of health insurance solutions created for expats and local nationals living in Thailand - click to view

 

Full story: https://www.thaienquirer.com/31840/doctors-warn-government-must-strike-right-balance-in-easing-restrictions/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Enquirer 2021-08-27

 

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[RotBenz8888]

Open parks, pools beaches and other outdoor areas won't increase the case numbers. It's essential that people are allowed to excersise and be outside to stay healthy. 

[pkspeaker]

i don't believe whatever the 'social distancing' rules it won't dramatically effect the case #s at this point, the wave already happened

Edited August 27, 2021 by pkspeaker

[Scrotobike]

Balance the HiSo $$$ against killing the old/sick

How much is a life worth?

[JonnyF]

What gains? Covid has rocketed since the restrictions were put in place. Largely because many don't follow them and nobody really enforces them. So in effect, you have the worst of all worlds - you get all the negative outcomes (economic meltdown) without the positive outcomes (minimal cases) that a real lockdown would produce.

 

If they're not going to enforce rules properly and leave wet markets, construction sites etc. open then you may as well loosen the restrictions so at least people can get some exercise at the beach, sit down for a meal outside and allow people to support themselves financially.

 

Just grow a pair and make a decision - do one or the other. Not some halfway house, middle road nonsense that drags on forever and helps nobody.   

[JonnyF]

51 minutes ago, Scrotobike said:

Balance the HiSo $$$ against killing the old/sick

How much is a life worth?

Nobody is stopping the old and the sick from locking themselves down.

[MrJ2U]

1 hour ago, Scrotobike said:

Balance the HiSo $$$ against killing the old/sick

How much is a life worth?

That's the reason.

 

At the same time, besides wearing masks, not much has changed here in Issan.

 

Still plenty of crowds drinking, large gatherings at temples and funerals, communal dinners.

 

To be honest get out of the village and sit on beach with the family.  I think we can do that safely.

Edited August 27, 2021 by MrJ2U

[jacko45k]

6 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Nobody is stopping the old and the sick from locking themselves down.

Spreading is caused by social mixing... better to lock down all the young who are responsible for most of this.

[JonnyF]

3 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Spreading is caused by social mixing... better to lock down all the young who are responsible for most of this.

What kind of bizarre logic is that? ????

 

We need to protect the vulnerable with vaccines and if they wish, self imposed lockdown - and let everyone else get on with their lives (within reason until vaccine rollout is complete). Not lockdown the people who are pretty much unaffected by the virus.

 

The young are also the people who work, the people who drive the economy, the people who are in the process of being educated. We can't lock them all up just because some grumpy old pensioner on a fixed income from overseas and never goes out anyway is unaffected by all this.

[jacko45k]

1 minute ago, JonnyF said:

The young are also the people who work, the people who drive the economy, the people who are in the process of being educated. We can't lock them all up just because some grumpy old pensioner on a fixed income from overseas and never goes out anyway is unaffected by all this.

So the old are not part of the problem,,, by your own words. Lock up the young!

[Will B Good]

There are many elements of the lockdown that have been applied fairly rigorously in central BKK. Restaurants, nightclubs, parks, (most) bars have closed and mask wearing is pretty much complied with.

 

The impact this has all had is impossible to evaluate (in terms of health at least), as there is nothing to compare it with. Economically it must have been devastating for many Thais just the increase of homeless people is testament to that.

[Scrotobike]

45 minutes ago, MrJ2U said:

That's the reason.

 

At the same time, besides wearing masks, not much has changed here in Issan.

 

Still plenty of crowds drinking, large gatherings at temples and funerals, communal dinners.

 

To be honest get out of the village and sit on beach with the family.  I think we can do that safely.

Here in the ampur masks are worn and I have not seen a party.

Cannot comment on the villages - I never go to one.

[Scrotobike]

52 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Nobody is stopping the old and the sick from locking themselves down.

And how do they do this? Living a large number to a room? With people having to work to eat

I am not sure you really understand rural or inner-city (poor areas) Thailand

 

But please do educate me I am always happy to learn from the experts.....

[JonnyF]

17 minutes ago, Scrotobike said:

And how do they do this? Living a large number to a room? With people having to work to eat

I am not sure you really understand rural or inner-city (poor areas) Thailand

 

But please do educate me I am always happy to learn from the experts.....

Sure, seeing as you asked so politely I am more than happy to explain to you. But of course I can't understand for you. Even though I live and work in BKK I have a 30 year lease on a farm just north of Korat which until the pandemic I spent 2/3 weekends a month on so I'd say I understand rural areas pretty well.

 

Firstly consider that many rural areas are not on strict lockdown anyway, so relaxing things in deep red areas like Bangkok won't make a great deal of difference to them. For the few Thai OAPs in rural areas that wish to lock themselves down completely (not many I would suggest) it may be problematic for some to completely segregate from the family but not impossible to socially distance from others if they really had the will to do so. Your alternative solution of locking down the entire country and obliterating the economy is a bit like solving the problem of a ant nest in the toilet by burning the entire house down. Or to use another analogy, swerving to avoid a squirrel and driving off the edge of a cliff.

 

Like I said, vaccinate the vulnerable and lock them down if they wish, where possible. Reduce lockdown restrictions elsewhere. People need to work, to eat, to live. All you OAP's on fixed incomes who never go anywhere seem to be quite enjoying all of this, completely oblivious to the fact that many many Thais can't eat if they don't work. 

[Scrotobike]

3 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Sure, seeing as you asked so politely I am more than happy to explain to you. But of course I can't understand for you. Even though I live and work in BKK I have a 30 year lease on a farm just north of Korat which until the pandemic I spent 2/3 weekends a month on so I'd say I understand rural areas pretty well.

 

Firstly consider that many rural areas are not on strict lockdown anyway, so relaxing things in deep red areas like Bangkok won't make a great deal of difference to them. For the few Thai OAPs in rural areas that wish to lock themselves down completely (not many I would suggest) it may be problematic for some to completely segregate from the family but not impossible to socially distance from others if they really had the will to do so. Your alternative solution of locking down the entire country and obliterating the economy is a bit like solving the problem of a ant nest in the toilet by burning the entire house down. Or to use another analogy, swerving to avoid a squirrel and driving off the edge of a cliff.

 

Like I said, vaccinate the vulnerable and lock them down if they wish, where possible. Reduce lockdown restrictions elsewhere. People need to work, to eat, to live. All you OAP's on fixed incomes who never go anywhere seem to be quite enjoying all of this, completely oblivious to the fact that many many Thais can't eat if they don't work. 

Then I think you missed my point - if the general had vaccinated all the old and sick then for sure the leaky lockdown would be totally useless. However the vaccines did not go to the elderly and sick instead were wasted on sandbox schemes and large factories/worker camps where the very young were vaccinated even though most of them would produce antibodies without a vaccine

 

The $$$ vs life calculation has already been made - 10,000 old and sick dead when the chance to protect them (and the health system) was squandered to support HiSo.

 

My opinion

 

Thanks for your reply - thanks for being polite (unusual here)

 

 

[jacko45k]

29 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

All you OAP's on fixed incomes who never go anywhere seem to be quite enjoying all of this, completely oblivious to the fact that many many Thais can't eat if they don't work. 

 I am far from enjoying this very restricted current lifestyle. 

[Isaan sailor]

How about you kill the quarantine for fully vaccinated incoming?  Very difficult for expats to leave to visit family and friends--if they have to face 2-week incarceration upon return to Thailand.

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Senior doctors are warning the government that the right balance must be struck when considering easing Covid-19 restrictions otherwise hard-earned gains may be erased.

Gains, this has been increasing for months?

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

 I am far from enjoying this very restricted current lifestyle. 

Hardly a lock-down.. you'll survive I'm sure.

[jacko45k]

28 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Hardly a lock-down.. you'll survive I'm sure.

I expect I will... but suspect it to have lasting impact. Anyhow I said 'far from enjoying', survival not the concern.

[dlclark97]

7 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Open parks, pools beaches and other outdoor areas won't increase the case numbers. It's essential that people are allowed to excersise and be outside to stay healthy. 

Having seen the beaches during past lockdowns I must disagree.  When I entered the beach area I was temperature checked and it was confirmed I had a mask.  However, driving along the beach road every where I looked there were large groups of people on their beach mats, close together, no masks, and drinking something.  There are just too many people who think the rules do not apply to them. 

[dlclark97]

Recent articles here have discussed lowering restrictions as we are now in a 'post pandemic' mode.  With 18,501 new cases Wednesday and a couple hundred more than that on Thursday I do not see how anyone in his/her could say or believe that we are in a 'post pandemic' situation.  A lot more must be fully vaccinated and new case numbers should be in the hundreds before we can honestly say we are PROBABLY 'post pandemic'.  I understand the necessity to restart the economy for many reasons but is doing so with the chance new case numbers will increase again and more people will die worth the risk? 

[DogNo1]

Various articles in the Post discuss planned vaccinations of school kids and others in future months but these appear to be single injections.  Apparently the authorities think that a single shot provides sufficient protection.  Sure.  What could possibly go wrong?

[Almer]

10 hours ago, JonnyF said:

What gains? Covid has rocketed since the restrictions were put in place. Largely because many don't follow them and nobody really enforces them. So in effect, you have the worst of all worlds - you get all the negative outcomes (economic meltdown) without the positive outcomes (minimal cases) that a real lockdown would produce.

 

If they're not going to enforce rules properly and leave wet markets, construction sites etc. open then you may as well loosen the restrictions so at least people can get some exercise at the beach, sit down for a meal outside and allow people to support themselves financially.

 

Just grow a pair and make a decision - do one or the other. Not some halfway house, middle road nonsense that drags on forever and helps nobody.   

Talking about halfway house now they decide to ease lockdown but employers have to ensure staff are vaccinated, many staff in BKK come from Issan and many of these staff are young mums working to send money home so in the age range 25-40 as an example, where would these workers of got vaccinated, same goes for people out for food evenings mostly younger people.

[Almer]

4 hours ago, dlclark97 said:

Having seen the beaches during past lockdowns I must disagree.  When I entered the beach area I was temperature checked and it was confirmed I had a mask.  However, driving along the beach road every where I looked there were large groups of people on their beach mats, close together, no masks, and drinking something.  There are just too many people who think the rules do not apply to them. 

Maybe they are people who don't understand and need a prod from the bib, but where are the bib, they are not interested and thats why people treat the laws with contempt.

[Billybaroo]

12 hours ago, JonnyF said:

What gains? Covid has rocketed since the restrictions were put in place. Largely because many don't follow them and nobody really enforces them. So in effect, you have the worst of all worlds - you get all the negative outcomes (economic meltdown) without the positive outcomes (minimal cases) that a real lockdown would produce.

 

If they're not going to enforce rules properly and leave wet markets, construction sites etc. open then you may as well loosen the restrictions so at least people can get some exercise at the beach, sit down for a meal outside and allow people to support themselves financially.

 

Just grow a pair and make a decision - do one or the other. Not some halfway house, middle road nonsense that drags on forever and helps nobody.   

   That's not entirely true. While I believe lockdown measures should remain in place in part, in California pre-vaccine, we opened up with strict mask and social distancing restrictions and reduced infection rates. But, the infection rate also has a time component, so numbers declining now are a greater reflection of stricter measures imposed weeks ago. It took a month or more in California to see the effects of mandatory mask and social distancing measures for indoor environments. The trick in Thailand seems to be compliance and not whether measures to reduce infection spread will work in a decision to re-open indoor facilities. 

Edited August 27, 2021 by Billybaroo

[Stargeezr]

Every country needs to treat the COVID pandemic seriously. The cases in Thailand are pretty high, but the USA is getting

new spikes in many states from the delta variant. There are still lots of people dying all over the world from this

virus.  Unfortunately in a lot of places in the world there are people who do not believe that they need to get a 

vaccination.  I guess another million people need to die, because so many still think that COVID is just another flu.

  I lost another relative recently and they were in their 40s. They were non believers of the vaccine, and now they are dead.

   Ease the restrictions wisely, and try to remember that as a tourist destination, the more rules and restrictions

that tourists have placed on them, the less chance that they will be coming to Thailand, when there are many places

that they can travel without all the hoops to jump through.  The high season for tourists is less than 100 days

away.  Just saying.

Geezer