Thai Tourism Reopening Plan Stokes Concerns of Virus Resurgence

[webfact]

 

● Doctors warn of potential squeeze on Thailand’s health system

● Risks remain with nationwide vaccination rate under 20%

 

By Randy Thanthong-Knight

 

As Thailand gears up for the reopening of Bangkok and several key provinces in October, some doctors warn that hospitalizations could surge again because the vaccination rate remains low across the nation.

 

Only 18% of the population is fully inoculated at present, a level that offers only limited protection from the spread of Covid-19, especially with the impending increase of the movements of people and the arrival of tourists -- who will be granted quarantine waivers based on their vaccination status. 

 

Coverage should exceed 70% before reopening because fully vaccinated people can still get infected and spread the virus, said Prasit Watanapa, dean of Mahidol University’s Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital. He said that the emergence of a new variant could worsen the situation and squeeze the health-care system. 

 

Full story: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-16/thai-tourism-reopening-plan-stokes-concerns-of-virus-resurgence

 

-- © Copyright Bloomberg 2021-09-17

 

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[alyx]

how may more stands before opening....Pros outweigh cons....by far....get on with it 

[ukrules]

Concerns?

There will be a massive resurgence of the virus once anything opens, tourists or not.

The more places that open the more it will spread and this is regardless of how many are vaccinated.

 

Winter is coming and we're all in for a big 'surprise' ????

Watch Europe / Israel - what happens there will repeat here....

[ezzra]

Inevitably with many more tourists coming in, even fully vaccinated, will mean more of them will need hospitalization for Covid at some point as it did happen with the sandbox tourists in Phuket, is Thailand ready to provide such a sudden surge of demand for medical attention among other issues that will arise with influx of tourists?...

[zzaa09]

12 minutes ago, ukrules said:

Concerns?

There will be a massive resurgence of the virus once anything opens, tourists or not.

The more places that open the more it will spread and this is regardless of how many are vaccinated.

 

Winter is coming and we're all in for a big 'surprise' ????

Watch Europe / Israel - what happens there will repeat here....

Those cycles have already been witnessed and practiced throughout numerous countries of the world - of the last six months or so. All resulting in not such pleasant scenarios. 

[ukrules]

38 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

All resulting in not such pleasant scenarios. 

Exactly, they're in for a big surprise.

[gk10012001]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Coverage should exceed 70% before reopening because fully vaccinated people can still get infected and spread the virus,

If, and I say If, with the force of a computer programs logical If statement, then reopening will never happen.  I doubt that 70% of the Thai population will ever be vaccinated by any date in time.  Time will tell what Thailand really decides to do

[gk10012001]

Currently there are millons of children running around un vaccinated.  Pretty sure that many of them can carry and transmit the virus.

[shdmn]

Here come the concern trolls.

[Aussieroaming]

Cut the number of covid tests performed down, that will stop any virus resurgence in its tracks.

 

 

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

● Doctors warn of potential squeeze on Thailand’s health system

● Risks remain with nationwide vaccination rate under 20%

This is all you need to know.

At first the government said it's safe to open at 70% fully vaccinated.

Now it's 20%....  lets go for it, what can possibly go wrong.

 

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, ukrules said:

Concerns?

There will be a massive resurgence of the virus once anything opens, tourists or not.

The more places that open the more it will spread and this is regardless of how many are vaccinated.

 

Winter is coming and we're all in for a big 'surprise' ????

Watch Europe / Israel - what happens there will repeat here....

No need to look overseas, just look at what's happening in Phuket...

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, ezzra said:

Inevitably with many more tourists coming in, even fully vaccinated, will mean more of them will need hospitalization for Covid at some point as it did happen with the sandbox tourists in Phuket, is Thailand ready to provide such a sudden surge of demand for medical attention among other issues that will arise with influx of tourists?...

No.

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, gk10012001 said:

If, and I say If, with the force of a computer programs logical If statement, then reopening will never happen.  I doubt that 70% of the Thai population will ever be vaccinated by any date in time.  Time will tell what Thailand really decides to do

They've already decided.

With at best 20%-30% fully vaccinated they're going to open.

I hope the hospitals are ready.

Edited September 17, 2021 by hotchilli

[Scrotobike]

The problem is no one has ANY idea of the infection rate in Thailand. Reporting and muppets commenting on the number of positive PCR tests is very misleading. The only useful statistic is % fully vaccinated and in particular % sick, old and pregnant fully vaccinated.

 

So 20% is pathetic for a country producing vaccine. The lack of vaccines for the old and sick is criminal.

 

[meechai]

1 hour ago, Aussieroaming said:

Cut the number of covid tests performed down, that will stop any virus resurgence in its tracks.

 

 

Worked for all of 2019 & 2020 when Prayut & Annutin were claiming they were so smart & see no tests no infections....

[Saltire]

3 hours ago, gk10012001 said:

 I doubt that 70% of the Thai population will ever be vaccinated by any date in time. 

Ii agree, mainly becuase the only thing I believe about any statistics on anything published, be it cases, tests or vaccines delivered, none are accurate either because they are manipulated, up or down to suit, or measures on this scale are beyond such a disorganised, flawed-tech or paper-based administration.

 

 

[Dont confuse me]

There's never any mention that vaccinated people apparently can spread the virus.

A friend of my sister in UK recently lost her father to covid, no underlying condition and he'd had 2 jabs!