Next fortnight will determine adjustments of COVID-19 measures in Thailand

[webfact]

 

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said today (Monday) that the ministry will closely monitor and assess the COVID-19 situation over the two weeks following the Songkran holiday, to determine whether the existing measures need to be adjusted.

 

He said that it is normal for people to get infected during the long Songkran holidays, because of the extensive travel and the increased chance of close contact with others, but he hopes that most will be safe if they were fully inoculated and the anticipated infection surge will not exceed the capacity of the health system.

 

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Senior health experts predicted, before Songkran, that new infections after the holidays would surge to between 50,000 and 100,000 cases per day (in both RT-PCR and rapid antigen tests). They also expressed concern over elderly people and those suffering from underlying diseases, many of whom are not vaccinated or have not received booster shots.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/next-fortnight-will-determine-adjustments-of-covid-19-measures-in-thailand/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-04-18

 

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[madmitch]

They haven't said what way the adjustments might go: loosening or tightening up!

 

Meanwhile in Europe yesterday (on the way back to the UK from Thailand), the Swiss Air flight I was on had no mask wearing requirements whatsoever.

[smedly]

wood

[KhunLA]

With 100+ deaths a day now, if continues or increases 10-20%, I'd expect tightening restrictions.

 

vs them dropping test & go come June, and trying to lure tourist here.  Depends what they actually care about, or what they think is even possible to achieve. 

 

Ready to accept there is nothing they can do, let people enjoy life as they did 2019

or

Try to stop that sinking ship full of holes, with continued silliness.

[brewsterbudgen]

Let's hope the mask mandate is lifted!

[webfact]

Decision time on plans to ease further restrictions on foreign tourists with strong conflicting views

by Carla Boonkong & Pranee O' Connor

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan ocha (centre) on Monday struck a more optimistic note about the country’s ability to attract more incoming tourists and fears of a COVID-19 wave after Songkran. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul (inset left) said it would take a further two weeks to assess the effects of the Songkran holidays on the trend of the virus in advance of a key meeting of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Friday, April 22nd when a decision removing RT-PCR testing by May 1st will be examined and an expected more radical proposal from the Minister of Tourism and Sports Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn who said last week that he was preparing plans to scrap the whole controlled entry regime for vaccinated foreign tourists by May 1st and would be presenting this for approval. Meanwhile, Dr Thira Woratanarat (inset right) of Chulalongkorn University has warned of rising levels of death from Covid-19 in Thailand and called for more respect for human life from decision-makers.

 

Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul on Monday was more cautious when he confirmed that the government was moving towards endemic status but stressed that conditions must be right in all provinces and that decision-makers must listen to medical and scientific panels set up to advise them under law.

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan ocha, on Monday, struck a positive note about the country’s performance in attracting incoming foreign tourism and fears over the impact of the Songkran holidays on the virus situation as the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) is due to meet on Friday the 22nd April to discuss a move to abolish RT-PCR testing for incoming tourists and at which more radical proposals may be tabled by the Minister of Tourism and Sports, Mr Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, to altogether abolish the ‘Test and Go’ and ‘Thailand Pass’ controlled entry regime for incoming travellers who are vaccinated. At the same time, a voice critical of such easing of restrictions in the past, Dr Thira Woratanarat of Chulalongkorn University, also on Monday, warned that Thailand currently has a rising death rate from the virus and that the country’s prevention policies need to be reassessed on the basis of placing more value on human life.

 

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On Monday, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul, speaking at Government House in Bangkok, told reporters that it would take approximately two weeks to assess the impact of the Songkran holiday period on the trajectory of the government’s fight against COVID-19 and plans to ease restrictions, particularly on incoming foreign tourism to the kingdom.

 

Full story: https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2022/04/18/decision-time-on-easier-access-for-tourists/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Examiner 2022-04-19

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

- Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[shdmn]

So they want to wait and see what happens after sonkran to decide what requirements they need for tourists even though all of this almost zero to do with arriving tourists in cause or effect. 

 

So glad they are still following the science.  ????‍♂️

Edited April 18, 2022 by shdmn

[CartagenaWarlock]

With rising infection rate and death rate in the last seven days throughout Europe, I am not sure if it is produent to allow hordes of future "wife visa" refugees into Thailand. US CDC has already put most European countries in the level 4 high covid risk country. Compared to that, US CDC has recognized India's low number and put India at level 1 low covid risk country. Thailand should follow US CDC guidelines. 

Edited April 18, 2022 by CartagenaWarlock

[ukrules]

29 minutes ago, shdmn said:

So they want to wait and see what happens after sonkran to decide what requirements they need for tourists even though all of this almost zero to do with arriving tourists in cause or effect. 

Yes, that's exactly the situation.

 

This way they can be seen to be keeping the numbers down and by extension blame it on the foreigners.

 

Lots of foreigners came to Thailand and over the next 2 weeks there's a going to be a lot more covid

 

Obviously it was the foreigners, so ban them.

 

I know their game. It's a game of deflection and face saving.

[ukrules]

4 minutes ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

With rising infection rate and death rate in the last seven days throughout Europe, I am not sure if it is produent to allow hordes of future "wife visa" refugees into Thailand. US CDC has already put most European countries in the level 4 high covid risk country. Compared to that, US CDC has recognized India's low number and put India at level 1 low covid risk country. 

What's happening in Europe is without a doubt going to happen in the US, it's just delayed a little, these things take time to spread over great distances - but it's coming, there is no doubt about that.

 

It's not really that bad in Europe anyway and numbers are coming down.

 

The real test is going to be what happens in September / October 2022.

Edited April 18, 2022 by ukrules

[mania]

On 4/19/2022 at 4:32 AM, CartagenaWarlock said:

With rising infection rate and death rate in the last seven days throughout Europe, I am not sure if it is prudent to allow

Yeah yeah what ever...Meanwhile we all were having a nice day watching Paris Roubaix yesterday...freely ????

Thailand & Prudent hahah yeah ok

 

BTW: actual Euro stats here...Note green arrows mean falling not rising

https://graphics.reuters.com/world-coronavirus-tracker-and-maps/regions/europe/

 

All your seeing in Thailand is a choke of freedoms till next election is stolen...nothing more

Thailand will fling open right after the Junta has stolen another fake election

 

[Gottfrid]

2 hours ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

Thailand should follow US CDC guidelines

Oh Yeah, follow the bright beacon of the world. Why should we follow the US, as they were the world guide society?

[hotchilli]

17 hours ago, webfact said:

They also expressed concern over elderly people and those suffering from underlying diseases, many of whom are not vaccinated or have not received booster shots.

Who I thought all last year and this one were a priority?

Or didn't Thailand reach it's so-called targets of 70% plus ?

[jacko45k]

16 hours ago, madmitch said:

Meanwhile in Europe yesterday (on the way back to the UK from Thailand), the Swiss Air flight I was on had no mask wearing requirements whatsoever

Seemingly reckless, but I presume they have made it voluntary. Were any passengers wearing masks?

[mrfill]

2 hours ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

With rising infection rate and death rate in the last seven days throughout Europe, I am not sure if it is produent to allow hordes of future "wife visa" refugees into Thailand. US CDC has already put most European countries in the level 4 high covid risk country. Compared to that, US CDC has recognized India's low number and put India at level 1 low covid risk country. Thailand should follow US CDC guidelines. 

Europe - weekly change in infections = -27%, weekly change in deaths = -20%

 

I suggest you are way off the mark.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/weekly-trends/#weekly_table

 

 

[jacko45k]

8 minutes ago, mrfill said:

Europe - weekly change in infections = -27%, weekly change in deaths = -20%

Europe isn't a country....

Some numbers go down, some go up.

But I dispute the deaths number there, UK today shows a rise of 50% on the last 7 days. https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ Other countries I looked at were flat on deaths. Since infections are falling I expect this will improve. 

 

 

[Walker88]

Too many of the Westerners on this site are far too stuck in that 'time is linear' thing. You fail to understand how domestic travel during April---and the concomitant spread of Covid---can be impacted by foreigners arriving in Thailand in May.

 

Fortunately Thailand is blessed with the kind of leadership that appreciates the subtleties and nuances of the spacetime continuum, and knows full well the tricks that an impish Universe can play on the unsuspecting. That and a lucky amulet or two will be the savior of the nation.

 

We, the great unwashed (aka 'dirty') farang masses, stand in awe.

Edited April 19, 2022 by Walker88

[mrfill]

4 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Europe isn't a country....

Some numbers go down, some go up.

But I dispute the deaths number there, UK today shows a rise of 50% on the last 7 days. https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ Other countries I looked at were flat on deaths. Since infections are falling I expect this will improve. 

 

 

Responding to the false claim that "With rising infection rate and death rate in the last seven days throughout Europe," with data showing the latest figure for Europe seemed sensible, as it is so easily available from worldometers.

[jacko45k]

4 minutes ago, mrfill said:

Responding to the false claim that "With rising infection rate and death rate in the last seven days throughout Europe," with data showing the latest figure for Europe seemed sensible, as it is so easily available from worldometers.

Well that data gives -11% for the UK, but if I go to the page Gov.UK data it shows +50% so I am perplexed by that. 

[Boomer6969]

3 hours ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

With rising infection rate and death rate in the last seven days throughout Europe, I am not sure if it is produent to allow hordes of future "wife visa" refugees into Thailand. US CDC has already put most European countries in the level 4 high covid risk country. Compared to that, US CDC has recognized India's low number and put India at level 1 low covid risk country. Thailand should follow US CDC guidelines. 

Can you share your data. The one I have [as of yesterday] shows that most countries are descending the B2 peak. Maybe you are aware of Bx?

[sandyf]

35 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Well that data gives -11% for the UK, but if I go to the page Gov.UK data it shows +50% so I am perplexed by that. 

The UK have 2 different ways of measuring cases. Reported cases are falling due to the changes that have taken place.

The ONS/REACT study is based on periodic random sampling and now seen as a more reliable method, which has been backed up by the situation with the NHS.

 

However, while there was an urgent need to tackle problems in a number of other areas of public health, Covid-19 remained a major threat, he said. “Covid cases are now rising quite rapidly – from quite a high base – and this is driven by a number of different factors, of which BA.2, the new Omicron variant is a large part. Rates are high and rising in virtually all parts of England.”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/23/nhs-under-pressure-from-new-covid-wave-across-england-says-chris-whitty

[Bkktodd]

19 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Let's hope the mask mandate is lifted!

Why?  hardly any farangs wear em ( or correctly )anyhow

[LukKrueng]

20 hours ago, madmitch said:

They haven't said what way the adjustments might go: loosening or tightening up!

 

Meanwhile in Europe yesterday (on the way back to the UK from Thailand), the Swiss Air flight I was on had no mask wearing requirements whatsoever.

I guess that means they don't follow their own regulations:

This is from Swiss website https://www.swiss.com/us/en/customer-support/travel-and-corona/travel-briefing

 

and this is from a reservation system:

But it might be the new normal. I know of someone who recently flew to France. The official regulations demanded pre-flight test and a satisfying reason for the visit (that's for unvaxed people, and that person is unvaxed) yet no one at check-in asked for any test results or any other covid related docs, and no questions were asked upon arrival to France.

[madmitch]

4 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Seemingly reckless, but I presume they have made it voluntary. Were any passengers wearing masks?

Very few and the crew were all maskless. Most were wearing masks on the long haul BkK to Zurich flight but at least two cabin crew were not and after eating I noticed many passengers didn't bother replacing their masks for the rest of the journey. 

[brewsterbudgen]

7 hours ago, Bkktodd said:

Why?  hardly any farangs wear em ( or correctly )anyhow

All the kids at my son's school have to wear them.  Ridiculous.

[internationalism]

disease control department is meeting on Thursday to propose as radical as getting rid of any testing on entry from 1st of May. I don't think it would happen yet, but at least they are considering.

Very much depends on Prayuth's personal opinion and he tends on conservative approach.

googletranslate

"They will discuss whether to suggest adjusting to testing with ATK or not testing for infection at all. ... However, the number of infections in the country is higher than those who enter the country. Therefore, the relaxation of immigration will not result in increasing the number of infections in the country."

https://www.naewna.com/local/648378

Edited April 19, 2022 by internationalism

[bangon04]

21 hours ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

With rising infection rate and death rate in the last seven days throughout Europe, I am not sure if it is produent to allow hordes of future "wife visa" refugees into Thailand. US CDC has already put most European countries in the level 4 high covid risk country. Compared to that, US CDC has recognized India's low number and put India at level 1 low covid risk country. Thailand should follow US CDC guidelines. 

"The official Covid-19 figures in India grossly understate the true scale of the pandemic in the country."

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/world/india-covid-cases.html

 

Thailand is probably following the India guidelines........

[CartagenaWarlock]

1 hour ago, bangon04 said:

The official Covid-19 figures in India grossly understate the true scale of the pandemic in the country."

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/world/india-covid-cases.html

I believe US CDC that has put India in Level 1 low risk country compared to Western Europe which are in level 4 and now level 3. The total since the outbreak may be understated but we are talking about the past 7-day figures and CDC is comparing past 7-day figures to put a country in various risk categories not some 2021 NYTimes report. 

Edited April 19, 2022 by CartagenaWarlock

[bangon04]

3 hours ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

I believe US CDC that has put India in Level 1 low risk country compared to Western Europe which are in level 4 and now level 3. The total since the outbreak may be understated but we are talking about the past 7-day figures and CDC is comparing past 7-day figures to put a country in various risk categories not some 2021 NYTimes report. 

"Updated April 19, 2022"   with last 90 days stats

 

Did you even read the link?  So you trust the CDC but you do not trust the NY Times???

[CartagenaWarlock]

2 hours ago, bangon04 said:

"Updated April 19, 2022"   with last 90 days stats

 

Did you even read the link?  So you trust the CDC but you do not trust the NY Times???

Yes I do. THE CDC  officials and scientists don't have any agenda compared to a corporate entity that has vested interest in twisting facts with sensational headlines, like they have been doing from day one of this pandemic. Moreover, the article is not an in depth analysis. Just updated statistics of an old article that clearly shows India's 7-day average is extremely low. NY times also conveniently forgot to mention that Western Europe is devastated now with infection and death rate per million population despite having high vaccination rate and booster rates.

Edited April 20, 2022 by CartagenaWarlock