Coronavirus (Covid-19)
46 Covid-19 cases related to Tachileik, health officials say situation is “under control”

With a significant number of people returning to Chiang Rai from the border town Tachileik and testing positive for Covid-19, health officials say the situation is “under control” and it is safe to travel to Chiang Rai and other northern provinces.
Only 2 people out of the more than 6,500 people considered to be “at risk” of infection have tested positive for the Covid-19, according to health officials. The local transmissions were in Chiang Rai and Sing Buri.
A total of 46 Covid-19 cases are related to the outbreak in Tachileik where many Thai women worked at entertainment venues, according to Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration spokesperson Taweesilp Visanuyothin. Some women worked at the 1G1-7 Hotel in the border town where a resident claims the virus spread through prostitution at the venue.
With the rising number of coronavirus cases in Tachileik, 196 recently entered Thailand through official border crossings and Taweesilp says 27 of them, or 14%, tested positive for Covid-19.
17 other people tested positive after crossing the border illegally, evading the mandatory quarantine. Some travelled across Thailand to other provinces before testing positive. Most cases were detected in Chiang Rai while 5 were detected in Chiang Mai and 3 in Bangkok. Infections were also detected in Phayao, Phichit, Ratchaburi and Sing Buri.
Director general of the Disease Control Department, Opas Karnkawinpong, says most of the Tachileik-related cases in Chiang Rai have been detected in quarantine.
“Therefore, the overall situation is under control… There has not been a new case in Chiang Mai since Dec 5 and new cases in Chiang Rai were found with proactive operations bringing returnees from Myanmar to the (disease control) system.”
“There has not been a new case in Phayao since Dec 1, in Bangkok since Dec 6, in Phichit since Dec 1, in Ratchaburi since Dec 2 and in Sing Buri since Dec 4. Disease control in these provinces is very strong.”
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
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Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Hong Kong partially locks down, forcing thousands to undergo Covid screening

Hong Kong’s government is forcing a partial lockdown until 10,000 residents of an area in the Kowloon peninsula, complete a Covid-19 test. The 2 day lockdown in the city’s poorest neighbourhood of Jordan, comes after a new strain of the coronavirus was identified, making it the 1st lockdown that the city has seen.
The area, which features many deteriorating buildings and 150 stacked housing blocks, has confirmed 162 confirmed cases of Covid-19 this month, with the ratio of virus detected in sewage samples from buildings there was higher than that of other areas.
Over the last 2 months the city has been hit by a 4th wave of infections with authorities struggling to bring the daily numbers down. Such clusters have hit the low-income neighbourhoods the most, which are notorious for cramped conditions in districts such as Yau Tsim Mong.
In recent days, health officials began mandatory testing in some 70 buildings in the area but the government has now decided to test everyone much to the confusion of local residents. As rumours of a lockdown were leaked to the local media, the government didn’t officially announce the measure until this morning. The area is also home to many ethnic minorities, mainly South Asian Hong Kongers, a community that often faces discrimination and poverty.
Earlier in the week a senior health official was criticised when he suggested ethnic minority residents might be spreading the virus more readily because “they like to share food, smoke, drink alcohol and chat together.”
The health official’s comments also came as a video was released of predominantly white migrants dancing at a packed brunch on the more affluent Hong Kong Island. But those who agreed with the health official pointed to cramped conditions, not race or culture, as being the cause of the virus spreading more easily.
SOURCE: Thai PBS World
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Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Phuket wants Bangkok arrivals to skip quarantine to help tourism revenue

Phuket’s tourism representatives are calling for an end to the mandatory quarantine levied at tourists arriving to the province from Bangkok. The tourism delegation have also told Phuket’s provincial government to be prepared to start receiving international tourists starting in October.
According to The Phuket News, such a plan would include a requirement for all international travellers to Thailand to have the Covid-19 vaccine. By that time, it is expected that Phuket will have 70% of its population vaccinated, with the timeline possibly being sped up by the province planning to buy the vaccines with its own funds. Such a move would bypass the national government’s timeline with the hopes of innoculating registered residents quicker. Governor Narong says such quarantine measures in place currently are preventing the province from profitting off domestic tourism.
“Phuket has been hit hard by the 2nd epidemic. Thai tourists do not come because they do not want to quarantine and follow the difficult steps to enter the province, not to mention there are no foreign tourists at this time.”
In a meeting, the PTA President Bhummikitti, said the Covid-19 vaccine was “the last ticket and the last hope” for Phuket tourism, “because Phuket tourism has no way out at this time.”
“Thai people are unable to travel due to the second outbreak, and foreign tourists are not to be mentioned at all. Vaccines are the hope of the Phuket tourism sector.”
“The private sector wants to get clarity from the government whether we can follow this plan or not, because if it is left like this – open, close, lockdown and so on, as in the past – local businesses are all dead.”
Bhummikitti pointed out that the government had promised to work with local industry on all matters related to Covid-19 and keeping the local economy alive. He said that the move would “allow tourism and the Phuket economy to be able to walk once more from having fewer Thai tourists.”
Governor Narong said tracking systems will be in place when tourists do come back to the province.
“In order to ensure tourists that Phuket citizens as well as incoming tourists are safe from the Covid-19 virus, there will be a tracking system, and a fund established to be used as a remedy [sic] to help those affected if there is an infection from incoming tourists.”
SOURCE: The Phuket News
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Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Eastern provinces growing impatient with safety measures as Covid cases decrease

Thailand’s eastern provinces are growing impatient as local businesses and residents await a relaxation in Covid-19 safety measures after seeing a drop in cases. Chonburi, Chanthaburi, Trat and Rayong are under a “highly controlled” status set by the CCSA (Samut Sakhon, south west of Bangkok, also falls into the same category at this time). These provinces, along with Samut Sakhon and Samut Prakarn, are under the strictest control measures in the country.
The cause of such tough measures levied upon the provinces was due to a spike in Covid cases after illegal gambling operations in Rayong and Chonburi were found to feature participants with the Covid-19 virus. But now, those areas are reporting very few cases of the virus leaving residents frustrated as they are unable to make a living or travel.
There has been only 1 case in the past 2 days in all 4 of the Eastern provinces. That case was in Rayong, with all other cases being in the low single digits. On top of the low cases, any new cases have been promptly dealt with by requiring contact-tracing, tracking and quarantine. But any hopes of the measures relaxing has been pushed back to the end of the month, with many questioning such a delay.
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Ian
Wednesday, December 9, 2020 at 6:50 pm
Under control my arse accept that you have crippled the country and still couldn’t contain this virus its found it’s way in let’s see the numbers in a month sex everyday now more and more once again you will be asking the world to help you even though you look at us as dirty foriegners until you want us
ynwaps
Thursday, December 10, 2020 at 11:57 am
They always look dirty at me until I want them.
Mister Stretch
Wednesday, December 9, 2020 at 7:03 pm
The cat’s out of the bag.
Can it be put back in?
I really hate cats.
Jim Pearson
Wednesday, December 9, 2020 at 7:27 pm
Oh stop your complaining you whining farang.