Coronavirus (Covid-19)

CCSA threatens lockdowns by March “if situation spirals out of control”

Published

Saturday, December 26, 2020 08:47

PHOTO: Thai PBS World

The spokesperson for Thailand’s CCSA, Dr. Taweesilp Visanuyothin, yesterday stated that, if the “situation spiralled out of control”, there would be a “nationwide lockdown by March”. The Christmas Day warning followed a week of tracking and tracing from an outbreak that centred on the Mahachai seafood market in Samut Sakhon, specifically, and Burmese migrant workers in the fishing and seafood trade, more generally.

The spokesperson said the the lockdown would only be necessary “if there was not “proper cooperation from the people”.

In other Covid-related news from yesterday, 6 government officials, who initially tested positive in ‘rapid’ tests were later found to be false positives. The King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital had conducted 350 tests for ‘at-risk’ staff with the rapid tests.

Thailand is still under an Emergency Decree, which has been extended numerous times, which allows the government’s appointed CCSA to make quick decisions related to any Covid outbreaks in the country and circumvent the parliamentary procedures. The government is looking to abandon the emergency decree and update its Disease Control laws instead.

Bangkok reported 6 new cases yesterday, taking the capital’s total to 40, related to the latest cluster. Nationally there has been 1,443 infections reported in the past week, more than 1,200 of them migrant workers. 6 Thais and 3 foreigners who have recently entered the country, also tested positive in quarantine and were reported in yesterday’s figures.

Patients linked to the Samut Sakhon cluster have been found in 31 provinces… Bangkok, Chachoengsao, Nakhon Pathom, Pathum Thani, Phetchaburi, Samut Prakan, Saraburi, Uttaradit, Petchabun, Suphanburi, Nakhon Ratchasima, Prachin Buri, Krabi, Phuket, Ayutthaya, Kamphaeng Phet, Khon Kaen, Chai Nat, Samut Songkhram, Udon Thani, Phichit, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani, Chaiyaphum, Nakhon Sawan, Nonthaburi, Ang Thong, Ratchaburi, Songkhla, Loei and Ubon Ratchathani.

The total number of cases in Thailand, since February this year, has now reached 5,910 with 4,137 now fully recovered.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Authority closed down the city’s public schools on Thursday, and yesterday all public and private schools, nurseries were ordered to close temporarily in Nonthaburi, the province directly north of Bangkok, were also closed. The province has also closed entertainment venues from midnight-5am with a ban on live music and serving of food after 10pm. The province has also banned all migrant workers from entering the province. The precautionary measures are in place until January 6.

In Songkhla, the Prince of Songkla University’s Hat Yai campus has cancelled face-to-face lessons following a positive test from a lecturer. At the Prince of Songkla University’s campus in Phuket all Food Panda and Grab Food deliveries are banned from entering the campus.

Around the country some schools have also closed, as a precaution, after single cases were identified within their school community. A single case of a parent in Phuket ended up causing the closure of 16 of the island’s schools on Wednesday this week.

CCSA threatens lockdowns by March "if situation spirals out of control" | News by Thaiger

GRAPHIC: Nation Thailand

SOURCE: National Thailand

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24 Comments

Geoff

Saturday, December 26, 2020 at 8:50 am

“sin Thailand”? Freudian slip? 🙂

Reply
- barry
  
  Saturday, December 26, 2020 at 9:00 am
  
  More like a Freudian negligee 😉
  
  Reply
Terrence Boyle

Saturday, December 26, 2020 at 9:16 am

Lock down in March ?? Thats 9 weeks away ,, the whole country could have it by then !!

Reply
Ipaddressfunnycolors

Saturday, December 26, 2020 at 11:41 am

So in the current outbreak of 10,000-100,000 “cases” how many are seriously ill or hospitalized.

If i understand the current situation its only a very very few people, under 10? 0?

I get it though, they will generate the need for a lock down based on fake positive pcr tests by doing too many cycle threshold.

And for the kicker, they won’t report the Cycle count because they know that we know, anything over 14 cycles is scientifically meaningless

Reply
- Issan John
  
  Saturday, December 26, 2020 at 6:46 pm
  
  Unsurprisingly, you evidently don’t “understand the current situation”.
  
  FWIW, the numbers are readily available, including in the Thaiger.
  
  Reply
- Steven Ginn
  
  Monday, December 28, 2020 at 7:42 pm
  
  The paranoia is what is actually spiralling out of control. Too many mouth breathers who still can’t understand that this whole scam is to exert control!
  
  Reply
Ipaddressfunnycolors

Saturday, December 26, 2020 at 11:45 am

They will need to release a seriously dangerous bioweapon to make people seriously ill. Hey issanjohn, where’s all the sick and dying people from the latest “out break”

Reply
- Issan John
  
  Saturday, December 26, 2020 at 6:51 pm
  
  The sick ones are in the hospital, as widely reported.
  
  As yet there are no “dying”, which shouldn’t be too much of a surprise to most people given the demographic in the outbreak.
  
  Reply
Ipaddressfunnycolors

Saturday, December 26, 2020 at 11:50 am

The total number of cases in Thailand, since February this year, has now reached 5,910 with 4,137 now fully recovered.

1500 People died?

You call this honest reporting?

Reply
- Peter
  
  Saturday, December 26, 2020 at 3:04 pm
  
  1200 have tested positive this week. They would not be considered as recovered yet. You only have to read to understand.
  
  Reply
  - Issan John
    
    Saturday, December 26, 2020 at 6:52 pm
    
    I think that’s asking too much, Peter.
    
    Reply
Monir

Saturday, December 26, 2020 at 1:29 pm

CCSA become government of Thailand !!

Reply
Remo

Saturday, December 26, 2020 at 4:09 pm

1 million people have been vaccinated in the US, 600 000 in the UK. EU countries start vaccination tomorrow.
A large part of the population will be immunised in the Western world by April, so restricitions will probably be lifted.

It seems Thailand wants restrictions instead of starting vaccination soon.

Reply
- Issan John
  
  Saturday, December 26, 2020 at 5:35 pm
  
  What choice does Thailand have?
  
  Genuine question.
  
  All supplies of the vaccines currently available, from Pfizer and Moderna, have all already been bought up by the “Western world” anyway, and even if supplies were available they’re far too expensive at $40 per shot for the former and $20 for the latter, compared to $3 for Astra Zeneca’s and others.
  
  They’re also far, far more expensive to store and transport, at -70c and -20c, and countries like Thailand don’t have the infrastructure to do so and can’t afford to introduce it.
  
  “Starting vaccination soon” is simply impossible for Thailand, and many others.
  
  FWIW, your claim that “1 million people have been vaccinated in the US, 600 000 in the UK” is actually very wrong – they’ve received the FIRST dose only, so vaccinations are actually going at HALF that rate as two doses are required.
  
  Nowhere near “a large part of the population will be immunised in the Western world by April”. In the UK, at the present rate, it will take closer to ten years to vaccinate the population, assuming nobody needs any boosters, although things will obviously speed up once the AstraZeneca and any other ‘traditional’ vaccines become available.
  
  Lifting “restrictions” will almost certainly depend on whether those vaccinated aren’t just protected themselves but aren’t carriers, and although there’s nothing definitive either way yet it appears unlikely that the mRNA (Pfizer and Moderna) vaccines offer any protection from transmission at all.
  
  Reply
- Ipaddressfunnycolors
  
  Sunday, December 27, 2020 at 2:38 am
  
  and then covid 21 will be born Through the vaccine. Yes conspiracy theory today. By mid jan this will be conspiracy fact. well… we will see.
  
  Reply
Toby Andrews

Saturday, December 26, 2020 at 5:03 pm

It suits this government to have emergency powers even if they are unjustified.

Reply
- Issan John
  
  Saturday, December 26, 2020 at 6:55 pm
  
  Of course it does. So what?
  
  Reply
Mister Stretch

Saturday, December 26, 2020 at 5:54 pm

While I am not a fan of the current government, nor its administrators, I believe if we wait until March, then things would already be spiraled out of control.

Every country that has locked down has had a reasonable handle on spread. Those that don’t lock down, or have populations that refuse to take reasonable anti-spread measures have the greatest spread and death.

Locking down works…and until vaccines are available, seems the most reasonable way to keep YOU safe… whether you believe in it or not.

Reply
- Issan John
  
  Saturday, December 26, 2020 at 7:12 pm
  
  I’d suggest not only the “most reasonable way” but the only way.
  
  Fortunately for all here, whether fans of the current government or not, Thais have always understood the gravity of the situation even if the West didn’t and so “reasonable anti-spread measures” are supported at every level, whether mandated by the government or not.
  
  If only the West could have said the same, a million more people would be celebrating Christmas with their families instead of being mourned by them.
  
  Reply
Mike

Saturday, December 26, 2020 at 10:17 pm

Can someone teach “Issan John” how to use “inverted commas” properly?

“thanks”

Reply
- Mister Stretch
  
  Sunday, December 27, 2020 at 10:32 am
  
  @ Mike The foolish label “inverted commas” are more commonly called quotation marks because they denote actual speech, as opposed to narration or reported speech, and IJ is using them correctly, in noting what is a quotation.
  
  You do know what a quotation is, yes?
  
  Reply
bs

Sunday, December 27, 2020 at 11:03 am

How are they checking in each small village ? is there any health clinics ? No there isnt – ! are people there going to the doctor if they fell ill ? No not all of them – as anywhere in the wolrd we can not thrust the numbers- some say this and others say that – better to stay home – til there is more control and even the vaccines are on the way – it wil take very long tiem before we wil see any effect – cause now it is exploding !

Reply
Social Observer

Monday, December 28, 2020 at 5:06 pm

“lockdowns by March” ??? Two months away ?? That’s an eternity given the speed at which the virus spreads !!

Reply
Ian

Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 3:22 am

It will be lockdown by end January if it keeps spreading at current rate looks like the damn has broke Thailand did try but at what cost it’s killed the tourism areas for years to come so sad no matter what measures they tried many crazy .covid would find a way in pity the king didn’t spend some of the fortune he has to buy the vaccines before the west but no the king is in his counting house counting all his money while the country collapse so so sad for the lovely Thai people

Reply