Covid-19 round-up for expats 3: Are countries helping Thailand?
With so much information swirling around the reopening of Thailand and the international tourism and vaccine distribution for foreigners, we thought we’d round up some updates for our readers about what your home country says about if you should travel to Thailand and how they are helping with a vaccine and the Covid-19 situation inside the Kingdom.
The information in these reports is mainly about the United States, United Kingdom, European Union nations, and Australia. You can read each report here:
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- Covid-19 round-up for expats 1: Should you travel to Thailand?
- Covid-19 round-up for expats 2: Will your country give a vaccine?
- Covid-19 round-up for expats 3: Are countries helping Thailand?
PART 3: IS MY COUNTRY HELPING THAILAND?
Many countries are coming to the aid of Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries and helping procure much-needed vaccines. At the recent G7 meeting the members pledged 1 billion vaccines mostly through the World Health Organization’s COVAX programme over the next two years. Thailand had originally declined to participate in the COVAX programme back in February, citing the concern that joining the program would increase the cost of vaccines and bring delayed and uncertain vaccine deliveries that Thailand could avoid by going it alone.
The United States had vowed 500 million vaccines to the world and the European Union pledged at least 100 million doses by the end of this year, with France and Germany each pledging 30 million vaccines. The UK also pledge 100 million vaccines within the next 12 months. The drive aims at helping all countries, including Thailand, build a slow global immunity to Covid-19
In a video statement on their website, the Australian Embassy in Thailand stated they are committed to supporting access to safe and effective Covid-19 vaccines for Southeast Asia under a Regional Vaccine Access and Health Security Initiative. That scheme also includes technical support for Covid-19 response to facilitate fast and safe vaccinations in Thailand. They state that the aid is helping get Australians vaccines faster as well, and will lead to a safer reopening for Thailand.
The US Embassy in Thailand released a comprehensive statement detailing their assistance in dealing with Covid-19 in the Kingdom. They mentioned the 7 million vaccine donations earmarked for Asia through the COVAX programme and a US $30 million donation for Covid-19 assistance in Thailand, with 17.5 million going to medical equipment and to helping border camp refugees.
The American Centers for Disease Control also provided US $13 million of assistance in collaboration with Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health. The US has also been helping with identifying Covid-19 cases in Thailand from the start and was in fact involved in diagnosing the first foreign-arriving Covid-19 case in Thailand in January 2020. They have participated in surveillance and testing for refugee camps on the Burmese border, identifying 3 outbreaks.
Inside Thailand, the United States has also been involved with providing monitoring and treatment, working to develop a domestic vaccine, working with at-risk migrants, distributing Covid-19 relief kits, and helping Thailand with other Covid-19 related research. The US Embassy Exchange Alumni worked in the areas of communication, helping to prevent misinformation in Thailand and strengthen community-based solutions, while providing health information for deaf people and tribal villagers in 7 languages, and providing career training for those rendered jobless by the pandemic.
SOURCE: US Embassy in Thailand
