Covid-19 News
Stay informed with the latest Covid-19 news at The Thaiger, your go-to source for pandemic updates. Keep up-to-date on global developments, vaccine rollouts, and safety measures. Our comprehensive coverage includes essential information on travel restrictions, case numbers, and government policies.
Whether you’re seeking guidance or simply staying aware, The Thaiger’s Covid-19 news page is your essential resource for navigating these unprecedented times. Engage with our expertly curated content, designed to keep you informed and prepared as the world continues to adapt to the ongoing pandemic. Stay safe and stay connected with The Thaiger.
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Sponsored Do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?
Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...
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Health ministry to propose easing Covid restrictions, in line with other countries
Thailand’s health officials plan to propose the easing of some Covid-19 restrictions in a bid to move away from imposing lockdowns when outbreaks are reported. Opas Karnkawinpong from the Department of Disease Control says other countries are relaxing some curbs and Thailand is ready to follow suit. However, according to a Bangkok Post report, he did not specify what restrictions…
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Thai PM wants faster vaccines for kids 5 and older
Thai PM Prayut wants health authorities to move faster to vaccinate kids 5 years old and older, as infection rates have gone up for children in the age group 5-11 years of age. From January 1 to February 2, 2022, there were 10,266 Covid-19 cases for kids in this age group, a 5.6% increase from April to December 2021, government…
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Australia to finally open to tourists in March
Vaccinated international tourists will finally be allowed to enter Australia again in March. The country’s borders shut exactly two years before that in March 2020. Skilled migrants and international students were only allowed back in December 2021. But now that Covid-19 cases are down in all states except Western Australia, Australia’s home affairs minister says she’s making the opening a…
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Sunday Covid numbers, sixth day of climbing infections
A new high today, the sixth day in a row where the new infection numbers have been slowly rising again in Thailand. Today’s total of 10,879 new infections is the highest since October 14 last year when the numbers were trending down following the Delta (third) wave was sweeping through Thailand (from July to November 2021). Out of today’s new…
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Thailand’s DDC director says Covid may enter post-pandemic phase this year
As Thailand has seen a downswing of daily new Covid-19 infections, which have remained below 10,000 since the beginning of January, the country’s Department of Disease Control director-general Dr Opas Karnkawinpong says the widespread virus may enter the post-pandemic stage this year. The global outbreak has three stages: pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-pandemic, the director says, adding that the world may…
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Friday Covid Update: 9,909 new cases; provincial totals
22 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,250 with 552 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 9,909 new Covid-19 cases and 7,827 recoveries. There are now 86,473 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Phuket officials alarmed by number of tourists testing positive on arrival
Officials on the holiday island of Phuket have expressed alarm at the number of foreign tourists testing positive on arrival and are pointing the finger at allegedly fake results from pre-departure PCR tests. Deputy governor Pichet Panapong raised the issue during a call with the CCSA, in which he urged the government’s Covid-19 task force to improve screening measures for…
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WHO issues cautious prediction of Covid “ceasefire” in Europe’s war on pandemic
Europe could be in for “a ceasefire that could bring us enduring peace” in terms of the war on Covid-19, according to the World Health Organisation. WHO Europe director Hans Kluge says the milder Omicron variant, high vaccination rates and the end of winter approaching all combine to promise a “long period of tranquillity”. According to an AFP report, Kluge…
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New Zealand announces 5 step border reopening plan, starting this month
New Zealand is slowly starting to ease restrictions and gradually reopen borders. The country announced a five-step plan for loosening some of the world’s most restrictive Covid-19 measures, starting with allowing citizens in Australia, who have been fully vaccinated, to travel back home at the end of the month. Vaccinated travellers will be free to enter on March 13, according…
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Thursday Covid Update: 9,172 new cases; provincial totals
21 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,228 with 530 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 9,172 new Covid-19 cases and 7,832 recoveries. There are now 84,413 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Most Phuket tourists infected with Covid travelled from Russia and Kazakhstan
Most tourists who tested positive for Covid-19 when they arrived in Phuket travelled from Russia and Kazakhstan, but particularly Russia, the Phuket provincial governor told the Bangkok Post. The governor says there will be an investigation of why a significant number of infections involved travellers from those countries. Governor Narong Woonciew says that out of about 300 daily diagnoses in Phuket,…
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Phuket reports higher infection rate in second Covid tests for Test & Go travellers
With two RT-PCR tests now required for Test & Go travellers, one of Thailand’s most popular tourist destinations, Phuket, is reporting a higher infection rate for the second test. Following the emergence of the Omicron variant in Thailand, with many travellers testing positive for the mutated strain, the Thai government decided to require two RT-PCR tests instead of the initial…
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House speaker insists parliament building is safe, despite several MPs testing positive
The Speaker of the Thai House of Representatives has insisted parliamentary business can continue as normal and that meetings are safe. Chuan Leekpai was responding to news that a number of MPs have tested positive for Covid-19. According to a Bangkok Post report, the speaker is anxious to have sessions continue as normal, pointing out that there are strict Covid-19…
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Tourism officials call for travel bubble talks to resume with Thailand’s neighbours
Thailand’s tourism minister is pushing for travel bubble discussions to resume with neighbouring countries now that the Test & Go scheme has re-started. The Bangkok Post reports that Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn would like to see more reciprocal travel arrangements with countries like Malaysia, Laos, and Cambodia, pointing out that such places normally generate significant cross-border traffic for Thailand. According to Phiphat,…
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Over 23,000 travellers register for Test & Go scheme on day 1 of relaunch
A government spokesman says out of 29,194 foreigners who applied for a Thailand Pass on Tuesday, over 23,000 were registering for the Test & Go entry scheme. Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana says 23,660 registered for Test & Go on day 1 of its return. According to a Bangkok Post report, Thanakorn is optimistic that this number will increase. Test & Go was…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 8,587 new cases; provincial totals
22 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,207 with 509 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 8,587 new Covid-19 cases and 8,485 recoveries. There are now 83,094 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Hotels now required to confirm paid room bookings and PCR tests with government
As part of the revamped Test & Go entry scheme, hotels are now required to confirm Thailand Pass bookings within 30 hours or applications will be rejected automatically. According to a Bangkok Post report, hotels must verify room bookings and PCR test appointments with the Foreign Ministry in order for a Thailand Pass application to be approved. Yuthasak Supasorn, governor…
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Slow trickle of travellers through Suvarnabhumi on day 1 of Test & Go reboot
Yesterday, the revamped Test & Go scheme opened for new applications as 46 international flights, carrying around 2,500 passengers, landed at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. According to a Bangkok Post report, most arrivals were from neighbouring countries, including Singapore and Malaysia, with some coming from Europe. As part of the revamped entry scheme, hotels are now required to send drivers to…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 7,422 new cases; provincial totals
12 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,185 with 487 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 7,422 new Covid-19 cases and 8,715 recoveries. There are now 83,014 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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NeoCoV could be ‘3 times more lethal’ than Covid-19, IF it gains key mutation for humans
Chinese researchers in Wuhan have sounded the alarm on a species of known bat coronavirus that could potentially be 3 times more fatal than Covid-19, the Thai Public Health Commission’s Vice Chairman Chalermchai Boonyaleephan stated yesterday. If the virus were to mutate and make its way to human populations, it could turn into “Covid-22” and eventually be crowned “MERS-CoV-2,” Boonyaleephan said.…
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PM orders rollout of low-cost antigen test kits, aims to distribute 20 million a month
The Thai government plans to make lower-cost antigen test kits available to the general public through pharmacies and hospitals. According to CCSA spokesman, Taweesilp Visanuyothin, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha wants around 20 million kits a month distributed across the country, allowing people easier access to proof of being infected. The Bangkok Post reports that, according to government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, the…
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Health Ministry approves use of Sinovac vaccine in children over 3 years old
The Public Health Ministry has approved China’s Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine for use in children between the ages of 3 and 17. Opas Karnkawinpong from the Department of Disease Control said a ministry sub-committee made the decision on Friday, but added that parental consent will still be required before children can be vaccinated with Sinovac. In addition, the use of Sinovac…
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Tourism operators welcome Test & Go reboot, despite frustration at rule changes
Thailand’s Test & Go entry scheme re-opens for registration today and has been given a cautious welcome by tourism operators. Businesses are unsure about the additional rules of Test & Go Version 2, including the requirement for an additional PCR test on day 5, which involves a second mandatory hotel stay until a negative result is obtained. This despite the…
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Monday Covid Update: 8,008 new cases; provincial totals
16 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,173 with 475 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 8,008 new Covid-19 cases and 8,215 recoveries. There are now 84,319 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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The show must go on: House to meet this week, despite 12 MPs having Covid-19
Parliamentary meetings scheduled for Wednesday and Friday of this week will go ahead, despite 12 MPs and 13 parliamentary officials being infected with Covid-19. Thai PBS World reports that House Speaker, Chuan Leekpai, says the meetings will take place, as his advisor, Dr. Sukit Atthopakorn, has stated, “the House must be able to function”. Sukit added that additional preventative measures…
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Tomorrow, Thailand opens its borders to the world (terms & conditions apply)
Thailand’s Test & Go entry scheme returns tomorrow after a short hiatus, during which it’s had a makeover. The scheme is now open to travellers from every country in the world and not just the previous 63 approved countries. Great news! However, travellers will now have to take not 1, not 2, but 3 PCR tests in order to participate…
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Dr Yong: I don’t think “endemic” means what you think it means.
Dr Yong Poovorawan, the country’s outspoken top virologist, is raining on Thailand’s endemic parade. The chief of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at the Faculty of Medicine of Chulalongkorn University pointed out that while the nature of Covid-19 may be evolving over time to be less of a threat, it will never by definition be endemic. It seems…
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COVID-19 SUNDAY: 12 deaths, over 2.4 million total infections
Today, the CCSA reported 8,444 new Covid-19 infections, down 174 since yesterday, and 12 Coronavirus-related deaths, down 7 from yesterday. Since April 1, 2021, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, today the country surpassed 2.4 million infections with a total of 2,403,661 confirmed Covid-19 infections have been reported. 22,157 total deaths have been recorded from the pandemic.…
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Anutin trolls US handling of Covid-19, compared to Thailand
Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul praised the way Thailand handled Covid-19 in comparison to the US over the past 2 years. In comments he made this week he said that in the US, many were still unvaccinated and death tolls remain very high, while in Thailand people are following Covid-19 safety rules and bringing the numbers down. GRAPH: Daily…
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Australia to Kanye West: you must be fully vaccinated to play here
After the Australian public and government overwhelmingly agreed they didn’t want unvaccinated tennis champion Novak Djokovic in the country, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has a strong working for hip-hop superstar Kanye West. Kanye announced plans to tour Australia in March, but the government has responded: not without a vaccine you aren’t. While Kanye’s vaccination status is unknown, he has made…
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