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 Fourtwenty High Garden 4/20 celebration 'Up in The Clouds'
Fourtwenty is thrilled to announce its flagship event “Up in The Clouds,” a celebratory gathering on the internationally recognized day of cannabis culture, April 20th (4/20), hosted at the scenic Fourtwenty High Garden. The event is set to kick off...
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T cells may be “unsung heroes” protecting against severe illness from Omicron
Two separate studies show that the body’s T cells may be providing protection against severe illness with the Omicron variant. The findings could explain why most hospitals have so far avoided being overwhelmed with Covid-19 patients. According to a Bloomberg report, the findings come from a study carried out at Erasmus University in the Netherlands and the University of Cape…
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Study finds Johnson & Johnson booster 85% effective against severe Omicron
A South African study has found that a booster dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is 85% effective at preventing hospitalisation from the Omicron variant. According to an AFP report, researchers compared 69,000 healthcare workers who’d been given 2 doses of the vaccine, versus a group of unvaccinated people. The findings show that when a booster is administered between…
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EU, US, UK, Argentina and Australia break Covid records
543,856 infections of Covid-19 have been reported in the US in the past 24 hours, fueled mostly by the fast-spreading Omicron variant. And in the words of one doctor, Dr. James Phillips, chief of disaster medicine at George Washington University Hospital, the situation “is crushing hospitals across the United States” as he described “packed emergency rooms”. Worldometers.info show the top…
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Omicron variant infections set to surpass 1,000 in Thailand
The highly transmissible Omicron variant of Covid-19 has spread quickly in countries throughout the world, and Thailand is no exception. After the first case of Omicron was detected just three weeks ago in the Kingdom, outbreaks and superspreader events saw the case number quickly climb to 200, then 500, then over 700, and now to nearly 1,000 infections. The latest…
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92 Phuket Sandbox, Test & Go travellers positive for Covid, tests to determine variant
Phuket’s Public Health doctor, Kusak Kukieatsak, says the Covid-19 test results for 92 travellers who recently entered the country from overseas are being examined to determine if they are infected with the Omicron variant. The doctor added that he believes most of the results will come back positive for the mutated strain. The travellers tested positive for Covid-19 after entering…
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Transport Minister launches measure for random ATK tests on train and bus passengers
With Omicron on the rise, the Thailand’s Minister of Transport launched a measure to conduct rapid antigen tests randomly on passengers at train stations and bus terminals before the trips start. The minister added that there will be many passengers traveling via public transport this New Year holiday, so the measure is needed. Passengers who travel using public transportation are…
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Thursday Covid Update: 3,037 new cases; provincial totals
25 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,672 with 21,578 of those fatalities during the latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 3,037 new Covid-19 cases and 3,115 recoveries. There are now 33,399 people in Thailand being…
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Thai Health Ministry refutes claim that cloth masks don’t protect against Omicron
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry is insisting that cloth face masks can provide a level of protection against the Omicron variant – provided they’re worn correctly. Dr Supakit Sirilak was responding to a statement from the Covid-19 Information Centre which cited data from Dr Leana Wen at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University. Wen, who is…
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Omicron variant spreading rapidly, infections highest in Bangkok, North-East
The Public Health Ministry says the Omicron variant is spreading rapidly in Thailand and has now been confirmed in 33 provinces. Dr Supakit Sirilak says that out of 740 infections, 489 have been imported and the remainder are cases of community transmission. Bangkok currently has the highest number, which Supakit attributes to increased testing at Suvarnabhumi to screen international arrivals.…
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Omicron infections in Thailand up to 729
Dr Supakit Sirilak, director-general of the Medical Sciences Department, has reported an update on the quickly growing number of Omicron infections in Thailand. The latest data shows 488 cases of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 brought in from abroad as well as 251 troublesome locally transmitted infections of the highly transmissible variant. The doctor also noted that most of the…
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5,000-baht payouts go out to registered nightlife workers
Plans for a one-time cash payout to aid registered nightlife workers made unemployed by Covid-19 restrictions are coming to fruition with the first round of payments going out today. About 30,000 workers in the entertainment and nightlife sectors should receive a payment of 5,000 baht. The payment is the first of several intended to go out to each of the…
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DHS offers car travel tips for Covid-19 safety for New Year’s
A list of car travel tips has just been released by the Department of Health Services to encourage people to be conscientious of Covid-19 safety during the New Year’s holiday. The department put out the list as highly-transmissible Omicron variant infections spread across Thailand in an effort to get people to exercise caution against the virus, though some of the…
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UPDATE: Israeli escapee given slap-on-the-wrist fine
Ohad Baruch, the Israeli tourist who violated Thai law and the emergency decree by fleeing his SHA+ hotel to Pattaya and Koh Samui while waiting for RT-PCR tests, has received a small fine and will face deportation. The punishment for violating the emergency decree is up to 40,000 baht and 2 years in prison, but today the Bangkok South Municipal…
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Chiang Mai hoteliers ordered to strictly follow Covid prevention for Test & Go travellers
Chiang Mai health officials are ordering hoteliers to be more strict when it comes to Covid-19 preventative measures, especially when it comes to the Test & Go entry scheme, after two foreign travellers in the northern province tested positive for the Omicron variant. Under the Test & Go scheme (registration is closed), fully vaccinated travellers can enter Thailand after passing…
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Israeli Covid-19 rule escapee facing charges, deportation
The Israeli man who broke Thai Covid law and left his SHA+ hotel in Bangkok before Covid-19 test results came back, is now back in Bangkok, in custody of Thong Lor Police and faces charges and deportation. The Israeli man, Ohad Baruch, was flown on the 9:40pm Bangkok Airways flight from Koh Samui Airport to Bangkok on Monday night after…
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South Africa study shows Omicron variant may reduce Delta transmission
A scientific paper in South Africa appears to show that the Omicron variant reduces Delta infections and could also boost immunity against severe illness with Delta. According to a Bloomberg report, the paper was co-authored by Alex Sigal and Khadija Khan from the Africa Health Research Institute in Durban. It has not been peer-reviewed. The paper also suggests that being…
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WHO warns of surge in hospitalisations, particularly among the unvaccinated
The World Health Organisation has warned that even if the Omicron Covid-19 variant proves to be milder, its rapid spread will still mean a surge in hospitalisations. Europe Covid Incident Manager Catherine Smallwood says this will be particularly evident among the unvaccinated. “A rapid growth of Omicron, even if combined with a slightly milder disease, will still result in large…
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Thailand Omicron update: More than 500 cases, many Test & Go travellers
As of yesterday, there have been 514 Omicron cases reported in Thailand, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Of that number, 147 are local transmissions while others are from overseas, many who travelled to Thailand under the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme. The entry programme allows fully vaccinated travellers from approved countries to enter Thailand after passing…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 2,305 new cases; provincial totals
32 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,630 with 21,536 of those fatalities during the latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 2,305 new Covid-19 cases and 3,070 recoveries. There are now 33,639 people in Thailand being…
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Travel chaos continues into the week, Omicron and weather blamed
Rising Omicron infections, together with poor winter weather, are wreaking havoc on US airlines with nearly 1,000 flights affected yesterday – some cancelled, other postponed. The chaos is also hitting other parts of the world as tens of thousands of Christmas/new year travellers try to keep up with the dynamic situation. Yesterday’s cancellations and postponements mark a fourth day of travel…
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New Year glass half-empty for TAT due to Omicron variant
The normally optimistic Tourism Authority of Thailand is feeling slightly more downbeat amid concerns about a potential Omicron outbreak. TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn says the threat of another Covid-19 outbreak is affecting travel sentiment. According to a Bangkok Post report, he expects New Year travel to generate just 8.04 billion baht in domestic tourism revenue. “Concerns over a possible outbreak…
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Thailand’s Health Ministry outlines plan to tackle potential Omicron outbreak
Thailand is preparing for a potential outbreak of the Omicron Covid-19 variant, with plans to revive the home isolation programme. Dr Somsak Akksilp from the Public Health Ministry’s Medical Services Department says home isolation can be used for most infected people, along with community isolation facilities in Bangkok. According to a Thai PBS World report, Somsak is confident that home…
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Monday Covid Update: 2,437 new cases; provincial totals
18 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 21,598 with 21,504 of those fatalities during the latest wave, which was first recorded on April 1. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 2,437 new Covid-19 cases and 3,845 recoveries. There are now 34,436 people in Thailand being…
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Thai medic says most Omicron cases mild or asymptomatic, expects jump in numbers
The head of the Department of Respiratory Disease and Tuberculosis at Siriraj Hospital says most of Thailand’s Omicron infections are mild or asymptomatic. However, Dr Nithipat Jearakul has warned of a surge in case numbers, according to a Nation Thailand report. To date, around 200 Omicron infections have been confirmed in the kingdom, but Nithipat says we will soon see…
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Chiang Mai identifies 2 possible Omicron cases in tourists
Two foreigners who are visiting Chiang Mai have tested positive for Covid-19 and are believed to have the Omicron variant, marking the first detected in the province. Both travellers had come through Suvarnabhumi Airport as part of the Test & Go programme and both passed an RT-PCR test. One visitor was a 22 year old German traveller and the other…
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COVID-19 SUNDAY UPDATE: 22 deaths, 2,532 infections
Today, the CCSA reported 2,532 new Covid-19 infections, down 234 since yesterday, and 22 Coronavirus-related deaths, down 8 from yesterday. Since April 1, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, a total of 2,181,097 confirmed Covid-19 infections have been reported. In the 24 hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 3,771 recoveries, up…
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Risk of Covid-19 infection on flights increased due to Omicron
As tourism has been gaining traction until the Omicron variant threw a wrench into the works, the CCSA has warned that the chances of catching Covid-19 on flights have increased because of the more transmissible new variant. The warning has been repeated out to Thai people after a statement made by the International Air Transport Association, the global influential organization…
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Thailand celebrates its 100 millionth vaccine, focuses on boosters
Health officials in Thailand celebrated the announcement that they have now administered its 100 millionth Covid-19 vaccine in the country. With the rise of the Omicron variant, more people are choosing to get the protection of a vaccine, and officials are working to rapidly increase the number of third dose booster shots administered within Thailand as many brands have now…
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NCDC recommends Pfizer for kids 5-11, 4th vaccine for some
Giving the Pfizer vaccine has been recommended by the National Communicable Disease Committee for children aged 5 to 11 to protect against Covid-19 infections. In the face of the spreading Omicron variant, the NCDC also recommended a fourth booster vaccine for frontline workers, healthcare professionals, and people with certain medical needs. The Pfizer vaccine has been shown to be effective…
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COVID-19 SATURDAY UPDATE: 30 deaths, 2,766 infections
Today, the CCSA reported 2,766 new Covid-19 infections, up 95 since yesterday, and 30 Coronavirus-related deaths, up 3 from yesterday. Since April 1, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, a total of 2,178,565 confirmed Covid-19 infections have been reported. In the 24 hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 3,805 recoveries, up 1,039 from…
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