Teen near the Thai-Myanmar border tests positive for Covid-19

12 new Covid-19 cases were detected in quarantine, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The total number of confirmed cases is raised to 3,775 with 3,585 recoveries and 59 deaths. 131 are currently receiving medical treatment for the coronavirus. Here’s a list of the cases identified in the past 24 hours…

• 4 Thai people, ages 26, 30, 42 and 52, travelling from the United Arab Emirates tested positive for Covid-19. They arrived on October 23 and 24, testing positive 4 to 5 days after arrival. 3 of them were on the same flight as 4 other previously confirmed coronavirus cases.
• A 32 year old Brazilian engineer travelling from the Philippines tested positive for Covid-19 while at a quarantine hotel in Bangkok. He arrived on October 22 and tested positive 5 days later. He did not have symptoms.
• A 34 year old Thai woman travelling from the United States and Taiwan tested positive for Covid-19 while at a quarantine facility in Chon Buri. She arrived on October 23 and tested positive 5 days later. She did not have symptoms.
• 3 people travelling from India tested positive for Covid-19, including a woman who had been diagnosed with the coronavirus on September 28.
• A 30 year old Myanmar woman tested positive for Covid-19. She arrived on October 28 and tested positive the next day while quarantined at a Bangkok hospital for treatment unrelated to the coronavirus.
• A 43 year old man travelling from Ethiopia tested positive for Covid-19 on October 28 upon arrival. He was quarantined at a Bangkok hospital for treatment unrelated to the coronavirus.
• A 25 year old Thai student travelling from Jordan tested positive for Covid-19 upon arrival on October 27 during a screening at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. He had symptoms of a runny nose.

Daily new Covid-19 cases in Thailand as of October 29, according to Worldometers.

SOURCE: Nation Thailand

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PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is to arrive in Phuket on Monday, where he will meet with local business leaders and discuss proposals for reviving the southern island’s devastated tourism sector. It’s understood a representative of Phuket’s Old Town area is to put forward an idea for promoting the historic centre as a tourist destination.

Since borders were closed in late March, in an effort to protect the country from the Covid-19 pandemic, Phuket’s tourist revenue has plummeted to practically zero, with countless businesses shuttered and thousands of jobs lost.

In addition to hearing suggestions from local operators on how to revive tourism on the island, the PM will also listen to requests for additional help from central government. The much-discussed Phuket Model never materialised, despite being seen at one point as the pilot project on which a wider re-opening of borders would be based.

While hotel occupancy in the province has increased from a pitiful 13.4% in June, September’s rates were still woefully low, at just 30%. This is despite a stimulus package introduced by the government in an effort to boost domestic tourism.

SOURCE: Nation Thailand

Tests carried out by the Disease Control Department show that the woman who tested positive for Covid-19 after being discharged from quarantine and travelling to Koh Samui, did not become infected at the quarantine facility. Dr Sopon Iamsirithaworn says the results do not match those of 2 other guests who tested positive at the hotel in Samut Prakan, just outside Bangkok.

Tests show that the woman, who has dual Thai/French citizenship, contracted the infection 17 days earlier. However, Sopon says that while officials are still unsure as to where she became infected, the existing guidelines for quarantine facilities need to be reviewed.

“Though we haven’t found the source of her infection, we still have to revise our guidelines for alternative state quarantine sites and cut down the risk of spreading the virus.”

A national quarantine policy, currently at draft stage, sets out strict safety and hygiene standards for all quarantine facilities to adhere to. The guidelines cover everything from screening for suspected cases, data collection and reporting, as well as the provision of services and overall management of the venues. Health officials are also proposing cutting quarantine to 10 days and using movement tracing for an additional 4 days after guests are discharged.

SOURCE: Nation Thailand