Virologist says British strain likely brought in by people crossing Cambodian border

Renowned virologist Yong Poovorawan says it’s highly probable that the UK variant was brought in by Thais or migrant workers crossing the border from Cambodia. He says the variant, officially known as the B117 strain, has been detected in over 1,500 Covid patients in Cambodia since February 20.

The variant, which is 1.7 times more contagious than the original strain, has been detected in the latest cluster of infections to hit Bangkok nightlife venues. Health officials in Thailand have been baffled by the variant’s appearance in the Kingdom, given the stringent measures imposed on all arrivals, including mandatory quarantine. Yong believes it’s highly unlikely the variant could have been introduced by anyone who went through 14 days of quarantine.

In other news, the Foreign Ministry has added another Chinese vaccine to the list of vaccinations that qualify recipients for reduced quarantine on arrival in Thailand. All the vaccines on the list are either approved for emergency use in Thailand or have been certified by the World Health Organisation. The addition of the SinoPharm vaccine makes it the eighth one to be approved for the reduced 7 day quarantine.

Nation Thailand reports that the full list of acceptable vaccines are…

1. Sinovac (CoronaVac)
2. AstraZeneca-Oxford University vaccine (AZD 1222)
3. AstraZeneca-Oxford University vaccine manufactured by SK Bioscience (South Korea)
4. Johnson & Johnson (Ad26.COV2.S)
5. Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine (Tozinameran)
6. Indian Serum Institute vaccine (Covishield)
7. Moderna (mRNA-1273)
8. Sinopharm (Beijing Institute of Biological Products)

Meanwhile, the application process for certificates of entry has also been updated. Thai and foreign nationals who wish to enter the Kingdom must apply for a COE by completing the application form and uploading proof of Covid-19 vaccination on the official website HERE.

SOURCE: Nation Thailand