Thailand News Today | Covid outbreak update, migrant workers ‘dumped’, Phuket’s fake cases | Dec 23

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Enough of the serious stuff, let’s talk about news.

Covid outbreak update, migrant workers ‘dumped’, Phuket’s fake cases

• A quick update on Thailand’s current Covid outbreak…. There are 46 new Covid-19 cases confirmed today by the CCSA. 39 were local transmissions while the other 7 were arrivees detected in quarantine.

Out of the 39 local, 11 cases were detected in Bangkok, 5 in Chachoengsao, 3 in Nakhon Pathom, 2 in Kamphaeng Phet, 2 in Tak, 2 in Prachin Buri, 2 in Ayutthaya, 2 in Samut Prakan and 2 in Saraburi, and 1 each in Petchabun, Krabi, Khon Kaen, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Phuket and Suphan Buri.

The total number of cases in Thailand is now 5,762, including 4,095 people fully recovered and another 1,607 currently under hospital supervision and treatment.

• Around Bangkok today there are notable signs that the former precautions are back in many public spaces and private businesses. Mask wearing has never really stopped being a thing but there are now regular temperature checks, check in locations, advice to use the Thai Chana app and the signs are back at business entrances advising people about social distancing and washing hands with sanitiser.

At this stage there has been no confirmations of actual lockdowns or provincial border closures. As usual, we’ll keep you up to date with any changes to the status quo at thethaiger.com

• A group of Burmese migrant workers ended up being dumped on the side of a highway near Bangkok after their employer allegedly took them on a ride, telling them they were going get tested for Covid-19. Much of the current coronavirus prevention measures is focused on hundreds of migrant workers at a seafood market in Samut Sakhon, southwest of Bangkok.

The employer “dumped” the 24 Burmese migrant workers on the side of a highway in Samut Prakan’s Bang Plee area, just outside Bangkok. The migrants had been working near the Mahachai market… a Covid-19 hotspot linked to more than 1,000 infections.

• Yesterday a primary school in Phuket made a Facebook post announcing that a student’s parent tested positive for Covid-19. The post was taken down within an hour, saying they were “unofficially” notified by the province’s public health office about the recent case and they are awaiting results from the second test to verify the case.

This morning the Phuket Provincial Public Health office confirmed the case.

But a fake post yesterday claimed that there were another 21 cases on the island, a post that was widely circulated. Because of the fear caused by the fake news, or from an abundance of caution, at least 15 Phuket Schools were closed today and much of the island’s busy peak traffic vanished as you can see from this video along the island’s busy Thepkasattri Road.

Other schools say they are closing down for the rest of the week.

Schools in Bangkok and Pathum Thani are also closed today with the announcement of local Covid 19 infections.

• At this stage the Prime Minister is signalling an end to any more easing of the border closures and restrictions. He’s also signalled that the CCSA is considering other measures to curb the current outbreaks. New Year celebrations have already been cancelled in many parts of Thailand, including Bangkok and Pattaya.