covid-19
- World News
Hong Kong “overwhelmed” as it battles “onslaught” of Covid-19 infections
Hong Kong has found itself overwhelmed by an ongoing surge in Covid-19 infections, according to leader Carrie Lam. She has described the situation as an “onslaught” that has significantly affected the territory’s capacity to manage the spread, with daily infections reaching record highs and overwhelming the global financial hub. According to a Reuters report, in the last 2 weeks, daily…
- World News
Tomorrow, Vietnam lifts restrictions on international flights from all markets
From tomorrow, Vietnam will lift Covid-19 curbs on international flights from all markets, with no limits on flight numbers. According to a Reuters report, the state-run newspaper Tuoi Tre confirmed the decision over the weekend, citing Dinh Viet Son from the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam. According to Son, China is the only country yet to agree to resume commercial…
- Covid-19 News
Health Minister urged to extend Covid treatment coverage to April
The government is being urged to reconsider its decision to end coverage for Covid-19 treatment under the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients scheme. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul had previously announced that Covid treatment would be excluded from the UCEP scheme from March 1. However, his deputy, Sathit Pitutecha, argues now is not the time, given that infections are on…
- Thailand News
Polls show majority of parents doubt online learning, concerned about Covid-19 vaccines
An online survey conducted last week found that most parents doubt that online learning is effective for their children, and are either “dubious” or “very concerned” about kids 5-11 years old getting vaccinated. The survey questioned 1,089 parents across Thailand. The university that conducted the survey is Suan Dusit Rajabhat University in Bangkok. 66.8% of parents said they doubt how…
- Covid-19 News
Boosters much less effective after 4 months, US officials say
The US Centres of Disease Control and Prevention published a study yesterday that found that third jabs of Pfizer and Moderna lose much of their effectiveness four months after they’re given. The study compared how likely vaccinated and unvaccinated people were to test positive. It found that vaccines were 87% effective for people two months after they had their third…
- Thailand News
More kids aged 5-11 getting Covid-19
More kids aged 5-11 are getting Covid-19. A spokesman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration said today that the infection rate for this age group was 6.6% between January 1 and February 2. He said the rate has risen now that the Delta and Omicron variants have broken out, and the total number of cases for this group was…
- Thailand News
Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients to no longer cover Covid-19 starting March
Thailand’s Public Health Minister announced today that come March 1, Thailand’s Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients will no longer cover Covid-19 infections, meaning Thais will need to pay out of pocket if they are admitted to a private hospital or facility for treatment. A night at “hospitel,” which is a hotel that works with a hospital to offer isolation services,…
- Covid-19 News
Friday Covid Update: 15,242 new cases; provincial totals
23 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,387 with 689 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 15,242 new Covid-19 cases and 8,955 recoveries. There are now 111,393 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
- Covid-19 News
Government concern over rising Covid infections may lead to tighter restrictions
A steady rise in Thailand’s infection rate is giving the government cause for concern as the Covid-19 task force meets later today. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha will chair a CCSA meeting in which officials are expected to discuss additional measures aimed at managing the recent spike in cases. Yesterday, Thailand reported 14,822 new infections, with 2,635 of those in Bangkok. At…
- Covid-19 News
Thursday Covid Update: 14,822 new cases; provincial totals
20 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,364 with 666 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 14,822 new Covid-19 cases and 8,503 recoveries. There are now 105,129 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
- Thailand News
Insurance companies “hesitate” to give Covid-19 insurance to foreign tourists
After facing losses from Covid-19 claims from local cases, many Thai insurance companies are indicating that they are hesitant to provide Covid-19 insurance for foreign tourists entering Thailand under the current regulations. The deputy governor of marketing communications at the Tourism Authority of Thailand said only a few companies are now interested in joining the Test & Go programme, the…
- Thailand News
Thai official says don’t spray hand sanitiser on the body – or near a naked flame
Thai people are being warned not to use hand sanitiser spray elsewhere on their bodies or near a naked flame. The Food and Drug Administration issued the warning after a woman sprayed disinfectant spray all over her body (no, we don’t know why either), then lit a mosquito coil. She sustained serious burns for which she’s still receiving hospital treatment.…
- Songkran News
Songkran to be cancelled if daily Covid numbers hit 30,000 – DDC
Thailand’s famous water festival Songkran might be cancelled for another year if the daily Covid-19 cases reach 30,000 cases per day, the Department of Disease Control says. The massive water gun fight, celebrating the Thai New Year, was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to coronavirus concerns. The DDC warns that Songkran, which is April 13 to 15 this year,…
- Thailand News
Get a Covid test before sex, Thailand’s DDC recommends ahead of Valentine’s Day
Before getting intimate on Valentine’s Day, get tested for Covid-19. That’s the recommendation from Thailand’s Department of Disease Control. Authorities are advising couples to undergo a rapid antigen Covid-19 test before having sex. The DDC director-general Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai expressed his concerns today that there might be an uptick in Covid-19 cases following Valentine’s Day. While couples are out on dates…
- Covid-19 News
Wednesday Covid Update: 13,182 new cases; provincial totals
24 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,344 with 646 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 13,182 new Covid-19 cases and 8,571 recoveries. There are now 98,830 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
- Thailand News
Government will focus daily Covid-19 reports on serious cases, wants to reduce anxiety
After Thailand’s number of Covid-19 infections per day went above 10,000 this weekend, the government plans to change how it does daily Covid-19 reports. In a two-day a week test, the government reports will only focus on deaths and serious cases where people needed to be hospitalised with ventilators, or had pneumonia. The Ministry of Public Health says that even…
- Covid-19 News
Anutin says no to easing restrictions, praises Thailand’s handling of pandemic
Thailand’s Health Minister has ruled out any further easing of Covid-19 restrictions, despite reports yesterday that the CCSA is considering such a move. According to a Nation Thailand report, Anutin Charnvirakul has also praised the country’s handling of the pandemic, including the vaccine rollout. Yesterday, Opas Karnkawinpong from the Department of Disease Control was reported as saying Thailand would need…
- Tourism News
Tourism revenue hits record low across all 77 provinces in Thailand
Tourism revenue has plummeted across each of the 77 provinces, according to data from Thailand’s tourism ministry. The Bangkok Post reports that income from both foreign and local tourism reached an historic low in 2021, dropping by nearly 70%. Meanwhile, the revenue gap between Bangkok and other major provinces remains wide. In 2021, Bangkok posted the highest revenue at 62.7…
- Covid-19 News
Monday Covid Update: 10,470 new cases; provincial totals
12 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,303 with 605 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 10,470 new Covid-19 cases and 8,711 recoveries. There are now 92,784 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
- World News
Malaysia battles Omicron surge, daily new infections expected to hit 15,000
Malaysia’s health minister has warned that daily Covid-19 infections may soon reach 15,000 as a result of the highly-contagious Omicron variant. According to a Bloomberg report, Malaysia’s daily case count topped 10,000 yesterday for the first time in 4 months as Omicron continues its rapid spread across the country. Meanwhile, according to health ministry data, nearly 80% of Malaysia’s population…
- Thailand News
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…
- World News
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…
- Thailand News
Do you legally have to wear masks in Thailand?
With the Covid 19 pandemic came the wearing of masks as the new normal in Thailand, and many other countries around the world. Some people are fine with wearing masks whilst other remain strongly opposed to it, for a variety of reasons. Whether you like it or not it is “strongly encouraged” to wear a mask in Thailand. But do…
- Northern Thailand News
Thailand approves Sinovac and Sinopharm for 6 year olds and up
Thailand will now allow children aged six and older to get Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines without adjusting the dosage. Between January 1 and February 2 this year, 13,600 kids 5-11 years old tested positive, a 6% increase from April to December 2021. The Thai Food and Drug Administration (TFDA), wants children aged 3-17 to be able to get the vaccines.…
- Thailand News
Suvarnabhumi airport warns people travelling out of Thailand, don’t bring over 30 masks
After the Central Committee on Prices of Goods and Services announced on January 25 that face masks were on its list of controlled products, Suvarnabhumi International Airport announced yesterday that people flying out of Thailand can’t bring over 30 face masks with them unless they have a doctor’s note. If they have a doctor’s note, they may bring up to…
- Covid-19 News
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…
- World News
UPDATE: Indonesia welcomes fully vaxxed travellers with 5 day quarantine from today
Fully vaxxed and dreaming of white beaches? Starting from today, Indonesia welcomes you with a reduced quarantine of 5 days. You might even be able to book a direct flight to Bali this month, if you’re traveling from select countries. For those with a single jab, the duration of quarantine is reduced from 10 to 7 days. Ministry of Coordinating…
- World News
Covid-19 vaccination begins for Malaysian children between the ages of 5 and 11
Malaysian children between the ages of 5 and 11 are now being given a Covid-19 vaccine as officials try to boost immunity in the very young. According to a Reuters report, yelps of pain could be heard at a vaccination centre in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, where young kids waited nervously beside their parents. Despite a degree of anxiety in…
- Covid-19 News
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…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand’s health minister says there’s no legal requirement to wear a face mask
Legally, we can’t force you to do it, but just do it, okay? That seems to be the message from Thailand’s Public Health Minister in relation to the wearing of face masks. According to a report from the National News Bureau of Thailand, Anutin Charnvirakul has confirmed there’s no legal mandate for the wearing of face masks…. at least that’s…
