Temporary sub-forum for all news, updates, developments and discussion on Coronavirus/Covid-19 in Hua Hin, Thailand and globally. Any and all topics on the outbreak will be moved into this forum for ease of information access.
Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Tuesday (March 3) approved the latest list of countries and territories at high risk of the Covid-19 infection: Japan, Germany, South Korea, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Taiwan, France, Singapore, Italy, and Iran.
All returnees from these nations and territories must self-quarantine for 14 days, he said.
Returnees need to quarantine but anyone flying from these countries for tourism are supposedly okay. I would guess that a national is much more likely to have the virus than someone who visited the country!
The key is self-isolation. Pete told us the penalty for non-compliance - they took the mountain to Muhammad. Refusal by a few to self-isolate, and they closed entire schools.
Who pays bills is a very grey area. We've seen the costs of the test, so most Thais won't waste in some cases a month's wages to see how bad their cold really is. My personal theory is there are quite a few victims in Thailand, but as it's only a bad cold and most will get better, people are simply treating themselves at home.
It isn't just this country. In fact most of the measures being taken are no more than copycat from our neighbours.
HHTel wrote: ↑Wed Mar 04, 2020 8:28 am
I notice Vietnam is not on the list any more.
Vietnam and Malaysia were only added to the list last week. I have queried their omission this week, but until I get a response, am treating it as an error rather than being resolved in just 7 days.
Getting this right is important to us as one of my son's students is a regular visitor to Malaysia.
Visitors and Thai citizens returning from the high risk areas will be subject to 14-days home quarantine, even if they are cleared of the disease, unless they have permission from health officials.
Big Boy wrote: ↑Wed Mar 04, 2020 8:34 am
The key is self-isolation. Pete told us the penalty for non-compliance - they took the mountain to Muhammad. Refusal by a few to self-isolate, and they closed entire schools.
How the hell do they enforce that? If you've already been on a flight, through an airport, into a taxi or public transport, isolating once you get home is utterly futile.
You're much more likely to catch it in Thailand than most of the countries on that list.
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
One good move yesterday though was cancellation of the All Thailand Youth Games in Trat that would have attracted 25,000 athletes. I'm pleased we won't have to attend that at the moment.
If visitors from China, Germany, France, Italy etc have to self isolate for 14 days that sounds like the nail in the tourism coffin for H1.
Then we get the news that songkran is going to carry on unaffected. Someone coughs in a barrel of water and the whole street gets sprayed..... Can't think of a better environment to pass it on. Beginning of May could see a very interesting spike in numbers.
It was interesting to hear the UK's Chief Medical Officer when asked if wearing a mask was any good, replied that washing hands was far more important and that masks provided hardly any safety from the virus,but those with the virus should all wear masks
Courage is grace under pressure and when circumstances change you change your mind.
Absolutely agree. They're next to useless as agreed by all the relevant experts. Even our illustrious health minister finally agreed after calling on all foreigners not wearing masks to be deported!
They should not be 'out and about'. If anyone should be punished it's people who know they have the virus yet still mix with the community, mask or not.
Some, maybe many, will not even know they have the virus. There may be those that believe they have a mild cold. In any case what should a casually employed worker, or those eking out a living collecting recyclable rubbish, do. Maybe just stay home and starve? Will the government look after poor families if their breadwinners are quarantined, and may not even be infected?
However that is how they will 'enforce' it.
