Covid-19 News & Updates

[Big Boy]

So avoid air conditioned malls?

[migrant]

Somewhere amongst all these articles is the theory that the virus does not do well outside the body in hot climates. In other words, it lasts only a very short time on surfaces, whereas some experts say it lasts up to 9 days on surfaces in colder climates. Something to do with the fat on the surface of the individual virion.

I think this is almost more than a theory now and they are testing to prove it conclusively.

No difference once it's inside your body.

While I don't believe the regime's count on people infected, this is the warm time in Thailand and could help account for lower numbers than elsewhere

[PeteC]

So avoid air conditioned malls?

What we're finding now is that the malls in the east have very few people anyway. It seems people may be avoiding them simply to stay away from crowds, plus the fact few tourists are here. I imagine like every year once the real heat gets here in April they will be used as a cooling station.

[Big Boy]

Yes, we aren't avoiding them, but we go in at opening time before most people arrive, and we're home by 9:30.

[HHTel]

This a mix of corona virus and labour law.
Maybe someone with better knowledge can answer:
A friend of my daughter is a teacher in Hua Hin (Yam Saard I think). She's planned a trip to Scotland and made arrangements to meet up with my daughter. My daughter for her part has already arranged hotel and travel arrangements.
However, she's called my daughter to say that she can't now make the trip. Her school has said that if she goes, then she'll have to spend 14 days in self-quarantine on zero pay on her return.
Firstly, afik, the UK is not on a list of 'risk countries'. Secondly, can the school dictate such a rule of their own making.
I've suggested that she visits the Labour Office to get clarification, but someone here might know better.

[Bamboo Grove]

Just got a message from my brother who is in Fuengirola, Spain. They closed all business, restaurants and beaches. Markets selling food and pharmacies can remain open.

[PeteC]

This a mix of corona virus and labour law.
Maybe someone with better knowledge can answer:
A friend of my daughter is a teacher in Hua Hin (Yam Saard I think). She's planned a trip to Scotland and made arrangements to meet up with my daughter. My daughter for her part has already arranged hotel and travel arrangements.
However, she's called my daughter to say that she can't now make the trip. Her school has said that if she goes, then she'll have to spend 14 days in self-quarantine on zero pay on her return.
Firstly, afik, the UK is not on a list of 'risk countries'. Secondly, can the school dictate such a rule of their own making.
I've suggested that she visits the Labour Office to get clarification, but someone here might know better.

It happened to a friend of Bamboo Grove as well who visited Finland from Thailand. The school where she is teaching instituted a 14 day self quarantine rule for anyone returning from anywhere overseas. She was in Finland on official school business as well I think. See the exchange on pages 41-42 between Bamboo and I.

Whether legal or not, they seem to be doing it under penalty of ???, probably termination?

[nil]

Data on how many tests are being performed by each country

https://ourworldindata.org/covid-testing

[J.J.B.]

The company (pharma) I work for suspended all non-essential business travel and banned all internal meetings from around the last week in February. I was meant to be at meetings in Vienna, Munich, Amsterdam, Tokyo, Dubai and Chicago in March and April but it’s all off now and being done ‘virtually’ with varying degrees of success. I’ve got a global role so am fairly used to working from home and even did so from our place in Hua Hin for the 6 years we had it, for a few weeks each year.

As of last Friday, our offices in Europe and the US followed the lead already taken by Asia and have closed to all but critical functions, encouraging everyone to work remotely. My wife’s company (financial services) have now done the same and she’ll be working remotely for at least the next 60 days. If I go abroad (I have a boys’ motorbike trip planned for late April in northern France), her company has stipulated that she must self isolate for the following 14 days. She’ll get paid and will also be working but it seems this is the level companies are taking it to in order to protect themselves and their employees.

Working from home is not for everyone, imagining that people can simply switch between one style of working to another with ease is a fallacy. The impact on global productivity is going to be dramatic and trying to get people back into the 9-5 routine in their offices will be a challenge.

[Dannie Boy]

The problem is likely to hit a number of months down the road where manufacturing is concerned. Most businesses carry reasonable stocks but once they get depleted (by consumption and/or panic buying) shortages will appear everywhere. Food shortages could have a major impact on daily life, it looks worrying to me.

[PeteC]

There will be analysis for sure between what would have been more damaging overall: 1) Do nothing at all and let the virus run its course.....or.....2) Do what is being done now.

Will be an interesting read, but of course have to read a few from each school of thought and weed out the vested interests.

[HHTel]

This a mix of corona virus and labour law.
Maybe someone with better knowledge can answer:
A friend of my daughter is a teacher in Hua Hin (Yam Saard I think). She's planned a trip to Scotland and made arrangements to meet up with my daughter. My daughter for her part has already arranged hotel and travel arrangements.
However, she's called my daughter to say that she can't now make the trip. Her school has said that if she goes, then she'll have to spend 14 days in self-quarantine on zero pay on her return.
Firstly, afik, the UK is not on a list of 'risk countries'. Secondly, can the school dictate such a rule of their own making.
I've suggested that she visits the Labour Office to get clarification, but someone here might know better.

It happened to a friend of Bamboo Grove as well who visited Finland from Thailand. The school where she is teaching instituted a 14 day self quarantine rule for anyone returning from anywhere overseas. She was in Finland on official school business as well I think. See the exchange on pages 41-42 between Bamboo and I.

Whether legal or not, they seem to be doing it under penalty of ???, probably termination?

Thanks, Pete. I've just reread those posts and the situation seems similar. The main point my daughter's friend was making was 'without pay'. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. As a 'single' she can't afford to lose 2 weeks pay and still afford the trip.

She said that the university has a policy that everyone who's been abroad must go for self-isolation for 14 days.

That was interesting. Obviously a policy that's just been invented. I would have thought that policy changes would require an alteration to the contract. Otherwise, the contract is just a waste of paper.

You could feasibly imagine that the school could invent a new policy thus: 'The school has a policy of ignoring all contracts!''

[caller]

I think I posted before that The Mall Group have been doing the same - 14 days at home unpaid - for anyone returning from abroad.

[Bamboo Grove]

The school is Chandrakasem Rajabhat University and she is Thai. I don't know what kind of contract she has there but I guess she is a professor.

[sateeb]

President Donald Trump has not self-isolated despite meeting at least one person who has the coronavirus.

Fabio Wajngarten, an aide to the Brazilian president, was confirmed with the disease after a Mar-a-Lago visit.

"No, we have no symptoms whatsoever," Mr Trump told reporters on Friday when asked why he has not been tested or why he has not self-isolated.

After a barrage of further questions at a White House news conference, the president said he would get tested.

Official US advice is that people who have contact with a confirmed case should stay at home for 14 days.

Mr Wajngarten has posted a photograph of himself standing shoulder to shoulder with Mr Trump.

When asked if individuals should be tested after standing next to someone with the virus, said Dr Anthony Fauci, who is leading the US response, said yes.
Source BBC

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