Covid-19 News & Updates

[HHTel]

I've always said that closure of the borders is the most effective method of controlling this virus until there is an effective vaccine.
53 yesterday which taking out the 42 foreign migrants gives a figure of 11.
15 today of which 5 were from returnees from overseas in quarantine, therefore 10 locally grown cases.

So on target for single figures.

[europtimiste]

If they go ahead with the lockdown they will face a popular uprising. Hopefully.

[HHTel]

Whatever is decided, we have to follow the restrictions however stupid they may be.
A demonstration of any kind, peaceful or otherwise, would be breaking lock down rules and provoke a response from the power crazed police etc. Nothing good would come out of it.

[pharvey]

Whatever is decided, we have to follow the restrictions however stupid they may be.
A demonstration of any kind, peaceful or otherwise, would be breaking lock down rules and provoke a response from the power crazed police etc. Nothing good would come out of it.

[europtimiste]

Whatever is decided, we have to follow the restrictions however stupid they may be.
A demonstration of any kind, peaceful or otherwise, would be breaking lock down rules and provoke a response from the power crazed police etc. Nothing good would come out of it.

All revolutions started with people's uprising. There is a start for everything.

[PeteC]

We can't be talking about things like that in detail on here. Please move on and away from that subject.

[pharvey]

UK testing has been somewhat of a farce - underused/hard to reach facilities, faulty/unreliable test kits from China costing millions, lack of staff.......

With the exception of the test kits themselves (reliable test kits now apparently in hand), the UK military is certainly geared up for this type of thing. Mobile units, medical stall, technical/engineering staff, "military organisation" (needed)....... Why were they not brought in from DAY 1??!!


Coronavirus: Military to Test Key Workers in Mobile Units

"The military is to begin testing essential workers around the UK for coronavirus in mobile units which will operate in "hard to reach" areas.

At least 96 new pop-up facilities, which will travel to care homes, police and fire stations, prisons and benefits centres, are due to be running by May.
It comes as the government looks to reach its target of carrying out 100,000 tests per day by Thursday.

Meanwhile, the PM will return to work in Downing Street on Monday morning.
It is just over two weeks since Boris Johnson was released from hospital, where he was treated in intensive care for coronavirus.

On Saturday, the number of people confirmed to have died with Covid-19 in hospitals in the UK passed 20,000, with another 813 deaths announced."

Taken From: - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52428509

[buksida]

BARS, CINEMAS, SALONS, AND SPORT STADIUMS AMONG LAST TO REOPEN
The government is expected to reopen businesses at a different pace depending on the level of coronavirus risks associated with the venues, according to a proposal submitted by the pandemic taskforce.

In the proposal by the Center for the COVID-19 Situation Administration, businesses are categorized into white, green, yellow, and red codes. White code implies no danger associated with the venues, while red is the last to reopen.

The red-code businesses include pubs, internet cafes, karaoke bars, theatres, movie houses, and trade exhibitions. Parties with gatherings of a large number of people, tutorial school, sports stadiums, and air-conditioned sports venues are also included.

The center said people tend to spend a lot of time with little physical distance in these closed spaces, and some of them tend to attract multiple from different areas, which could pose an infection risk.

The center’s guideline cited Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, a known cluster of infections, as a proven evidence that such a place is too risky to reopen.

On the opposite pole of the classification is code white. This category includes vendors and open-aired stalls. Operators need not register to reopen the businesses as they are exempted due to low risks involved.

Code green is low-risk businesses. They must register online and abide by the government guidelines before reopening their businesses.

The group includes small air-conditioned shops such as bookshops, clothing stores, general goods stores, and construction material shops. Public parks and opened-air sports fields such as tennis courts are also included.

Yellow-code businesses are those classified as moderately risky. Operators of these businesses must not only apply online before reopening their businesses but require an approval by the government first.

They include flea markets, fresh markets, shopping malls, food courts, beauty and hair salons, and medical and dental clinics. Some sports facilities such as swimming pools and badminton courts are also listed in this category.

The center added that the classification can be altered if the pandemic situation changes in the coming days.

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/bus ... to-reopen/

[Big Boy]

[HHTel]

9 new cases and around 320 active cases in Thailand. Mostly in Bangkok.
Lock down expected to be extended for another month till 31st May.

Unbelievable!

[PeteC]

An observation is that Thailand’s outspoken public health minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, seems to have been sidelined. I haven't seen him mentioned in the News at all for well over a month.

[lindosfan1]

new zealand has lifted all restrictions apart from borders, nobody allowed in.

[HHTel]

That is the sensible thing to do. Thailand could do the same. Keep the borders closed and allow everyone to get back to normal. Their domestic restrictions have achieved very little. Closing their borders have the biggest effect.
But.... TIT

[sateeb]

9 new cases and around 320 active cases in Thailand. Mostly in Bangkok.
Lock down expected to be extended for another month till 31st May.

Unbelievable!

Confirmed!!

Thai government to extend the State of Emergency act; 9 new coronavirus infections

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha will extend the State of Emergency act put in place to curtail the spread of Covid-19 by another month, the government said on Monday.

“The SOE has worked very well in protecting us and having gauged public opinion we have decided to extend the SOE by another month,” said government spokesman Dr Thaweesin Visanuyothin. Are you fcuking serious

The government said the SOE extension means it will continue to restrict travel in and out of the kingdom, restrict travel between provinces, continue curfew measures and stop mass gatherings and events.

The government will also ease certain lockdown measures as the number of new infections drop.

Lockdown measures that have affected the public and various businesses will be selectively eased based on need and health and safety. The government will introduce easing measures in four stages with intervals of 14 days between the stages.

Dr Thaweesin said it would be up to the cabinet to decide which businesses would be allowed to reopen first but said that among the businesses suggested by the committee on Monday were malls, restaurants and beauty parlours.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand said on Monday that it would extend its flight ban in line with the SOE extension. Incoming flights will not be allowed until the end of May.

Lowering toll

Thailand’s government said on Monday that it had discovered 9 new coronavirus infections bringing the total number of infected to 2,931 cases.

There was 1 new fatality with the death toll now at 52.

[HHTel]

new zealand has lifted all restrictions apart from borders, nobody allowed in.

Not quite:

At 11.59pm on Monday, New Zealand will lift its level-4 lockdown which has been in place for more than four weeks. During that time, almost all businesses have been closed, along with schools while the population has been asked to remain in their homes for all but supermarket visits and short walks.

Ardern said there was no way of knowing what may have happened without the level-4 lockdown.

But she warned that in level-3 there were new risks – namely people coming into more contact with others.

Level 3 will see retailers, restaurants and schools allowed to reopen on a smaller scale. Schools will reopen on Wednesday for children up to Year 10 who cannot study from home, or whose parents need to return to work.

Workers will also be able to resume on-site work, provided they have a Covid-19 control plan in place, with appropriate health and safety and physical distancing measures. It is expected one million New Zealanders will return to work on Tuesday.

However, Ardern warned the public of bringing too many people into expanded family “bubbles”.

“We are opening up the economy, but we’re not opening up people’s social lives,” Ardern said.

The director general of health, Ashley Bloomfield, said that the transmission of the virus had been “eliminated”. This did not mean zero cases, but that health officials knew where all new cases were coming from.

Ardern was also optimistic – asked if New Zealand had eliminated Covid-19, she replied “currently”.

New Zealand’s transmission rate – the number of people each infected person can pass the virus to – was now under 0.4, compared to the average overseas transmission rate of 2.5.

Bloomfield said Covid-19 was a “tricky virus” and New Zealanders needed to remain vigilant. He reported one more Covid-19 related death on Monday. The nation’s 19th victim was a woman in her 90s. There was one new confirmed case and four probably cases, he said.

Ardern said the country would remain at level 3 for two weeks before cabinet decided on whether to move to level 2.

“We can only do this if we continue to pull together. If we need to stay at level 3 [for longer] we will.”

She also said she was hopeful that New Zealand and Australia might be able to create a trans-Tasman bubble at some time in the future, possibly allowing travel between the two countries, but the focus was making sure both countries were domestically managing the virus.

Despite the optimistic numbers, both Bloomfield and Ardern warned against complacency.

“To succeed we must hunt down the last few cases of the virus,” said Ardern. “This is like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

To that end, a contact tracing app for Covid-19 would also be available in the next fortnight, however, Ardern said that had limitations.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/ ... oronavirus