Covid-19 News & Updates

[PeteC]

Note: The below link will lead to the full, updated story between 1400 and 1500 hours this afternoon.

27,024 new Covid cases, 82 more deaths

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... ore-deaths

New Cases: 27,024 (+1,860)
ATK: 26,768 (-44)
Deaths: 82 (+2)
Hospital: 240,349 (+3,221)
Released: 23,721 (-1,049)

https://ddc.moph.go.th/covid19-dashboard/

[PeteC]

Singapore eases virus curbs, including vaccinated travel

https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/22844 ... ted-travel

Singapore is moving ahead with a plan to significantly ease longstanding Covid-19 curbs, lifting most restrictions for fully vaccinated visitors and a requirement to wear masks outdoors, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

With the latest wave of the virus subsiding, the prime minister said that Singapore will double the group size from the current five persons to 10 and allow up to 75% of employees who can work from home to return to their workplaces, he said. The city-state will also “drastically streamline” testing and quarantine requirements for travellers.

“Earlier, we were cautious because of uncertainty over Omicron’s impact,” Lee said in a televised speech, adding the changes will take effect on March 29 with senior officials to elaborate momentarily. “Taking all things into consideration, we believe that we are now ready to take a decisive step forward towards living with Covid-19.”

The move will give a much-needed boost to businesses, particularly the tourism sector, while the domestic and cross-border changes represent a major step towards living with Covid-19. “But they stop short of a complete opening up,” he said. “We remain watchful because Covid-19 may yet bring further surprises.”

Singapore joins other Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, that are taking steps to allow vaccinated travellers to enter freely, replacing mandatory quarantine with Covid-19 testing. Senior officials have said Singapore is looking to restore passenger volume at Changi Airport to at least 50% of pre-pandemic levels by later this year, compared to 18.2% currently.

“Wearing mask outdoors will now be optional,” Lee said. “This is because the risk of outdoor transmission is significantly lower. But indoors, masks will still be mandatory.”

Boasting a 95% vaccination rate among the eligible population, Singapore is proceeding with its plans to treat the virus as endemic, pledging earlier this month to relax in stages virus curbs that have been in place since early in the pandemic. At the same time, it has eased up on home visitation and safe distancing measures, and lifted capacity for sports, religious services and business events in what the government has termed a streamlining of the rules.

Here are other significant changes announced Thursday:

-Current rules restricting the sale and consumption of alcohol after 10.30pm in restaurants and bars will be lifted

-Indoor and outdoor live performances and busking will be allowed to resume

-F&B establishments won’t need to check vaccination status for groups of five, with random spot checks being done instead

-Larger-scale social gatherings including gala dinners, corporate dinner-and-dance events, birthday celebrations and anniversaries can go ahead

-Capacity limits of 50% for large events and settings of more than 1,000 people will be increased to 75%

-Second boosters will be recommended for those aged 80 and above and the medically vulnerable five months after their previous shot, with no plans for the rest of the population for now

The reopening in Southeast Asia has been slower than in other parts of the world such as Europe and the US, where wearing face masks and social distancing have been dropped after the best part of two years. Passenger volumes at flag carrier Singapore Airlines Ltd were just 26% of pre-Covid levels at the end of 2021.

[PeteC]

Note: The below link will lead to the full, updated story between 1400 and 1500 hours this afternoon.

26,050 new Covid cases, 69 more deaths

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... ore-deaths

New Cases: 26,050 (-974)
ATK: 26,655 (-113)
Deaths: 69 (-13)
Hospital: 244,111 (+3,762)
Released: 22,219 (-1,502)

https://ddc.moph.go.th/covid19-dashboard/

[PeteC]

I'm not going to waste time copying this article. Please read it at the link. My disgust continues to be based upon their decisions to not quickly ease restrictions on foreigners, when the foreigners are fully vaccinated, but the local Thais are not. They talk like they are protecting Thais from the infectious foreigners with their policies, whereas the exact opposite is true. I say again, protect the foreigners from the infectious Thais. They've failed miserably with their initial China Sino vaccine push, and now that it really doesn't work any longer they seem to be looking for a scapegoat. Unfortunately for them, the scapegoat is going to sink any hope they may have of resurrecting tourist revenue. Of course we also have the authoritative initiative to retain as much control as possible for as long as possible. Please see the similarities with the other post: https://huahinforum.com/viewtopic.php?f ... 12#p556612

Travel rules eased if caseload decreases

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/22 ... -decreases

[PeteC]

Note: The below link will lead to the full, updated story between 1400 and 1500 hours this afternoon.

26,234 new Covid cases, 67 more deaths

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... ore-deaths

New Cases: 26,234 (+184)
ATK: 21,697 (-4,958)
Deaths: 67 (-2)
Hospital: 250,265 (+6,254)
Released: 20,013 (-2,206)

https://ddc.moph.go.th/covid19-dashboard/

[PeteC]

Note: The below link will lead to the full, updated story between 1400 and 1500 hours this afternoon.

25,821 new Covid cases, 84 more deaths

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... ore-deaths

New Cases: 25,821 (-413)
ATK: (TBD)
Deaths: 84 (+17)
Hospital: 251,936 (+1671)
Released: 24,066 (+4,053)

https://ddc.moph.go.th/covid19-dashboard/

[PeteC]

Note: The below link will lead to the full, updated story between 1400 and 1500 hours this afternoon.

24,635 new Covid cases, 81 more deaths

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... ore-deaths

New Cases: 24,635 (-1,186)
ATK: 14,200
Deaths: 81 (-3)
Hospital: 251,936 (-1,199)
Released: 25,753 (+1,669)

https://ddc.moph.go.th/covid19-dashboard/

[PeteC]

There's rebellion in the ranks, good!

Surin province to declare Covid-19 endemic from April 1

https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/goin ... om-april-1

The authorities in the north-eastern province of Surin say they will declare Covid-19 endemic from April 1, adding that they will become the first province in Thailand to do so. With the central government seemingly taking its time over lifting restrictions and moving to a “living with Covid” approach, Surin is going it alone.

According to a Nation Thailand report, the Surin Information Office confirmed the move on its Facebook page over the weekend, encouraging all residents to get their booster vaccine if they haven’t already done so. The provincial administration says Surin has met all the criteria for declaring the virus endemic, which it lists as follows:

All villages are observing the Covid-19 “blue zone” measures
The Covid-19 death rate is not higher than 0.5%
No more than 3% of Covid patients require hospitalisation
At least 70% of the population have received 2 doses of a Covid-19 vaccine
All residents in the province adhere to disease prevention measures, including social distancing, regular hand-washing, mask-wearing, testing in the event of developing symptoms, and use of the Thai Chana app.

In the period between December 24 and March 26, the province reported a total of 16,354 infections and 29 deaths.

SOURCE: Nation Thailand

[PeteC]

Note: The below link will lead to the full, updated story between 1400 and 1500 hours this afternoon.

21,678 new Covid cases, 78 more deaths

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... ore-deaths

New Cases: 21,678 (-2,957)
ATK: 13,296 (-904)
Deaths: 78 (-3)
Hospital: 245,154 (-6,782)
Released: 27,183 (+1,430)

https://ddc.moph.go.th/covid19-dashboard/

[PeteC]

Note: The below link will lead to the full, updated story between 1400 and 1500 hours this afternoon.

25,389 new Covid cases, 87 more deaths

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... ore-deaths

New Cases: 25,389 (+3,711)
ATK: 25,397 (+12,101)
Deaths: 87 (+9)
Hospital: 245,154 (+782)
Released: 26,084 (-1,099)

https://ddc.moph.go.th/covid19-dashboard/

[PeteC]

Note: The below link will lead to the full, updated story between 1400 and 1500 hours this afternoon.

Record 27,560 new Covid cases, 85 more deaths

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... ore-deaths

New Cases: 27,560 (+2,171)
ATK: 16,079 (-9,318)
Deaths: 85 (-2)
Hospital: 246,770 (+1,616)
Released: 25,077 (-1,077)

https://ddc.moph.go.th/covid19-dashboard/

[PET]

I am no sure if this is the correct place to ask this question.

Can somebody tell me with certainty what the govt's rule is on when a person contacts covid (positive) how long they have to isolate and then return to work. I thought it was 14 days but some company is telling the employee it is 18 days.

What is the correct isolation date providing the person is by then tested negative?

[Big Boy]

My son, [Edit] self-employed finishes his Covid isolation tomorrow. He was told by Hua Hin Hospital to isolate for 10 days from the day of his + PCR results.

I've known quite a few people who have recovered from Covid, and most have returned to work as soon as they produce a negative ATK test. My son has been testing - since Monday.

I'm not sure if there are any hard and fast Government rules (TIT ), but the local hospital should be authority enough.

[HHTel]

Regardless of government advice, I guess that companies can have their own rules for isolation be it 10 days, 18 days or otherwise.

[PeteC]

Note: The below link will lead to the full, updated story between 1400 and 1500 hours this afternoon.

28,379 new Covid cases, 92 more deaths

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... ore-deaths

New Cases: 28,379 (+819)
ATK: 22,331 (+6,252)
Deaths: 92 (+7)
Hospital: 251,214 (+4,444)
Released: 23,843 (-1,234)

https://ddc.moph.go.th/covid19-dashboard/