Covid-19 News & Updates

[HHTel]

Looking on Worldmeter, a good site for Convid stats it says that the Death count in Thai is 54, that seems VERY low, less than one days traffic accident deaths. You guys with Thai families , what do you hear? Do the people believe this number??

Well our neighbours, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar are all much lower than Thailand. There is no reason not to believe the numbers. Unless there is evidence to the contrary we have to take what's given.

There are many countries in this part of the world with figures much lower than ours. Are they all lying?

[Nereus]

The Thai Examiner has reported today that the Thai Govt passed an executive order late Wednesday mandating that all decrees that it had enacted to be continued until the end of May.
It has been published in the Royal Gazette
This also means that provincial governors who were set to introduce easing measures may be in jeopardy as it is unclear if they will continue to enjoy the autonomy that they had experienced so far.
See the Thai Examiner for the full details as I cannot attach!!

I have never understood why provincial governors, never mind the Bangkok governor, have had autonomy to start with.
There should be ONE authority administering the country at a time like this. I suspect it may be the PM trying to make himself appear to be the lenient leader that he NOT, because of continual criticism.

[caller]

There are many countries in this part of the world with figures much lower than ours. Are they all lying?

I think with Countries like Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, that as they have such a poor ratio of Doctors and Nurses per head of population plus hardly any testing, the suspicion has to be that they aren't really in a position to report with any degree of confidence (or honesty), as to what is happening in their Countries.

Laos, is heavily dependent on the Chinese, so I suspect they will be under pressure to suppress any bad news, which is also in Laos' interest and with a one party state, easy to do.

[buksida]

Laos, is heavily dependent on the Chinese, so I suspect they will be under pressure to suppress any bad news, which is also in Laos' interest and with a one party state, easy to do.

That statement can also be applied to Thailand now ...

[HHTel]

Sorry, I don't buy it. Thailand did nothing for the first 2 - 3 months even promoting tourism in that time. If it was going to blow up then it would have happened and been noticed. As it is, I know nobody who, myself included, that has any direct knowledge of even one person with the virus. The hospitals are underwhelmed. Social distancing is a joke here!
I believe, for some reason or other, that Thailand have been very very lucky but not attributed to local measures or lying about the numbers. Closing borders had the most effect but we knew that.

Thailand is around 50th on the 'leader board' with around 150 countries and territories below us. Figures may have been manipulated to some degree but not by much.

[PeteC]

[sateeb]

Thailand discovers 7 new coronavirus infections; fourth straight day with single digit reporting

https://www.thaienquirer.com/12533/thai ... reporting/

[caller]

Thailand is around 50th on the 'leader board' with around 150 countries and territories below us. Figures may have been manipulated to some degree but not by much.

I still struggle with the PIU's and even in the early days of your stats, there was this huge figure of cases under investigation. As far as I can understand, there are still over 4000 PIU cases.

But I wasn't really talking about Thailand, but those other Countries mentioned.

I agree there aren't funerals taking place all over linked to the virus, but I am also aware that medical experts here are concerned about rural areas of the north, where the medical facilities are basic and they haven't the facilities to respond to the virus. Cases could be being missed. But hopefully not.

[HHTel]

I agree that PUI is high. They are, I assume, people who are showing similar symptoms or a high fever.
Currently there are 62,198 including another 180 added today.
I would assume that should they test positive in the days of their quarantine then they move to a 'confirmed' category. I think it's safe to assume that the majority have other ailments, common cold, 'flu, malaria or even Dengue fever.
Of course, cases could be missed just as in other countries. However, if that number was very large, I think we'd know about it.

[HHTel]

With regard to PUI, an update in the last hour shows a big jump.
66,371 under PUI including 4,353 added just now.

I can't find a current definition of a Person Under Investigation. The only one I have was made in March. I'm pretty sure the definition has changed since then.

[HHTel]

Actually this definition is more up to date:

Patients Under Investigation (PUI) are determined based on symptoms / symptoms together with risk factors:

A recent arrival through an international checkpoint AND with the following symptoms
Body temperature of 37.5C or more together with symptoms of the respiratory system
OR any of – fever, runny nose, sore throat, laboured or difficult breathing.

A person who has been to hospital with:
Body temperature of 37.5C or higher or a history of fever together with one of the following respiratory symptoms: cough, runny nose, sore throat, laboured breathing or difficulty breathing
Or pneumonia
AND fulfills one or more of the criteria below
Has in the previous 14 days arrived from one of the countries on the list of high-risk places,

Has a job which brings them into close contact with foreign tourists

Has a close history with someone confirmed with COVID-19

Works in medical or public health and in contact with patients being investigated for COVID-19.

Someone who has been to a hospital and diagnosed with pneumonia AND in the 14 days before the onset of the illness fulfilled one or more of the criteria below:

Been in close contact to a suspected COVID-19 case
Is medical or health personnel
Symptomatic treatement does not improve
The cause of the symptoms cannot be found
Severe symptoms or death which cannot be determined.
Chronic Illness – clusters of people with acute respiratory tract infections who have been checked for influenza or other viruses and come back negative but are from:
Three or more medical personnel in the same department with symptoms within the same week
A cluster of five or more people who are not medical personnel and have respiratory tract symptoms within the same week in the same location

[HHTel]

6 new cases today with only 241 active cases across Thailand.
Restaurants outside of Malls can open providing diners are at least one metre apart.

And confirmation that that alcohol sales are banned until May 31st.

[PeteC]

We'll soon see if this plague is hiding in the population more than we think it is.

Exodus sparks new virus transmission fears

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... sion-fears

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) is concerned about the possibility of increased virus transmission as many head to their home provinces for the long weekend.

Traffic police media outlets and other social media showed heavy traffic on Friday, the start of a four-day holiday in Thailand. FM91 Traffic Police radio and Jor Sor 100 traffic radio reported bumper-to-bumper traffic for kilometres on one of the most congested highways, Road 304 from Bangkok towards Nakhon Ratchasima.

Vehicles exiting Bangkok jammed Mittraphab Highway towards the northeastern region, roads to Pattaya and other eastern provinces and the Asian Highway and Pahonyothin Road to the North.

The exodus came as the country begins a four-day holiday period, starting on Labour Day on Friday and finishing on Coronation Day on Monday. People can get extra two days if they take Tuesday off as the coming Wednesday is another public holiday, Visakha Bucha Day.

Some airlines also resumed domestic flights on Friday after they grounded their fleets last month.

"It is a deepening worry," CCSA spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin said on Friday.

He urged travellers to stay at home after arriving at their destinations and follow regulations issued in the province they live.

"You have to follow the rules in your province," he added.

Local authorities under the provincial communicable disease committee are authorised to issue restrictions based on the virus situation in their province.

In Bangkok, people were out on the streets before the long weekend came, according to statistics compiled by the CCSA. They showed 800,000 people travelling in Bangkok in all types of vehicles including public rail transport on April 15. The number jumped to 848,000 on April 23 and 960,000 on Thursday. The CCSA did not elaborate on how the figures were calculated.

"Everybody felt more relaxed so they decided to go out," Dr Taweesilp said.

"Do not forget to wear a mask and think of it as one of your organs," he added.

[HHTel]

To follow on from my last. The announcement allows governors to over-ride the restrictions downward, but not upward. e.g. They can't over-ride the ban on alcohol.
However, I've just learned that our governor, in his wisdom, has ordered that restaurants will not open in Prachuab.
FFS, Prachuab, Petchaburi, and Ratchaburi are pretty much virus-free having not had a new case for weeks. Sounds like a case of 'power wielding' to me.

[PeteC]