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Thailand Never Lose Face - Finally a Covid strain we can call our own C.36.3. Yes I stand proud for Thailand's latest achievement joining the few in this Exclusive Club
More than 100 cases of new Thai Covid strain detected in UK as Indian variant surges Known as VUI-21MAY-02 (C.36.3), the variant was first detected in Thailand in people who had travelled from Egypt and has now arrived in the UK, Public Health England confirmed
By Milo BoydReporter 23:37, 27 MAY 2021
The variant was first detected in Thailand in people who had travelled from Egypt (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
A new mutant strain of the coronavirus has been identified in the UK as cases of the Indian variant continue to rise.
More than 100 cases of the new strain have been identified across the country.
Known as VUI-21MAY-02 (C.36.3), the variant was first detected in Thailand in people who had travelled from Egypt, Public Health England confirmed.
It was designated as a variant under investigation on May 24 on the basis of the mutation profile and increased importation from a widening international area.
There is currently no evidence that this variant causes more severe disease or renders the vaccines any less effective.
PHE is carrying out laboratory testing to better understand the impact of the mutations on the behaviour of the virus.
More than 100 cases of the new strain have been detected in the UK (Image: Getty Images)
The organisation did not disclose where the cases had been detected but said test and trace has been used to limit the spread.
While scientists keep an eye on the new strain, the Indian variant has quickly become the dominant version of coronavirus in the UK.
It was reported yesterday that the variant - B.1.617.2 - was detected in 151 local authorities in the week ending 15 May.
That is an 18 per cent weekly increase, according to figures from the Wellcome Sanger Institute which sequences a random sample of positive tests in the community.
Thailand has managed to control the coronavirus quite well so far (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Today Matt Hancock announced this afternoon that the Indian variant was still spreading, with between half and three quarters of new cases now the mutant strain.
Thailand has not been too badly impacted by Covid-19 compared to other similar sized countries, reporting 873 deaths during the whole of the pandemic.
On May 17 it reported its highest number of daily cases however, with the majority of cases stemming from overcrowded prisons.
Some 6,853 prisoners make up for 9,635 of Monday's new cases, which was more than double the previous daily record.
Do you want to fly to #Thailand without doing quarantine? This is what we know so far
> You must come from a low-medium risk country
> You must fly direct to Phuket
> After 7 days you can visit the rest of the country
> Less than 7 days you must fly out from Phuket
Bangkok spa, parks, beauty clinics to open Tuesday
Five groups of places allowed to operate with some restrictions
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 31 MAY 2021 AT 14:55
Operators of massage shops and spas gather at City Hall on Monday to ask the Bangkok governor to review the closure order on their establishments. Bangkok Metropolitan Administration agreed on the same to allow them to operate, with restrictions. (Photo by Apichart Jinakul)
City Hall has allowed some places with no reports of Covid clusters to open from Tuesday, including spas and beauty clinics.
Its communicable disease committee met on Monday to consider easing Covid-19 measures for businesses.
The panel decided that since the Covid clusters to date were found in communities, markets and construction workers’ camps, measures for other places should be eased to help operators.
The places allowed to operate from Tuesday are:
museums, learning centres, with strict measures in place such as a ban on group visits
tattoo shops, or shops providing any kind of skin-piercing services, and nail salons
beauty and weight-control clinics and shops
spas and massage shops, except sauna and facial massage services
public parks, botanical or floral gardens, with strict measures in place such as a ban on group sitting and consumption of food and drinks, except drinking water
Other places remain temporarily closed until June 14.
Bangkok spa, parks, beauty clinics to open Tuesday
Five groups of places allowed to operate with some restrictions
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 31 MAY 2021 AT 14:55
Operators of massage shops and spas gather at City Hall on Monday to ask the Bangkok governor to review the closure order on their establishments. Bangkok Metropolitan Administration agreed on the same to allow them to operate, with restrictions. (Photo by Apichart Jinakul)
City Hall has allowed some places with no reports of Covid clusters to open from Tuesday, including spas and beauty clinics.
Its communicable disease committee met on Monday to consider easing Covid-19 measures for businesses.
The panel decided that since the Covid clusters to date were found in communities, markets and construction workers’ camps, measures for other places should be eased to help operators.
The places allowed to operate from Tuesday are:
museums, learning centres, with strict measures in place such as a ban on group visits
tattoo shops, or shops providing any kind of skin-piercing services, and nail salons
beauty and weight-control clinics and shops
spas and massage shops, except sauna and facial massage services
public parks, botanical or floral gardens, with strict measures in place such as a ban on group sitting and consumption of food and drinks, except drinking water
Other places remain temporarily closed until June 14.
73% of Thais feel 'hopeless' amid pandemic - poll
PUBLISHED : 30 MAY 2021 AT 09:50
People bring food and masks to homeless people living by Victory Monument on May 1, 2021. (Bangkok Post photo)
About three-quarters of the population feel anxious and hopeless about their lives during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the result of an opinion survey by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University, or Suan Dusit Poll.
The poll was conducted online on 1,713 people throughout the country during May 24-27 to gauge the population's mental state in the "Covid-19 era".
Respondents were allowed to choose more than one answer to each question.
Regarding their state of mind, 75.35% said they were under stress and worried; 72.95% felt hopeless; 58.27% felt irritated; 45.19% frightened; and 13.50% were in a normal mental condition.
Asked about the causes, 88.33% cited the worsened Covid-19 pandemic; 74.53% pointed to the economic slump; 51.89% cited concerns over vaccination; 36.50% mentioned travel and traffic conditions; and 15.98% cited health concerns.
Asked what they wanted the government, state agencies and the private sectors to do to alleviate the crisis, 74.96% said mass inoculation should be expedited; 60.52% wanted all concerned to step up efforts to solve economic problems; 56.51% wanted them to give people clear, unambiguous information about Covid-19; 54.86% wanted assistance to those affected to be evenly distributed; and 49.91% wanted Covid tests to be carried out in all areas.
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has put the brakes on City Hall's plan to allow five types of businesses, including spas and beauty clinics, to reopen today.
The Facebook page of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) said the CCSA had delayed the reopening by another 14 days.
However, it did not give any further details regarding the matter.
The abrupt order has raised speculation about the reason for the delay but observers said the Covid-19 situation in the capital was still worrying, so this was possibly the rationale behind the CCSA's caution.
The Bangkok Post yesterday attempted to contact CCSA spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin but he was not immediately available.
Earlier yesterday, the BMA's communicable diseases committee decided to allow several public places to reopen today following a drop in new cases, as long as they followed the government's strict Covid-19 guidelines.
Museums, beauty clinics, tattoo shops, nail salons and massage parlours were all due to reopen, albeit with strict limits on the number of visitors allowed.
However, saunas were not part of the easing proposal.
Public parks and gardens were also scheduled to reopen, with strict measures in place to prevent large crowds from gathering.
The BMA had stressed, however, that should any infections be found at the above venues, they would have to immediately close for a further 14 days.
They would also need to be thoroughly disinfected before being allowed to reopen.
However, other premises, such as night entertainment venues, karaoke bars and fitness centres, would have to remain shut until June 14, the BMA said.
Bangkok reported 1,356 new cases yesterday, most of which were centred around a residential camp for construction workers in Bang Na district and a local community in Sathon district.
Prior to the announcement, representatives of craft beer makers and massage parlour owners went to City Hall to submit a letter calling on the Bangkok governor to allow their businesses to reopen.
Their letter said the ban on serving alcohol and the order to shut dining establishments at 11pm have affected a lot of small businesses, including brewers, dealers and exporters, none of which have received any compensation for their hardship.
Majority of Thais unhappy with government's handling of Covid-19
Total cases have increased more than five times nationwide, while the death toll jumped more than ten times in two months.PHOTO: EPA-EFE
BANGKOK (BLOOMBERG) - The majority of Thais are not satisfied with the government's management of the latest - and worst - wave of coronavirus infections, according to a new poll that cites policy delays, a slow vaccine roll-out and lax measures as the reasons.
About 53 per cent of 1,312 respondents said they were either "not quite satisfied" or "not satisfied at all" with the government's handling of Covid-19 issues since Thailand's largest outbreak sprouted in early April, according to a poll published on Tuesday (June 1) by the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida).
Still, 46 per cent of respondents said they were either "quite satisfied" or "very satisfied" as the government was "doing its best", the Nida poll said.
Since Thailand's third wave began in April, infections have spread from Bangkok's night entertainment venues into the capital city's crowded communities, prisons, construction worker camps, and, most recently, factories in other provinces.
Total cases have increased more than five times nationwide, while the death toll jumped more than ten times in two months. On Tuesday, the country added 2,230 new infections and 38 deaths.
About 62 per cent of the poll's participants said they would be willing to receive free shots from the government's vaccination drive that currently relies on supplies from Sinovac Biotech and AstraZeneca
Another 18 per cent said they would not get any Covid-19 vaccines, while 16 per cent said they would be willing to pay for alternative shots from private hospitals.
Thailand's current pace of vaccine roll-out is restricted by limited supplies.
To date, about 3.6 million doses of vaccines have been administered, covering only 2.6 per cent of the population.
The slow deployment risks leading to more infections, threatening the government's plan for economic recovery and tourism reopening.
The official target is to inoculate 70 per cent of the population by the end of this year.
But first of all there are many techniques into making this.
On Monday I actually have already soaked the rice for like 12 hrs, then, if you noticed I fry the raw rice first before steaming (some is the other way around).
Then coming back to the steaming timing a lot depend on the above points namely (1) how long you soak the rice, (2) how long you fry the rice
Best thing to do is to check the steaming rice after first 30mins thereafter every say 10mins
Diplomats, consular workers 'go first'
PUBLISHED : 3 JUN 2021 AT 06:00
The government has assured that all foreign nationals living in the kingdom who have registered for vaccination will start receiving the Covid-19 vaccine from next Monday.
Sophon Iamsirithaworn, Disease Control Department deputy director general, said on Wednesday that vaccination for all foreign diplomats in the country would be carried out the same day as the government's mass vaccination programme, based upon an advanced reservation system.
"Currently, we have started vaccinating diplomats and their families, and international organisations -- such as UN staff, in which they have registered in advance to get a vaccine from designated hospitals," Dr Sophon said.
According to Dr Sophon, all diplomatic staff, consular representatives and staff from international organisations in Thailand were required to register from June 1–6 via www.ThailandIntervac.com/diplomats.
The booking was required one day in advance of the jab date.
The jab would take place at MedPark Hospital and Vimut Hospital.
"For general foreigners, they can get the jab on the same day as Thais," Dr Sophon told an online forum titled "Briefing for Thailand Journalists on the National Vaccine Rollout".
"Emphasis should be given to the elderly and those who have seven underlying diseases."
The forum was co-hosted by the Public Health Ministry and the World Health Organization (WHO) to equip the media with vaccine scheme information so they work in sync with the government.
Dr Sophon went on to say that foreigners who want to get vaccinated are also required to register via www.ThailandIntervac.com. Those who have booked via the Mor Prom Application would get an AstraZeneca jab.
Dr Sophon said there would be more vaccines assigned to Bangkok than other provinces as the population in the capital is dense and the spread of Covid-19 still relatively high.
"There will be almost one million doses of AstraZeneca and Sinovac altogether assigned to Bangkok," Dr Sophon said.
"In the first two weeks, around five hundred thousand doses should be administered.
The government expects 61 million doses from AstraZeneca and around 10–15 million dozes from Sinovac.
The department is also negotiating with Pfizer to supply another 20 million doses and Johnson & Johnson for 5 million dozes of their vaccine, he said.
Thailand prepares 6 million Covid-19 shots for the first month of mass vaccine roll-out
As many as six million shots will be available in June, with a target capacity of about 500,000 inoculations a day.PHOTO: EPA-EFE
Bloomberg PUBLISHED
JUN 2, 2021, 7:03 PM SGT
BANGKOK (BLOOMBERG) - Thailand aims to administer as many as six million shots to protect against Covid-19 this month, as it begins a mass vaccination programme amid the nation's worst coronavirus outbreak since the pandemic began.
The government plans to distribute about two million doses from AstraZeneca and Sinovac Biotech to vaccination sites across Thailand ahead of the June 7 roll-out, according to Mr Sopon Iamsirithawon, a deputy director-general at the Department of Disease Control.
As many as six million shots will be available in June, with a target capacity of about 500,000 inoculations a day, he said.
The South-east Asian nation's economy may not return to pre-pandemic growth levels until early 2023, three fiscal quarters later than previously expected, the Bank of Thailand warned on Monday (May 31).
A surge in coronavirus cases since early April has seen deaths from infections soar more than tenfold and triggered restrictions across the country. The government on Tuesday approved an additional US$4.5 billion (S$6 billion) of stimulus to counter the economic and social impacts of the pandemic.
"Thailand is currently in the same situation as most countries in the world: many people to vaccinate and limited vaccines with which to do it," said Dr Daniel Kertesz, the World Health Organisation's representative to Thailand.
"The ultimate goal would be to vaccinate everyone who's eligible, but it's not possible in the short term, so the really important lesson is that prioritising will be key to success."
A target of administering 100 million shots to cover about 70 per cent of the population by the end of the year compares with coverage of less than than 3 per cent in the past three months.
The distribution of millions of shots each month from June will allow expansion of the inoculation programme to prioritise residents of Bangkok, the epicentre of the surge in cases.
Diplomats, consular workers 'go first'
PUBLISHED : 3 JUN 2021 AT 06:00
The government has assured that all foreign nationals living in the kingdom who have registered for vaccination will start receiving the Covid-19 vaccine from next Monday.
Sophon Iamsirithaworn, Disease Control Department deputy director general, said on Wednesday that vaccination for all foreign diplomats in the country would be carried out the same day as the government's mass vaccination programme, based upon an advanced reservation system.
"Currently, we have started vaccinating diplomats and their families, and international organisations -- such as UN staff, in which they have registered in advance to get a vaccine from designated hospitals," Dr Sophon said.
According to Dr Sophon, all diplomatic staff, consular representatives and staff from international organisations in Thailand were required to register from June 1–6 via www.ThailandIntervac.com/diplomats.
The booking was required one day in advance of the jab date.
The jab would take place at MedPark Hospital and Vimut Hospital.
"For general foreigners, they can get the jab on the same day as Thais," Dr Sophon told an online forum titled "Briefing for Thailand Journalists on the National Vaccine Rollout".
"Emphasis should be given to the elderly and those who have seven underlying diseases."
The forum was co-hosted by the Public Health Ministry and the World Health Organization (WHO) to equip the media with vaccine scheme information so they work in sync with the government.
Dr Sophon went on to say that foreigners who want to get vaccinated are also required to register via www.ThailandIntervac.com. Those who have booked via the Mor Prom Application would get an AstraZeneca jab.
Dr Sophon said there would be more vaccines assigned to Bangkok than other provinces as the population in the capital is dense and the spread of Covid-19 still relatively high.
"There will be almost one million doses of AstraZeneca and Sinovac altogether assigned to Bangkok," Dr Sophon said.
"In the first two weeks, around five hundred thousand doses should be administered.
The government expects 61 million doses from AstraZeneca and around 10–15 million dozes from Sinovac.
The department is also negotiating with Pfizer to supply another 20 million doses and Johnson & Johnson for 5 million dozes of their vaccine, he said.
