There are increasing calls for the government to impose a general lockdown in Thailand to restrict the movement of people as the number of Covid-19 infections continues to rise.
On Friday, Prayut Chan-o-cha had announced in his well-known TV talk that the government had no plans to lock down the country, despite more than 2.000 new infections being registered on Saturday. According to the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration, eight Covid-19 deaths and a record 2.839 new cases were reported, bringing the total to 129 deaths and 53.022 infections. Bangkok recorded the highest number of new infections with 1.582 cases.
Also today, 2.438 new infections have been reported and the number of deaths has risen by 11 to 140.
Thiravat Hemachudha, director of the Health Science Center of Emerging Diseases at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Medicine, writes on Facebook that the fight against Covid-19 will be a long one. He points out that most infected people are asymptomatic: “When a lockdown is imposed, an infected person who does not isolate himself from the others in a house will also infect the other housemates. And when they are also asymptomatic and the lockdown is lifted, they will spread the virus to many others.”
Nithiphat Chiarakun of the Thoracic Society of Thailand is calling for firm action as the rising number of infections is putting a heavy strain on the public health system. He says that many hospitals and field hospitals are already almost unable to cope.
High fine for not wearing a face mask
In 42 'red zone' provinces, a face mask is mandatory from 24 April. Failure to wear a face mask can be punished with a fine of 20.000 baht.
About this blogger
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Known as Khun Peter (62), lives alternately in Apeldoorn and Pattaya. In a relationship with Kanchana for 14 years. Not yet retired, have my own company, something with insurance. Crazy about animals, especially dogs and music.
Enough hobbies, but unfortunately little time: writing for Thailandblog, fitness, health and nutrition, shooting sports, chatting with friends and some other oddities.
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Perhaps it is time for the government to inquire in other countries how they are trying to contain Covid-19. I read somewhere that there are various vaccines that are administered to the population and apparently Nov with success too!
Which countries are they Kees. I haven't heard anything about it yet. Israel because of the vaccination policy, but many countries are still far from that.
Know that New Zealand and Australia, due to a strict lockdown policy and keeping the borders closed until about May 2022, now have it under control. Only returning residents are cases of infection, but those who do not enter the community remain in quarantine for 14 days until they have tested negative for at least 2.
Yes, understand that China also has control, but it also takes immediate measures at a local level that do not allow travel outside the city.
But I can't recall that there is a population that meets your comment.
I think we can't go to Thailand for 3 months in December.
We will have to look for an alternative to a safe country where the virus has spread and where they allow people who have been vaccinated.
Today, the border for travelers from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh was completely closed.
When will governments act in a timely, efficient and very strict way, take strict measures and enforce them strictly so as not to let worse spreads against such dangers spread?! Always too late, too little, too little decisiveness, until situations have already gotten out of hand. Europe is a sad example of this. Sometimes democracy can also almost completely paralyze the power of government apparatuses. Curious how far they let it muddle in Thailand first. Or does it want to follow the Indian example? Not yet, but it could go exponentially fast!
“Sometimes democracy can also almost completely paralyze the power of government apparatus”.
Europe is indeed not China where the words “human rights” and “democracy” have exactly 0 meaning. From your words I gather that democracy (discussion, consultation, taking into account the will of the people) is difficult.
I agree that in times of extreme need it should be possible to make decisions without endless consultation. What remains is the discussion of whether this virus justifies pushing aside democracy.
I say not: I remember the (first) images from China that came to us; a man lying on the street in Wuhan. I remember the image of a Chinese who literally falls forward (with no arm movement to absorb the blow). This has not happened anywhere outside of China. I have the impression that people outside Europe in particular are getting the idea that we are short of morgues here, that the corpses are lying on the street.
We are now over 1 years after the first lockdown: I think the whole corona virus isn't too bad (yes we do it for care, also to provide regular care, I can beat it up).
I may be alone in this, but what you say is the other extreme. There must be a middle ground: how much misery and deaths do the corona measures cause? Oh yes, too little decisiveness? Too few? Look at Italy, France and England: terribly heavy lockdowns behind them. Or are people just not supposed to come out anymore? Only put Europeans inside for 6 months and then look further.
“… be very strict, take strict measures and enforce them strictly”.
It seems to me to be a typical post written by someone who resides in Thailand and has not visited Europe in the past year.
Every continent, every country, every region has its turn.
Where it started in China, mega peaks (and with it the criticism from the outside world) were first found in Europe, a little later in the US and then in South America, it now seems more and more that it is moving to Asia with India as clear leader….
Thailand (and neighboring countries) thought it was good, "much better than the west", to have arranged the measures; but now there is probably an explosion waiting there too. They are about a year behind Europe in terms of the start of the explosion; but the advantage for SE Asia is that the vaccines already exist, so with a somewhat serious approach (and the knowledge of the countries that have already had the explosion) the start of vaccination can be started in a shorter period of time. With all the delays, mismanagement, government, distribution, laxity errors, they can go through the period to full vaccination a little faster.
Is it just as slow there as in Europe, and new mutations continue to arise… then in my opinion (!!) TH is still closed until at least August 2022….
I myself really suspect that Thailand (and surroundings) are only at the beginning of the misery that Europe, among others, has been struggling through for a year.
And then it's Africa's turn. To then have such mutations that the whole pandemic can start all over again in China, Europe, etc…. Hopefully we will then be better prepared, less lax, and faster with annual vaccines, such as with the flu shot.
Europe will be 2021% vaccinated by the end of 70, Asia 2022 and Africa 2023, said Marjon Koopmans in one of her interviews.
That's my opinion, too, Lessram. Although I think that it will also be too long in Thailand to compromise between economic interests and getting the virus under control. Hopefully the vaccination there will be faster with such population figures and the current or 2.0 vaccinations will suffice for the current and next mutations. We're definitely not done yet!
In every country, there is a trade-off between maintaining health care systems, the freedom of movement of the population and the economic interests at stake. In your previous response you talked about the sad example of Europe because the results of the measures do not make sense to you. But what do you want? For the time being, Europe still chooses to give priority to health care, whereby the economy is supported through all kinds of support attempts reaching billions of euros, and the restriction of freedom of movement is controlled through parliaments. XiPing did it by abolishing freedom, Trump and Bolsonara gave the economy a free hand: you say what is best. It is fortunate that Biden has shifted priorities, and that the EU, albeit in fits and starts, is investing heavily in vaccination programs. Thailand is trying to avoid all intervention. I predict you: until 2023, Thailand is still working to make itself virus-free.
Compared to the Netherlands, there is hardly anything going on in Thailand.
The population of Thailand is significantly larger.
In the Netherlands at the moment more than 8000 new patients there and already more than 17.000 deaths.
The number of road casualties (deaths) exceeds the number of COVID deaths many times over.
Was it not the health minister Anutin number two, I always call him the construction worker who said the day before yesterday that Thailand would have things under control regarding the covid outbreak within two to three weeks.
So there is still hope.
Jan Beute.
Such a shame, but as with many things and events, Thailand never takes anything from other countries that have gained experience.
It seems as if the Thai are 'shy' to take on something from the outside, or perhaps their feeling is 'losing face'.
I would say throw all prejudices overboard and listen in Europe, America where they have experienced a few 'waves'.
And please: vaccinate and vaccinate again.
Good luck and hope for a quick reduction of the infections.
Jozef
Praut and co. are responsible for the new outbreak. Just allowing a population movement with Songkran is asking for trouble…
Dear Jozef, I will not deny that there are problems with regard to vaccination and everything related to it, but to write that Thailand should look at Europe in this case, of course, that is not correct.
Or is it in your own interest to be able to go on holiday to Thailand as soon as possible.
If I consider the problems of the virus with all its limitations and the vaccination policy, Thailand should not look at Europe.
And in our country, according to the RIVM, there are still thousands of covid cases every day.