Thai government does not want a nationwide lockdown despite an increase in infections
Bus station in Trat (Narin Nonthamand / Shutterstock.com)
Despite the daily increase in the number of infections, the country is not going into lockdown. It remains with a limited number of measures, such as a ban on alcohol in restaurants, closing time at eleven o'clock, a ban on large gatherings and the declaration of eighteen provinces as red zones.
Minister Anutin (Public Health) does not think a national lockdown is necessary, he says: “The current disease cycle lasts only two weeks and everyone involved is cooperating. However, there should be less travel. If we do that, the number of new infections will definitely decrease by next month.”
The government reported 1.582 new Covid-19 infections in the past 24 hours on Friday, a record for the third consecutive day. Dr. Chawetsan Namwat, acting director at the Department of Disease Control, said 1.577 cases were local infections (in 66 provinces) and five infections were imported.
Of the local infections, 921 have been confirmed in hospitals and 656 detected in mass testing. Bangkok registered 312 new infections, Chiang Mai 272, Chon Buri 111, Prachuap Khiri Khan 100, Songkhla 89 and Lampang 59.
Source: Bangkok Post
Is Mr. Anutin suddenly becoming an optimist?
I'm afraid the infections are getting a bit out of hand. And where are the vaccines, now that they are so needed?
It's a disaster, but it's all over the world.
You can't blame a third world country like Thailand.
The pace of vaccinations worries me most in Thailand. You would think that a country that is so dependent on tourism would be ahead of the curve, but the opposite is true. Money would be better spent on vaccinations than on renewing highways and other obscure projects. I have the feeling that there is still too little bribe to be earned for the vaccinations.
Dear Jack,
let's wait and see how it develops. It can still go either way.
A country like Sweden has gambled on herd immunity, as has a state like Texas, for example.
They also have the “freedom” to have themselves pricked.
Both achieve very good results.
If, for example, one decides to apply this here too, that is also an option.
In the Netherlands, due to all that bureaucratic red tape, there is still a lot of work to be done in terms of vaccines, while there are very many vaccines available.
Ban on alcohol in the restaurants, I really can't imagine what this has to do with the Covid ?
The alcohol served is an aid to the profit to be made. The government should focus more on speeding up vaccinations, which is an absolute necessity for a country so dependent on tourism.
Most Falangs drink because they like it, but many Thais drink to get drunk. And let it be the case that drunk people don't take it so closely with rules, etc. So this could be a good reason.
If the wine is in the man, the wisdom is in the pitcher. As a sober person, it is sufficient to enter a business where people are sitting who are sober and immediately afterwards enter a business where people are sitting who have had 2 whiskeys.
In Isaan I notice the difference immediately. When I drive through the village on my scooter, when there is no drinking anywhere, there is a quiet peace everywhere. If they have something on here or there, I am invariably called Hello You How are you Thai Whiskey very good. Nothing wrong with that and not very sympathetic at all, but it proves once again that Alcohol influences a person's behavior very much.
Never forget that Alcohol is a heavy drug. With more than 3 million deaths per year, it is difficult to continue to call it harmless.
yes, that's what you say. But in this country there is much more alcohol available than jabbing. You have to wait a few more months for that while the alcohol is for sale every day. Be careful now because the 7Elevens will be closed for the next 2 weeks from 23.00 p.m. to 04.00 a.m. But there are still the mom and dad shops where you can always go in an emergency (the beer has run out), also through the back door.
This ban on alcohol in restaurants should be seen in combination with other measures. Normally as a Thai you drink a beer (or 2,3, 4) with dinner and go home very late, sometimes close to closing time; especially if the restaurant also has a karaoke system. And that's not good because the virus also likes to sing and continues to sing around in these rooms all evening. And according to the Thai doctors, the virus also gets on everything: on the chairs, on the tables, on your cutlery and on your plate, on the staff. And therefore looks and listens dangerously. And can just jump off the table in your nose and then of course you have stayed the monkey. That 'jumping' probably also happened in bars in Thong Lor. Nothing with sexy ladies. Ridiculous. They disinfect themselves every day with bottles of gel.
Without alcohol in the restaurant you go home earlier, no karaoke and then you come home after 11 o'clock and then what: are the supermarkets closed so you can't have a nightcap at home. That virus is not present at home: the house is disinfected daily, the Thais wear masks day and night and keeping a distance of 1,5 meters from your husband has been the daily practice for years since he had a gig. He 'visits' less because she also likes a glass of wine and is not welcome in the house. She risks her life there. And that can be seen in the low number of covid deaths in this country.
The ban on alcohol in restaurants also aims to increase the number of pregnancies. Going home earlier, not drunk and with a completely sterile bedroom, you may come up with the idea of "doing it" with your wife. At the end of the pregnancy, Prayut's years-long bounty on a child beckons.
No, the ban on alcohol in restaurants is a sublime and well thought-out measure. Tribute.
The last few days I have not noticed that the restaurants we visited have even somewhat adhered to the alcohol rule. Actually completely in line with the normal practice that certain rules are there to certainly not be enforced so that normal life can continue. Brazilian and Italian situations are no longer to be expected and it is now a matter of time.
The West is currently showing perfectly that they think they have more right to a vaccine and I cannot imagine that after the crisis this will not be used by countries in Asia, Africa and South America to point out their selfish behavior to the West with China as the big winner.
Thailand is slow to vaccinate. I know many countries where they started vaccinating quickly and people ran into problems and had to stop and why. Because the readily available vaccines had been approved without passing the required tests.
Thailand has developed its own vaccine and is late with it because they want to test it thoroughly before it is used en masse with all the associated risks. That is good and makes it clear that thinking is being done here.
Alcohol changes people's behavior. Those who drink do not themselves know that they will behave differently. Drinkers also often say that they only drink a little, but who can decide what is a lot or a little for someone? Then it is right to impose a ban in the current situation. Moreover, that prohibition is easily circumvented.
Thailand has of course also approved a number of the same vaccines, with only half a million initial vaccinations, people are lagging behind and strange priorities are also being set, such as senior soldiers, the cabinet and members of parliament first. I also read here in a response that a municipality gave priority to municipal employees. So before the ordinary Thai can get an injection, it will take a while.
Thailand is also not developing its own vaccine, but will produce the AstraZenica vaccine in Thailand.
So your glasses may be a little too colored….
Very sensible lockdowns don't work it's just slow down and start again.
Life goes on and the number of victims is disproportionate to the consequences of these measures!
No national lockdown, says the government, but in the meantime the governor of Chiang Rai - which is not a red zone - does 'request' the population to stay at home for the next 14 days…