Thailand medics unable to stop the new Covid-19 wave
Hello World and all the boys and girls and others. Today is Thursday, February 24.
"We're completely in control of Covid".
Anutin Charvirakul, Prayut and junta supporter, deputy prime minister and minister of public health. And the richest man in Thai politics.
https://bityl.co/B44h
Thailand medics unable to stop the new Covid-19 wave
On Wednesday:
21,232 new Covid cases, 39 more deaths
And it's not getting better.
The latest 39 fatalities were between the ages of 28 and 95 years.
This compared with the 35 coronavirus-related fatalities and 18,363 new cases reported for Tuesday.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/advanced/2268879/
STATISTICS UPDATE
21,232 confirmed new cases and 16,890 probable
168 cases were from abroad and 160 from prisons
Out of 173,605 people in care, 71,414 are in hospital
39 deaths (0.82% mortality rate)
882 in ICU (+55)
229 on ventilators (+15)
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2268667/
Thailand eases entry rules for all foreign tourists, visitors, investors
Second RT-PCR test replaced by ATK
PHOTO: Puzzled people
A handful of arrivals at Suvarnabhumi airport on Wednesday try to figure out what's going on with the new rules about Chinese Covid-19 coronavirus.
The military regime issued new protocols on Wednesday.
The eased measures were agreed upon Wednesday at a meeting of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA). The meeting was chaired by The Man Himself, designated 'prime minister', former army general and coup-starter Prayut Chan-o-cha.
Rules change. Again.
Fresh medical protocols, effective next Tuesday
still require a completely negative, documented Covid-19 test 72 hours or less before arrival in Thailand.
one night (or more) in guarded quarantine in case the arriving person is breathing Covid-19 germs. Each tourist or visitor must show proof of two, paid hotel bookings including one in a government-approved hotel.
On Day 5 after arrival, a regime-approved "all clear, no Covid" medical test by antigen test kit (ATK).
The second RT-PCR test (after five days of quarantine) will become an antigen test for all foreigners arriving in Thailand - so long as they are "fully vaccinated", whatever that means, and provide documents that prove each person (including children of any age) has US$20,000 (minimum) in health insurance, including Covid-19 coverage.
https://bityl.co/B3t3
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2268839/
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2268899/
NOTE:
This 'new regime' below (starting next week) does NOT apply to Thai citizens.
The rules are still unclear for long-term residents.
Very quick update:
The Rooskies are coming!
Ukraine calls up reservists, declares national emergency as U.S. and allies hit Russia with new sanctions
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-ukraine-news-miliatry-reservists-emergency-declaration/
Something else you shouldn't worry your pretty little head about.
U.S. stock market index falls more than 460 points as Russia-Ukraine worries sink sentiment
https://bityl.co/B445
VERY unusual for Thailand
The Chinese Covid-19 coronavirus is now killing and injuring more people than Thai highways!
Latest road accident report:
Road 24-hour accident report for 22/2/2022
35 deaths
2,264 injuries (1.5 per minute)
91% of deaths were motorcyclists
1 foreigner died
2,211 deaths in 53 days this year: 41 deaths/day
Do not scoot!
Phuket Tourist Police have started a publicity campaign telling tourists that they shouldn't rent e-scooters as it is illegal to use on public roads.
Maximum fine is 10,000 baht, or 395 Canadian loonies.
Please, sir, may I have some more please?
Thailand's ruling junta has been caught off-guard by the new and virulent (sixth) wave of infections by the Chinese Covid-19 coronavirus, and is scrambling to catch up.
On Wednesday, Zendai Foundation that has been helping people getting medical help, pleaded to Prayut's CCSA and to the Department of Disease Control (DDC) and the Emergency Operation Centre under the junta-controlled public health ministry to do more.
SAME-SAME BUT VERY DIFFERENT
"Infected people are back to sleeping on the streets but this time it was different from the previous wave as their symptoms are less severe,” said Chris Potranandana, a cofounder and current head of the Zendai Foundation that has been helping people getting medical help since last year.
"This time around, most of them are vaccinated with mild symptoms because of Omicron but they still have no place to go because their accommodations are inadequate for the Home Isolation (HI) scheme."
PHOTO: Authorities including the Royal Thai Army are rushing to open new 'care centres'. But they're using cardboard beds.
https://www.thaienquirer.com/37756/relief-foundation-pleads-with-government-to-open-more-covid-facilities/
Yes. Next question?
Will Songkran be a washout?
Tourism operators are pinning their hopes on the water festival, but it all depends on Omicron.
This year’s April 13 festival is expected to be another dry one as Thailand faces an upward wave in the Omicron variant, which is forecast to peak in March.
However, there is a slim chance the country will see a large influx of travellers as in the past because there is not enough time to build up travel sentiment, particularly when regulatory hiccups and health concerns remain obstacles.
PHOTO: Two men walk along deserted Khao San Road in Bangkok - formerly the site of the world's wildest, wooliest water-run fights.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2268991/
NOTE There always is someone or a lot of someones who ask, "What date is Songkran this year?
Well, same date as last year and next year. Songkran, or 'Thai New Year' is always on April 13.
Thai pirates worked for years to make Bangkok (and Thailand) a world hub of illegally copied books, movies, music, medicine, airline parts, illegal broadcast black boxes. And so on and so on, etc.
But suddenly, just like THAT [finger-snap] the United States has declared Thailand free of such crime.
The latest, 2021 Review of Notorious Markets by the FBI and Biden administration, does not list even one market, mall or internet pirate. For the first time in anyone's memory.
THAILAND ECONOMY TRADE TOURISM
Protesters bring Sydney traffic to standstill
https://www.bangkokpost.com/vdo/world/2268710/
Laos agrees to reopen border
Thailand and Laos have agreed to "soon" reopen cross-border checkpoints, government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said Wednesday.
The decision was made after Lao ambassador to Thailand Seng Soukhathivong paid a courtesy call on Prayut Chan-o-cha to mark the occasion of his 4.5 years at Government House.
The actual border-reopening plan was a project by Lao Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh, who is also a member of the politburo and the executive committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party - i.e. communist.
NOTE: The definition of "soon" is subject to numerous committee and diplomatic discussions.
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/ready-12302021162057.html
So... does this make Cambodia safe and entirely Covid-free? Nope, not quite.
Cambodia vaccinates children aged 3-5 against Covid
https://www.voacambodia.com/a/6455444.html
So have his polling experts turned against him?
'Immediate emergency situation is over.' The situation is no longer an emergency.
Trudeau revokes Emergencies Act. For now
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-ottawa-drops-invocation-of-the-emergencies-act-prime-minister-justin/
https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/immediate-emergency-situation-is-over-pm-trudeau-revokes-emergencies-act-1.5793047
RELATED: The Department of Did You Know reports...
Two of every three Democratic Party supporters in the U.S.A. surveyed recently support Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's repressive response to the Truckers’ Convoy protest.
https://issuesinsights.com/2022/02/23/america-has-two-major-political-parties-the-republicans-and-the-authoritarians/
Speaking of public mistrust:
Scrappy little newspaper The New York Times reports that the U.S. CDC has published only “a small sample of the data” because it fears the public would not properly understand the data, that the public is too dumb.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/20/health/covid-cdc-data.html
Just a guess but based on the many, many endemics and epidemics and pandemics I've through, my guess is:
We'll run out of Covid first.
Will the world run out of COVID vaccines?
https://www.popsci.com/health/johnson-and-johnson-vaccine-stop-production/
I'M NOT SAYING THAT IT'S ALIENS, BUT IT'S ALIENS:
Mystery Deepens as China Denies Owning Space Junk Set to Crash Into Moon.
Or I suppose the Chinese could be lying, but how likely is that?
THAILAND TOURISM
If you're thinking of coming to Thailand to enjoy all those incredible white-sand beaches...
Rayong beach 'still unsafe' after oil spill
Local fishermen seek govt compensation
[Mae Ramphueng is the first decent beach/resort area east of Pattaya.]
Despite efforts to clean up the oil spill from Star Petroleum Refining Public Company's (SPRC) pipeline, the concentration of heavy metals and petroleum hydrocarbons on Mae Ramphueng beach still exceed levels considered safe, the Rayong Pollution Control Centre said.
The extent of the pollution was revealed after the centre released the result of its tests following the oil spill.
These measured the concentration of hydrocarbons and dissolved oxygen in the water on three locations of the popular beach.
Tourist operators outraged at junta's new 'Red Alert' warning on Covid-19 coronavirus
Monday's decision to declare a 'Level 4' danger label to the new outbreak did not go over well.
It's the first major public-and-business opposition to the junta's policies on Covid-19
For now, business operators are ready to comply with the new rules, but will not agree if the government imposes strict lockdown measures again.
Chamnan Srisawat, president of the Tourism Council of Thailand, said the new Covid-19 alert will increase anxiety among people and inconsistency in business operations as demand fluctuates.
PHOTO: People queue for Covid-19 vaccinations at Bang Sue Grand Station in Bangkok.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2268407/
THAILAND CORONAVIRUS
The 6th wave of Chinese Covid-19 coronavirus infections is truly upon us.
On Wednesday, the number of new cases passed 20,000. The last time we had anything like that was last August, and since then Thailand has been eating the junta's optimism that it's almost over.
Well, it isn't. The latest statistics, as of Wednesday evening:
21,232 new cases of Chinese Covid-19 coronavirus
39 more deaths
TECHNOLOGY
Electric Vehicles? Did they ask Prayut for permission?
Not to mention that Prayut's constant harping and bribery is exactly why General Motors closed up all assembly lines and left Rayong and Thailand.
GM seeks US approval to deploy self-driving electric vehicles (EVs) without steering wheels.
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2022/02/gm-seeks-us-approval-to-put-driverless-cruise-origin-into-commercial-service/
Well, he got part of that right.
Going For Broke, Putin Is Counting on the West's Weakness to Win.
https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/rick-moran/2022/02/22/going-for-broke-putin-is-counting-on-the-wests-weakness-to-win-n1561027
The highly skilled U.S. diplomatic team of Unilever Ben & Jerry has introduced a new ice cream flavour with the longest ice-cream motto in history:
"You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war," the ice cream company stated. "We call on President Biden to de-escalate tensions and work for peace rather than prepare for war. Sending thousands more US troops to Europe in response to Russia's threats against Ukraine only fans the flame of war."
That is their ice cream's flavour's actual motto.
Their new ice cream flavour is Appease Mint.
