The latest Covid restrictions

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Re: The latest Covid restrictions

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Chiang Mai authorities approve of full dine in and alcoholic beverage sales in all restaurants until 9:00 PM

By Nop Meechukhun

22 June 2021

Chiang Mai authorities today, June 22nd, gave a green light to allow full dining in with selling and drinking alcoholic beverages at restaurants until 9:00 PM.

Charoenrut Sanguan, Chiang Mai Governor, also approved of some other relaxation of some measures, including the reopening of tattoo and piercing shops.

Meanwhile, entertainment venues, pubs, bars, karaokes, and massage parlors remained close until further notice. Places with snooker tables, billiards, pool tables, bowling as well as internet cafes, and game centers are also not allowed to be operated just yet.

This follows Phuket also easing restrictions today. Both provinces are designated “yellow zones” by the Thai government, based on several factors around Covid-19 risk set by the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration, or CCSA. Yellow zones are allowed to sell alcohol at restaurants, however, provincial governors have to give the final approval. So far, not many provincial governors have chosen to do so, however, those with significant appeal to tourism like Phuket and Chiang Mai have.

Unfortunately, red provinces or dark red provinces, like Bangkok and Chonburi, home of Pattaya, cannot sell alcohol at restaurants. Bars and nightlife remain a national closure set by the CCSA.

https://tpnnational.com/2021/06/22/chia ... il-900-pm/
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Re: The latest Covid restrictions

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Pattaya tourism and business sector tell government “Let us open the city fully, give us the Covid-19 vaccines. Enough is Enough.”

By Adam Judd

22 June 2021

Eight major business and tourism associations in Pattaya stated today that they have met recently with the Minister of Tourism, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, and have stated that they want to be able to open to foreign tourists (and domestic tourists) in August and that vaccines must be prioritized for Pattaya.

Mr. Boonanan Pattanasin, president of the Pattaya Business and Tourism Association, revealed the recent meetings and discussions to the local Pattaya press this morning.

It was clear that city business leaders, approaching three months of closures that have shuttered the cities entertainment and tourism industry and crippled most other sectors, were stepping up pressure on leaders to deliver. In the past fifteen months, Pattaya, dependent on tourism for about 80% of their GDP, the 19th most visited city in the world in 2019, and highly reliant on the entertainment sector, has struggled heavily, perhaps only topped by Koh Samui and Phuket in terms of economic and infrastructure damage to their tourism industry.

For roughly eight of the past fifteen months, entertainment venues have been closed, along with on and off restrictions and closures for other sectors. Domestic tourism had been driving traffic heavily prior to recent closures, but that was now largely gone as well due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation and restrictions that have closed the cities entertainment and nightlife sector, a major draw for the city.

Unfortunately, the current closures have been dragging on with no end in sight, and just today Chonburi had a record number of Covid-19 cases, albeit driven by primarily market workers and migrant communities in Mueang Chonburi. Although most sectors, other than entertainment, are allowed to open their business, many are shuttered or empty as the city is highly reliant on the nightlife industry and accompanying tourists, both foreign and domestic. This has become increasingly apparent the longer the closures stretch on, leaving large stretches of the central part of the city derelict and quiet, regardless of the type of business. Ex-pat areas, especially in East Pattaya, have done fairly well, to be fair, but are not what drives tourists to the city and the longer restrictions and closures are in place the more the main tourism infrastructure suffers.

According to Mr. Boonanon, the city needed about 900,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines to reach its target of 70% of the population vaccinated. This takes into effect not just those people currently in the city but an expected rush of people from other provinces once foreign tourism is reallowed and the entertainment sector can open. Pattaya has privately ordered 100,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines recently from Sinopharm but will need many more in partnership with the central government to recover the economy and open the city.

The current plan proposed by city officials and the Tourism Authority of Thailand is to open Pattaya to a “sealed route” program, similar to Koh Samui, and then gradually loosen restrictions from there. Essentially, this means visitors would spend the first few days at their hotel/resort having freedom of the resort and planned excursions, and then be allowed to go where they wished. Mr. Boonanon said this would be at least a start and help struggling industries, business owners, and staff.

Mr. Boonanon said that so far Chonburi had not been allocated enough vaccines, although understood why as many had to be delivered to Bangkok which was the main current source of the outbreak in Thailand. He mentioned, however, that out of a list of 10,000 names of people who worked in the tourism industry in Pattaya provided by the association, only 200 had been vaccinated so far and allocated vaccines, despite promises to focus on high-risk tourism employees who would be front-facing to tourists.

According to the Ministry of Public Health, the vaccine allocation problem was not a lack of supply, but “technical issues” and should be corrected soon. Mr. Boonanon stated that business and tourism associations and owners in Pattaya were confident that the plan to get the city moving could work, but needed cooperation on all levels and understanding of the economic importance of Pattaya and Banglamung.

Mr. Boonanon said so far there was no definitive answer on when Pattaya City would get the number of vaccines it needed to reach the government target of 70%, although Public Health Officials have previously stated September, which business leaders want to be moved up to August. Pattaya City has the staff and logistics to give over 10,000 injections a day and proved this during the recent vaccination campaign, according to Boonanon, they just need the supply. If they had the supply they could get the city on track in just over a month, according to Boonanon.

In the meantime, Mr. Boonanon said tourism and business owners could not wait forever and were currently focused on meeting health and safety standards at tourism attractions, hotels, and hospitality and getting the city ready for opening vs. focusing on roadblocks.

https://thepattayanews.com/2021/06/22/p ... is-enough/
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Re: The latest Covid restrictions

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Heads up in Bangkok. Be prepared. `A 7 day lockdown may be coming.
______________________________________________________________

Leading Thai doctors suggesting lockdown of Bangkok for at least seven days but Covid-19 Center disagrees so far

By Adam Judd

23 June 2021

A leading Thai doctor has suggested a lockdown of Bangkok for at least seven days to help control the number of people currently in hospitals for Covid-19 and give medical staff some breathing room.

However, so far, the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration, or CCSA, has disagreed.

Associate Professor Dr. Nithipat Jearakul, Head of the Department of Respiratory Disease and Tuberculosis Department at Siriraj Hospital made the announcement this morning, which prompted a reaction from CCSA spokesperson Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin this afternoon. Dr. Nithipat is not the only doctor to have recently suggested this, with other prominent doctors like Dr. Thira Woratanarat also stating it would help control the situation.

According to Dr. Nithipat, a short and strict total lockdown of Bangkok would help hospitals struggling with Covid-19 patients in the capital have some breathing room. Bangkok is the current epicenter of the Covid-19 outbreak in the country as well as some surrounding provinces. The call comes on the day the country had 51 deaths, a new record, which according to Dr. Nithipat is due to strain on the medical system.

Dr. Nithipat also stated that the recent loosening of restrictions should be rolled back and were contributing to the problem. Dr. Thira, meanwhile, has stated several times over the last week that he felt it was inappropriate to be planning to reopen the country and allow foreign tourists, even vaccinated, into Phuket until Thailand can move further along with vaccinations and recovery of the current outbreak.

This comes as the number of hospital beds available for patients in Bangkok has been under heavy stress, including intensive care beds, according to multiple hospitals in the capital.

Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin from the CCSA, however, said that although the CCSA and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration had heard proposals from doctors about a short lockdown of Bangkok they are so far against it but not for economic reasons. According to Dr. Taweesin, any sort of lockdown, even with an attempt to be strictly enforced with multiple checkpoints and controls, would still lead to many people fleeing the city to their home provinces or to places, not under lockdown, potentially spreading the Covid-19 disease further into parts of the country such as the Northeast where there were few, or in some cases no, confirmed cases in some time. In Bangkok, a large majority of the working population are not from Bangkok but from rural provinces which have largely controlled the virus. The fear is that a shutdown would lead to people fleeing the city, even with every attempt to make it a strict lockdown.

For now, the CCSA was not considering the proposal and was focused on the “sealed” approach in which they shut down known clusters, mostly found currently at construction camps, factories, and markets, and restricted the access of those who worked and lived in those areas, essentially doing “selected” lockdowns rather than overall lockdowns.

https://tpnnational.com/2021/06/23/lead ... es-so-far/
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Re: The latest Covid restrictions

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Part of the article says, "Most have been given the Sinopharm vaccine, which has proven only 50% effective. It is still unknown whether the Sinopharm vaccine would be at all effective against the Delta variant"

50% effective? Unknown whether Sinopharm can handle the Delta variant? Most in Pattaya are getting the Sinopharm vaccine? Very sorry, but that's not anywhere near good enough for me. I thought if I were offered a vaccine, I would take the first one that comes along. That has changed. If I am offered Sinopharm, unless there is absolutely no alternative, for me it will be a thanks, but no thanks.

I don't understand why Pattaya would be injecting people with a 50% effective vaccine in the first place. WHY? Is it the cheapest? Are they denying it is only 50% effective? Is corruption involved? Is somebody's brother-in-law making a fortune from it?

In any case, for me Sinopharm is a NO! . . .
_________________________________________________

Pattaya ‘Sandbox’ in jeopardy as 86% still not vaccinated

By Jetsada Homklin

June 25, 2021

If Pattaya hopes to open as a Sandbox destination in August, officials must step up vaccination efforts as more than 86% of Pattaya’s population, including expats, remains unvaccinated.

PBTA President Boonanan Pattanasin said only about 60,000 people out of 450,000, the official number needed to achieve herd immunity in Pattaya, have received their first or second jabs.

Most have been given the Sinopharm vaccine, which has proven only 50% effective. It is still unknown whether the Sinopharm vaccine would be at all effective against the Delta variant currently thriving in Thailand.

Meanwhile, Public Health Ministry officials said the vaccines have arrived and expect the delivery will be on time … in September.

Pattaya’s plans for “Sealed Route” tourism will be presented to CCSA when finished. Officials are waiting for the central government to guide them how to proceed.

With hotels and local businesses closing down at an alarming rate, the government has launched a public relations campaign to convince people it is safe to get vaccinated. So far, with not enough vaccines to go around, the effort is moot.

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... ted-361015
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Re: The latest Covid restrictions

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CCSA eyes locking down only high-risk areas in Bangkok

The Nation

June 25, 2021

CCSA eyes locking down only high-risk areas in Bangkok

The Department of Disease Control has proposed that only infection hotspots be locked down in Bangkok, Dr Apisamai Srirangsan, assistant spokesperson for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said on Friday.

“The proposal is to close down areas where there is a high risk of Covid-19 transmissions, such as workers’ camps or specific businesses that may speed up transmissions,” she said.

“Locking down an entire province may not be a suitable measure to control clusters, as it could spread infections more widely.”

Apisamai cited the lockdown of Yala province after cluster cases were found in the Markaz Community. This province-wide lockdown saw locals slipping through to other provinces and eventually spreading the virus over a wider area.

“CCSA will discuss the proposal at a meeting this afternoon with the prime minister, as well as Public Health, Labour and Interior ministers,” Apisamai added.

Bangkok reported 1,142 new infections on Friday, bringing the cumulative number of cases since April 1 to 64,977 and 19 deaths.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002464
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Re: The latest Covid restrictions

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Gaybutton wrote: Fri Jun 25, 2021 11:07 am 50% effective? Unknown whether Sinopharm can handle the Delta variant? Most in Pattaya are getting the Sinopharm vaccine? Very sorry, but that's not anywhere near good enough for me. I thought if I were offered a vaccine, I would take the first one that comes along. That has changed. If I am offered Sinopharm, unless there is absolutely no alternative, for me it will be a thanks, but no thanks.

I don't understand why Pattaya would be injecting people with a 50% effective vaccine in the first place. WHY? Is it the cheapest? Are they denying it is only 50% effective? Is corruption involved? Is somebody's brother-in-law making a fortune from it?
1 I suspect Pattaya would be using Sinopharm as that is the only vaccine they can get in quantity ?
After all, it's not like we are seeing news reports of the wonderful domestic manufacturer delivering millions per week.
Presumably the 70% vaccination requirement for a sandbox scheme is not adjusted for efficacy, even if it should be. 70% vaccination is unlikely to deliver herd immunity in any case, but 70% at 50% efficacy would be far worse.


2 For anyone in Pattaya and who is offered only the Sinopharm vaccine, it would probably make sense to look for vaccine performance data for trials conducted in a free & democratic country. If such a thing exists.
The selection of countries which have approved this vaccine OR completed their own trials isn't particularly convincing.
WHO background doc:https://www.who.int/publications/i/item ... background


3 As far as I can tell, nothing stops you getting a better vaccine later. Trials are underway for mixing various vaccines and some expect that 2 different vaccines would be better than one. Mrs Merkel has had 2 different vaccines.

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Re: The latest Covid restrictions

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Gaybutton wrote: Fri Jun 25, 2021 11:07 amPart of the article says, "Most have been given the Sinopharm vaccine, which has proven only 50% effective.
as per usual this Pattaya Mail article needs to read with a huge grain of salt - as far as I am aware Pattaya has ordered Sinopharm doses but the only vaccines used so far have been Astra-Zenica or Sinovac, though maybe Pattaya Mail can provide more information on this

two other critical points to keep in mind are the difference between efficacy and effectiveness and the availability of quality peer-reviewed clinical data

efficacy is the % reduction in disease incidence in a vaccinated group compared to an unvaccinated group under optimal conditions, eg in a clinical trial, while effectiveness is the ability of a vaccine to prevent outcomes of interest in the real world

the limited reporting on clinical trials I have seen for Sinopharm do quote an efficacy of about 50%, similarly for the somewhat more prolific clinic trial data for Sinovac.

for effectiveness however, SInovac has been shown to be similarly effective as other vaccines in the "outcome of interest" of preventing serious disease and death - I have not seen sufficient reports on this for Sinopharm but they may be in development

and it is not even worth the effort to get into a discussion of the completely arbitrary basis of the Thai authorities' decision of the level of vaccination required to achieve "herd immunity" and thus ensure safe re-opening of the country to foreign tourists!
Gaybutton wrote: Fri Jun 25, 2021 11:07 amIt is still unknown whether the Sinopharm vaccine would be at all effective against the Delta variant currently thriving in Thailand"
the latest reports I have seen still rate the Alpha variant as the dominant strain in Thailand (88%) though the Delta variant is obviously expected to increase in prevalence over the next few months and perhaps even become the dominant variant and the whole world is still waiting for more clinical evidence as to which vaccines better handle this variant - though in the long run I feel sure this evidence is more likely to be available for Sinovac rather than Sinopharm compared to the other vaccines
Gaybutton wrote: Fri Jun 25, 2021 11:07 amIn any case, for me Sinopharm is a NO! . . .
I stand by my earlier comment that the best vaccine is the one you can get now - though my attitude may be influenced by the
higher new daily infection rates in Bangkok than in Pattaya, and regardless of what vaccine we receive now we will probably all need a booster of another vaccine class later!
I can’t even be bothered to be apathetic these days!
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Re: The latest Covid restrictions

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bkkguy wrote: Fri Jun 25, 2021 9:05 pm I stand by my earlier comment that the best vaccine is the one you can get now
In Pattaya so far we can get nothing.

I have no interest in quibbling about efficiency, efficacy or any other terms. I don't think the author of the article was fussing about that either. It seems clear to me that Sinopharm is not good enough, at least not good enough for me.

My only interest is getting whichever vaccine is most likely to prevent me from catching Covid, whether first available or not. It doesn't do much good to get a vaccine and still have to worry about getting Covid. With no vaccines at all available for farang in Pattaya (unless you're French), for now I might just as well settle for a bowl of grandma's chicken soup.
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Re: The latest Covid restrictions

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Gaybutton wrote: Sat Jun 26, 2021 4:21 am My only interest is getting whichever vaccine is most likely to prevent me from catching Covid, whether first available or not. It doesn't do much good to get a vaccine and still have to worry about getting Covid. With no vaccines at all available for farang in Pattaya (unless you're French), for now I might just as well settle for a bowl of grandma's chicken soup.
you may well be settling for that chicken soup for quite a while - none of the currently available vaccines, including the holy grail ones from the USA, are 100% effective against infection in clinical trials or in real world experience

however all of them in the real world, including the much-maligned Chinese ones, have been shown to reduce the chance of infection for an individual, reduce the transmission rate in the community, and importantly reduce the chance of progression to serious or fatal disease for an individual and hence reduce pressure on the health services

yes I accept the different vaccines have different effectiveness in achieving these real world personal and social objectives particularly when considering the various virus variants currently circulating and the real world is still in an enormous learning curve in how to maximise personal protection and community benefits with different vaccine mixtures and strategies, but sorry I am still not convinced that any vaccine, including Sinopharm, is NOT in the short term a better alternative than chicken soup - perhaps my grandmother did not have that great a recipe.

I am 65 with enough co-morbidities to make COVID a serious issue for me, and unlike you my only interest is getting whatever increased protection I can, but this all about personal risk assessment and personal circumstances - I am in Bangkok where new daily infection rates are significantly higher than in Pattaya and the availability of hospital beds is a significant issue, and significantly the government program to register falung for vaccinations seems to be working for me, so obviously your milage may vary and your conclusions may vary

enough pushing my opinion - would you like to share your grandmother's recipe for chicken soup?
I can’t even be bothered to be apathetic these days!
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Re: The latest Covid restrictions

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bkkguy wrote: Sat Jun 26, 2021 9:05 pm would you like to share your grandmother's recipe for chicken soup?
If she had ever given it to me, I would. Unfortunately, she took it with her when she passed on. But doesn't every grandma on the planet or has ever lived on the planet have a recipe for chicken soup? And won't every female born today have her own recipe for chicken soup by the time they become grandmas?

Again, for farang in Pattaya there are no vaccine decisions to make. None are available and there's no telling when any will be. For farang it looks like it won't be any time soon. So here I am, debating about my preference for something I can't get in the first place.
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