As operators on the island perceive good indicators from the recent loosening of travel restrictions, Phuket hopes to attract 1 million foreign visitor arrivals in the fourth quarter and 3.5 million in total this year.

International arrivals have climbed to 3,000-5,000 per day starting May 1, according to Bhummikitti Raktaengam, head of the Phuket Tourist Association, compared to 400-500 per day during the sandbox period and 2,500 per day under the “Test & Go” plan.

In the first four months of this year, 328,004 tourists visited Phuket.

India, according to Mr. Bhummikitti, is a prospective market because it has contributed the most inbound foreign tourists this month, with an average of 1,000 per day, thanks to direct flights to Phuket.

With roughly 10,000 visitors to Phuket in April, Australia was the second-largest group of international incoming tourists. This number is likely to rise to 15,000 per month.

The United Kingdom, Singapore, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia were also essential markets for Phuket.

He estimates that hotel occupancy rates in key tourist destinations like Patong, which are popular with Indian and Australian visitors, will reach 60-70 percent this month.

Between October and December, the organization expects that the number of tourists flying direct to the island will remain stable at 9,000 to 10,000 per day, assuming no more difficulties.

“The viral situation should no longer be cause for huge concern, but other economic indicators during the final quarter should be considered, including inflation, the exchange rate, and oil prices, which affect both the supply and demand sides,” Mr. Bhummikitti said.

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According to the Ministry of Public Health’s Department of Medical Sciences, at least one foreign individual has been found harboring an Omicron sub-variant that has the potential to cause severe illnesses.

According to Supakit Sirilak, director-general of the DoMS, Omicron has become the dominant coronavirus strain in Thailand, with the BA.2 sub-variant accounting for 97.6% of infections.

According to him, the ministry has heeded the WHO’s warning about the introduction of three infectious Omicron sub-variants: BA.4, BA.5, and BA.2.12.1.

BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants were detected for the first time in South Africa in January and February, respectively, he said, while BA.2.12.1 was discovered in the United States in February.

Sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5 have now been discovered spreading in a number of nations, including Botswana, South Africa, Germany, and Denmark, while BA.2.12.1 has been discovered in Canada and India, according to him.

According to him, WHO whole-genome sequencing (WGS) in Thailand recently verified that a Brazilian national contracted BA.5, while two others, an Indian and a Canadian, contracted BA.2.12.

Sub-variants BA.2.12.1 and BA.4 have yet to be detected in Thailand, according to Dr Supakit.

According to the WGS results, some sections of the BA.4 genome sequences are comparable to those of the BA.1 and BA.2 sub-strains.

According to him, the spike protein could undergo mutations similar to how the earlier Delta variation arose.

BA.1 infected people have limited immunity to BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants, according to Dr. Supakit. He claims that persons who have been fully vaccinated have better immunity to the two sub-variants.

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A new law that went into effect on May 1 removed the obligation for vaccinated travelers to take the Covid test, giving the tourism industry hope after two years of low income.

Tourism operators, on the other hand, are concerned because the epidemic has left them “once bitten, twice shy,” with a variety spreading at any time and local political problems looming larger in many locations.

To deal with such uncertainty, tourism operators are pressing for a better government plan to avoid making the same mistakes that have seen them struggle to stay afloat in recent years.

Visitors will be able to travel with fewer barriers and misunderstandings thanks to industry demand for a clearer, stronger reopening policy.

The openness of Thailand to tourists was beset by regulatory snags before reaching its current form, which is devoid of most restrictions.

In July 2021, Phuket was the first location to reopen under a sandbox program, with additional destinations following suit in November with a flexible Test & Go plan.

Only 503,468 tourists visited Phuket in 304 days, including 194,689 from the sandbox program and 246,938 from the Test & Go scheme, with the rest following the quarantine regimen.

The robust version of the Test & Go program required a pre-travel RT-PCR negative result as well as one night in an approved hotel upon arrival in Thailand while awaiting the results of a second RT-PCR test. From January to March, this program registered 497,693 international tourists or more than 165,000 arrivals per month on average.

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On Friday, the government agreed to extend two travel packages until the end of September in order to encourage people to go on vacation and support the struggling tourism industry.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha presided over a meeting of the Centre for Economic Situation Administration that reached the decision.

After the discussion, the government decided to add one million extra room privileges to We Travel Together, a hotel subsidy scheme, and extend it from the end of this month to the end of September, according to government spokeswoman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana.

The government will cover 40% of the accommodation charge, up to 3,000 baht per night, and 40% of the plane ticket, up to 2,000 baht.

The Tour Teaw Thai package, according to Mr. Thanakorn, would be extended from the end of April to the end of September.

This initiative is designed to assist tour group operators by providing a 40% subsidy on trip packages.

The Association of Domestic Tourism, the Thai Chamber of Commerce, and Thailand’s Tourism Authority have joined forces to urge the government to keep subsidy programs in place to encourage domestic travel.

According to Deputy Public Health Minister Sathit Pitutecha, the Public Health Ministry hopes to identify Covid-19 as an endemic disease by July.

Mr. Sathit, speaking at the annual conference of the Private Hospital Association on the government’s Covid-19 policy, stated that if the conditions are met, the ministry should proceed with declaring Covid-19 an endemic disease on July 1 as planned.

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The Thai government is anticipated to propose eliminating the necessity for Thais returning from overseas to register for a Thailand Pass.

Anutin Charnvirakul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health said the government will ask the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) to reconsider the rule.

It was preserved for international arrivals, but Mr. Anutin said the CCSA will be requested to delete it in the future.

When asked if the emergency measure established to stop Covid-19 should be prolonged, Mr. Anutin said it was up to the prime minister to decide.

He, on the other hand, sees no problem with the decree being kept because it supports steps to limit the virus.

However, once the pandemic is dropped to endemic status, Mr. Anutin believes there would be no need for it because the country’s public health system is well-equipped to handle the situation.

Between April 29 and May 4, according to Dr. Sumanee Wacharasint, assistant spokeswoman for the CCSA, 213,958 people registered for Thailand Pass.

Dr. Sumanee said that 202,878 (94.8 percent) of them got their registrations authorized since the system has been made more convenient and the pass has been easier to obtain.

From May 1, the Test & Go program will be discontinued, and fully vaccinated travelers will not be tested for Covid-19 upon arrival. During their stay, they are encouraged to self-test with antigen kits.

Daily caseloads are lessening, according to Dr. Sumanee, with hospital room occupancy rates for severe cases down 20.1 percent, compared to a drop of 25 percent reported last week.

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A big study in the United States has discovered that the Omicron version of the SARS-CoV2 virus is intrinsically as virulent as prior variations, contrary to previous studies’ expectations that it was more transmissible but less deadly.

“We discovered that the risks of hospitalization and mortality were essentially comparable between eras,” stated four scientists who conducted the study based on 130,000 Covid-19 patient records, alluding to times in the last two years when different variations were dominant around the world.

The study, which was published on Research Square on May 2 and is currently undergoing peer review at Nature Portfolio, was adjusted for confounders such as demographics, vaccination status, and the Charlson comorbidity index, which predicts the risk of death within a year of hospitalization for patients with specific comorbid conditions.

According to the scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital, Minerva University, and Harvard Medical School, investigations assuming that the Omicron version was less severe were undertaken in a variety of locations, including South Africa, Scotland, England, and Canada.

They noted that their study could have numerous flaws, including the likelihood that it overestimated the number of vaccinated patients and the total number of illnesses in more recent Covid waves since it excluded patients who did at-home quick testing.

The best preventive measures to avoid catching the COVID virus are still vaccination, wearing masks, social distancing, and frequent washing of hands. If these basic measures are applied, the chances and severity of contracting the virus are greatly lessened.

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Following the loosening of Covid-19 limitations, Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority expects 83,500 flights per month at all airports by the end of the year, up from 44,500 now, according to deputy government spokesman Traisuree Taisaranakul.

Both international and domestic flights are projected to see significant increases, she added.

On Sunday, the Test & Go admission criteria were removed in an effort to attract more international tourists and help the kingdom compete with regional tourism-dependent rivals such as Indonesia, Vietnam, and Singapore.

Tourism operators and vacationers have expressed dissatisfaction with the requirement to register for the Thailand Pass before entering the country, and have urged the government to do away with it as well.

According to the Transport Ministry, over 17,000 passengers arrived on 96 international flights at Suvarnabhumi Airport on the first day after Test & Go’s departure, with another 4,000 arriving on 27 landings at Phuket Airport.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was pleased with the swift screening and document-checking process at international airports on Sunday, according to Ms. Traisuree, and praised all officials for a smooth changeover.

As of Sunday, 129,068 patients had received Covid-19 therapy, with 34,168 of them in hospitals. According to the Department of Disease Control’s daily update, the rest were in hospital facilities/field hospitals (15,870) or in-home/community isolation.

There were 1,751 extremely ill patients with lung inflammation at the hospital, with 824 on ventilators.

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) stated on Monday afternoon that Bangkok had the most dangerously ill patients, with 149, followed by 89 in Nakhon Ratchasima, 68 in Kanchanaburi, 67 in Khon Kaen, and 61 in Ubon Ratchathani.

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Despite the downward trend in both categories, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said the government would not rush to declare the coronavirus an endemic disease until the number of new cases falls below 10,000 and the death rate falls below 0.1 percent of patients treated in hospitals, according to government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana.

By July 1, the government aims to declare Covid-19 endemic.

Tourists have reacted positively to the government’s decision to repeal the Test & Go program, which took effect on Sunday.

Justin Chines, a 28-year-old American tourist, said he had previously visited Thailand in January and thought that his travel this time was easier because he needed to submit less documentation. He completed the Thailand Pass process in a matter of days, as opposed to three weeks the last time he came.

“I would say that it is very easy this time. I don’t need to show my RT-PCR result and apply for a hotel quarantine. It is very convenient. But I think it would be great if there was no longer a requirement for health insurance as it has put up the cost of travel,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chayatham Phromsorn, the Transport Ministry’s permanent secretary, examined the airport’s readiness on Sunday.

With the country reopened, he said foreign airports were ready to welcome more travelers.

He predicts that by 2024, the number of visitors will have increased to almost 100,000 people per day at Suvarnabhumi airport or 36.5 million passengers per year.

“All state agencies are now working together to smooth arrivals and departures and eliminate queues at Thailand Pass and immigration checkpoints,” he said.

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The cases along with the fatalities have begun to fall as the daily cases tally fall below 15,000 and the deaths fall below 100. This is a positive sign for the country’s desire to declare covid as endemic by July 1. Despite the downward trend in both categories, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said the government would not rush to declare the coronavirus an endemic disease until the number of new cases falls below 10,000 and the death rate falls below 0.1 percent of patients treated in hospitals, according to government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana.

The 91 patients who died ranged in age from 28 to 101, with an average age of 79, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. One of them was a British citizen.

Seven people died as a result of the coronavirus in Nakhon Ratchasima, one more than in Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Bangkok had only one death, but the capital’s neighboring provinces had ten. There were 22 deaths in other central plains provinces that were further away from the capital.

Vaccinations are still going strong, with 133.57 million doses given out as of Saturday. According to the government, 80.9 percent of the population has received at least one dose of the vaccine, 73.8 percent has received two doses, and 37.3 percent has received a booster shot.

A total of 35,325 patients were receiving Covid-19 therapy in hospitals as of Saturday. According to the department’s daily update, the rest were in hospital facilities/field hospitals (15,720) or in-home/community isolation (89,480).

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Southeast Asia is gradually shaking off the shackles of Covid-19 and reopening for travel, with airlines filling a growing number of seats as holiday-starved masses plan their first international vacation in two years.

While the region lags behind other parts of the world, such as North America and Europe, which reopened sooner, the increasing trend picked up speed in April. Ticket sales are on the rise as major tourist destinations such as Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia reintroduce quarantine-free entrance for vaccinated visitors.

According to data compiled by analysts at Maybank Investment Bank Bhd, Google searches for travel to Singapore have increased, particularly from Malaysia, Indonesia, India, and Australia. Since the last week of March, the number of searches has increased by nearly 20%.

According to the country’s civil aviation authority, air passenger traffic to Singapore surpassed 400,000, or 31% more than pre-Covid levels, in the week ending April 17 after most travel restrictions for fully vaccinated people were relaxed at the beginning of the month.

According to the tourism ministry in Thailand, where international tourism accounts for around 15% of the country’s GDP, the number of foreign visitors increased by 38% in March compared to February following the relaxation of testing and health insurance requirements. Thailand relaxed entrance requirements for vaccinated travellers on April 1 and aims to replace required polymerase chain reaction testing for foreign visitors with antigen tests on May 1.

According to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, the number of tourists to Thailand increased by 358,364 from April 1 to April 27. (CCSA). Singaporeans were the most numerous, followed by visitors from the United Kingdom, and India.

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Many tourists still prefer Thailand’s regional counterparts for vacations such as Vietnam due to the less complicated process. Most of them do not favor the Thailand Pass requirement which became very confusing and expensive. They also mentioned that the process is hard to navigate.

An assistant spokeswoman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), Dr Sumanee Wacharasint, the government will vow to make the process smoother.

“The procedure involves checking vaccination certificates, proof of hotel bookings, insurance documents, and documents for booking RT-PCR tests upon arrival,” said Dr. Sumanee said.

Beginning May 1, the Test and Go program has been canceled. Meaning tourists no longer need to book the expensive RT-PCR packages to enter the country. It is now been replaced by an ATK test upon arrival for fully vaccinated passengers. This has become a problem for hotels that have had bookings since April since they would now need to refund the customers.

The option for ATK testing is only available for fully vaccinated people. “Therefore, Thailand Pass registration has remained in place, and there should be no problems from May 1. But the CCSA will monitor the situation regularly. If the situation improves, a further easing of entry rules is expected to follow,” she said.

From May 1, fully vaccinated visitors will not be tested for Covid-19 upon arrival. They will be urged to self-test with antigen kits during their stay. Vaccinated travelers must register for entry via Thailand Pass and present proof of vaccination. If they test positive, they can enter their Covid-19 insurance process or take care of their own treatment.

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Individuals and organizations who donate to the government, import medications, medical supplies, and medical equipment for public charity, and buy antigen test kits (ATK) for their staff will see their tax benefits extended by the cabinet on Tuesday.

All of these are recognized as aiding the government’s virus-containment efforts.

The cabinet authorized a draught of three royal decrees relating to revenue exemptions, according to government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana.

A proposed royal decree would extend a corporate income tax deduction and a personal income tax deduction for companies and individuals that donate to the government’s efforts to reduce Covid-19 infections using the Excise Department’s e-donation system, from March 5, 2022, to December 31, 2023.

Individuals can claim a personal income tax deduction of up to 10% of their net income, while businesses can claim a corporate income tax deduction of up to 2% of their net profit.

The second royal decree extends from March 5, 2022, to December 31, 2023, a value-added tax exemption for corporations or legal partnerships that import medical supplies intended to cure or prevent infections for state clinical facilities, public healthcare units, and public organizations.

The third royal order extends the 50% corporate income tax benefit for enterprises that buy ATKs for their employees for another nine months, from April 1, 2022, until December 31, 2022. On September 14, 2021, the cabinet approved a draught royal decree regarding a revenue exemption to support ATK procurement.

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The country is planning to declare the disease endemic however threats of a fresh wave may hamper its progress. Dean of Mahidol University’s Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Prasit Watanapa said in his message on Monday.

Many want to see an end to the pandemic as it has hampered many movements and progress. It has shut down borders and countries struggled economically as they try to cope with the changes. During the Siriraj Hospital Facebook session, he said the virus is still spreading and could still lead to an outbreak. The best defense the country could have is to fully vaccinate everyone to reduce severe symptoms and deaths.

“This is a critical point,” he said pertaining to the relaxation of measures. “Several countries are still battling infections.”

“[Steps] to stimulate the economy and bring in money could bring back COVID-19,” he said. “So we must mitigate the risks by focusing on prevention and treatment.” He also noted that “it is best to vaccinate people and give boosters [for protection].”

He mentioned that more than 2 million Thais are not vaccinated and 10% have received one dose. The reasons for the low death rate are that Omicron has less severe symptoms and that a lot of people are already vaccinated. Omicron is notably more transmissible but less deadly than the Delta variant.

Declaring the disease endemic does not mean COVID-19 is no longer life-threatening. It could be compared to dengue and malaria which is not a pandemic but hundreds of thousands of deaths a year can be attributed to it. Malaria alone claims about 400,000 lives a year.

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15 provinces aim to declare COVID as endemic but require the approval of the Ministry of Public Health’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC). Dr. Suthep Petchmak, inspector-general of the ministry, said that approval is necessary before making any announcement.

He didn’t say who the 15 were, but Songkhla was one of them. Because 80 percent of the population has got a Covid-19 vaccine and 30 percent has received boosters, the southern province is ready to declare Covid-19 endemic.

Dr. Kiattiphum Wongrajit, permanent-secretary for public health informed Dr. Suthep Petchmark of this requirement. The Department of Disease Control has already drafted the criteria but was not yet discussed them with EOC.

According to the National Communicable Disease Committee, provinces with less than 10,000 new cases per day and a death rate of less than 0.1 percent can be designated as endemic. Another need is that over 80% of persons who are at risk have received coronavirus vaccination doses. Dr. Suthep believes Covid-19 will be labeled an endemic disease by July 1 if no new coronavirus variants develop.

Meanwhile, Kittipong Kittikachorn, the director of Suvarnabhumi Airport, said the airport will examine extending its ability to accept more international passengers from other organizations.

Health restrictions have been removed by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. International arrivals are expected to increase beginning May 1, and the airport wants to avoid overcrowding, according to Mr. Kittipong.

The country is currently monitoring the post-Songkran wave as it tries to ensure that it is on track to declare that the disease is endemic by July 1.

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The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) approved the replacement of the RT-PCR test with an ATK Test. As the country is on track to fully reopen, the government decides to retain the Thailand Pass system but forgo the PCR test. This would help attract more tourists to come to the country.

Operators say that Thailand is looking to meet a goal of 1.5 trillion baht this year from the tourism industry. Many operators are not happy that the Thailand Pass was retained since the insurance could deter other travelers. Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Yuthasak Supasorn, the ATK test is unnecessary, it is only a recommendation.

On May 1, entry rules are based on immunization status. Everyone who has been immunized, regardless of country, can utilize the “vaccinated travel free lane” to have their Thailand Pass registration checked and then exit the airport without having to undergo any tests.

Those who have not been vaccinated have two choices: show a negative RT-PCR test upon arrival or make a reservation for alternate quarantine (AQ) lodging for a five-day period of isolation. Arrivals into AQ lodging accounted for less than 5% of total arrivals in the last few months.

“Half of the tourism revenue tally in 2019 of 3 trillion baht is our target this year,” Mr. Yuthasak said. “However, we need to push the domestic market more. Early next month, we will decide how to extend the ‘We Travel Together’ stimulus scheme to maintain positive momentum for the low season.”

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Today, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) will discuss the easing of COVID-19 measures. This includes the possible removal or easing of the Test and Go scheme and Thailand Pass. Part of the changes suggested is to change the RT-PCR test on arrival into an ATK test. Also, for unvaccinated travelers, the quarantine period could be reduced.

Gen Supoj Malaniyom, chief of the CCSA’s operations center said that it is highly likely that the Thailand Pass process will remain in place. This is for safety reasons as the country faces a surge in cases and the constant threat of new variants. The process will be adjusted to make it more convenient for all travelers.

William E Heinecke, founder, and chairman of Minor International sent a letter to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha requesting to terminate the Thailand Pass and Test and Go scheme like other countries. These processes have greatly hampered the expected revival of the tourism industry.

“It is time for Thailand to follow suit, remove all travel obstacles and resume pre-pandemic entry rules,” he wrote.

If the CCSA approves, it is likely that the changes will be implemented by May 1. It will apply to all borders of Thailand on both air and land travel.

The CCSA will also reassess the zoning of the provinces accordingly. They will base it on the latest data of a number of cases. Based on this, they will plan on further easing the restrictions as well as moving towards categorizing COVID-19 as endemic.

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The fatalities recorded yesterday equaled the peak record of the omicron wave at 129 fatalities. The cases are expected to rise after the Songkran Holidays due to the massive movement of people heading back to their provinces. The government has prepared for the expected cases with an estimate of 50,000 a day. Hospital beds are prepared as well as medicines for those who will be recommended to self-isolate.

Many local governments were preparing for this scenario as there were reported incidents of violations regarding the recommended COVID measures. Among them were water splashing events that happened without proper event permits.

Many relaxations of measures highly depend on the management of the Songkran holidays. Among the possible relaxation is the removal of the Test and Go package and the Thailand pass. They will be replaced by COVID vaccination passports. However, if the cases surge above the estimated number, there is a high chance that these measures remain in place.

A proposal was sent by the Tourism Authority of Thailand requesting the Test and Go package to be removed like other countries. This would help revive the ailing tourism industry of the country. The current Test and Go package prove to be cumbersome for many tourists. The price of the package is too high for some who decided to put off their summer vacations.

TAT estimates that removing these measures could generate up to 11 million tourists to arrive in the country before the end of the year.

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The Department of Disease Control (DoDC) estimates that the country’s herd immunity is at 50%. This is far from the recommended 80%. DoDC epidemiology division Director Dr. Chakkarat Pitayowonganon tallied the reports based on recorded data. About 10% of the total population has contracted the virus thus far. He added these numbers to those who are fully vaccinated with a booster shot and the total reached 50%.

He said that the best solution is to continue to push everyone to obtain booster shots. This goes especially for the elderly and those with underlying illnesses.

Most of the people who were vaccinated were of the working age, during the Songkran holidays, it was also the time when most of them attended gatherings. The risk of them contracting the virus is minimal since they have mostly received their booster shots. On the other hand, for the elderly and those at risk, only 55% of them are vaccinated. They are the ones at risk of contracting the virus which raises concerns of high caseloads, post-Songkran.

Although the cases are falling, it can also stem from lesser RT-PCR tests and ATK tests conducted. There might be cases that are active but not recorded. There are many things that are riding on the results of the Songkran holidays. If it is successfully contained, among the changes that could be implemented is the easing of restrictions and full reopening of the country. This could mean that the Test and Go package could be replaced by an ATK test as early as May 1.

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The seven dangerous days closed with 1,917 accidents resulting in 1,869 injuries and 278 fatalities. Nirat Pongsitthithaworn, deputy interior permanent secretary reported the figures. On Sunday there were 188 traffic accidents, injuring 171 people and killing 31.

The province of Chiang Rai had the most accidents, with 66. Chiang Mai had the most injured individuals (63), while Bangkok had the greatest death toll (13). Mr. Nirat claimed Nakhon Phanom, Pattani, Yala, Ranong, Samut Sakhon, and Sing Buri provinces were devoid of traffic fatalities.

Thirteen of the 7,141 people charged with drunk driving were ordered by the court to wear an electronic monitoring device and be barred from leaving their homes for seven days from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. – ten in Ubon Ratchathani and three in Sukhothai.

During the same year, Mr. Witthawal added, the number of drivers charged with drink-driving increased by 1,080 from 6,061 in 2021.

He stated that everyone found guilty of drunk driving will be evaluated. Those judged to be at danger of developing an alcohol addiction would be referred to a Public Health Ministry-run medical institution for treatment.

Those who are determined to be in danger of repeating the offense will be placed in a three-day rehabilitation and behavioral modification camp. They would also have to report to probation officials on a regular basis and undertake community work for a fixed amount of time, according to Mr. Witthawal.

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The plan to declare the disease as an endemic by July is still on track according to the Ministry of Public Health. The Director of the epidemiology division of the Department of Disease Control (DDC), Dr. Chakkarat Pitayowonganon said that at least 2-4 weeks are needed to evaluate if the cases will increase or not. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) gave a worst-case scenario of 100,000 cases a day.

“Right now, we see a decline in the number of daily infections from about 30,000 RT-PCR tests per day before the Songkran festival to only 16,000 cases per day,” Dr. Chakkarat said.

Currently, the number of cases requiring ventilators and hospital beds has also increased. Based on the data obtained by the ministry, for the past seven days, the average number of fatalities is 107. 90% of the 107 cases are among the elderly.

“Personally, I am not much worried about the infections after the festival because the risk group is working people who develop fewer symptoms,” Dr. Chakkarat said.

“Many have already received one or two booster doses. But the problem is that they can transmit the disease to old people in their families. We may see more deaths among the elderly,” he said.

He also said that if there are new variants that would appear, there is a chance it could be endemic. Among the things the government must do is to convince 2 million elderly citizens to complete their vaccinations. Some of them have not yet obtained their first shot. Having both shots, reduce the risk of contracting the virus.

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Interior Ministry’s deputy permanent secretary, Nirat Pongsithithavorn said the figures were reported by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation and concerned agencies.

Based on the data reported, the main cause of the accidents is speeding at 41.49% and drunk driving at 25.31%. In addition, out of the 1,720 accidents, motorcycles account for 84.34% and pick-up trucks for 6.43%. The report added that the accidents commonly peat from 6:01 PM – 7:00 PM with an average of 10.37% of the total accidents.

Most of the accidents have been reported from Highway Department roads at 38.59% followed by village roads at 38.17%. It is also noted that most of the accidents occurred on straight roads with an average of 80.91%.

Chiang Rai recorded the most accidents at 11 and deaths at 3 and Lampang with the most injuries at 11.

A total of 56,324 officials were deployed to man 1,900 checkpoints across the country. 410,818 vehicles were pulled over for safety checks and 70,180 drivers were charged. 19,264 of those charged were due to not wearing a helmet while 18,388 were not carrying a driver’s license.

The final record of the seven dangerous days will be disclosed in the next few days. Sunday marks the last day of the seven dangerous days and is also expected to record the most accidents. This is partly due to the massive number of people returning to work on Monday.

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The Ministry of Public Health urges businesses and organizations to ask employees to work from home for the next seven days. This is to prevent a sharp rise in cases after the Songkran holidays. Director of the Department of Disease Control’s Epidemiology Division Chakrarat Pittawawonganon estimates a 20%-30% rise in cases if no measures are taken.

He advised businesses to allow 5-7 days to work from home as well as urge employees to take an ATK test. This will prevent the spread of COVID-19 in workplaces. He added that a booster shot is recommended for those who belong to at-risk groups. These include the elderly and those with underlying health concerns. At this time, only 37% of this population have received a booster shot, 23% below the government’s target of 60%.

According to the secretary-general of the National Security Council and director of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), Supot Malaniyom the agency will meet this week to evaluate the trends and decide what measures must be implemented.

The discussions will discuss a possible reopening of schools and a change in travel policies to attract more tourists. These are plans in place to declare the disease as endemic by July, as initially estimated by the agency.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha instructed various health-related bodies and agencies to ramp up testing. He also urged them to ensure that enough beds are available for isolation as well as for those with critical conditions. The government foresees an uptick of cases after the holidays and the effectiveness of its handling will affect many decisions for the next few months.

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From April 11-15, there were 1,478 road accidents resulting in 1,452 people’s injuries and 204 fatalities. Interior Ministry deputy permanent secretary Nirat Pongsithithavorn said on Saturday, citing a report from the Road Safety Centre. The accidents were 18% lower than the recorded accidents last year. Last year recorded 2,400 accidents resulting in 2,357 injuries and 277 deaths during the seven dangerous days.

On Friday, there were 277 recorded accidents resulting in 263 injuries and 44 deaths nationwide.

The main cause of these accidents remains to be speeding (39.35%), followed by drunk driving (28.5%). Motorcycles accounted for 77.7% of the accidents as in previous years.

Chiang Mai recorded the highest number of accidents at 60 resulting in 58 injuries and 8 deaths.

Twelve provinces have reported zero deaths so far: Trang, Nakhon Phanom, Bueng Kan, Prachin Buri, Pattani, Yala, Ranong, Lamphun, Samut Songkhram, Sing Buri, Nong Bua Lam Phu, and Amnat Charoen.

Heavy traffic is expected in Bangkok as many returns to the capital as the holidays come to a close. This is the day that the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation expects the most accidents. In response, they have closed the areas that are prone to accidents that will congest other roads. Those traveling back to Bangkok would expect to be met with heavy traffic.

The seven dangerous days conclude today as the holidays come to an end.

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The Ministry of Public Health has been ordered to prepare for a COVID surge upon people’s return to work. The long Songkran Holidays have prompted many to back home to their provinces and are set to return today. Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha have given the order to the ministry.

Government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said that the PM instructed them to prepare their response. There will be clusters of COVID cases when people come back to the capital. The PM instructed various health bodies to be prepared to respond.

The National Health Security Office (NHSO) increased its manpower to prepare for the surge in cases. They also advised everyone to observe their symptoms for the next few days. People are asked to look out for fever, cough, or runny nose, he said.

It is also recommended that people could conduct regular antigen tests to see if they are positive or not. Also, they want to ensure that patients keep a record of their travel history to make it easier to trace.

The government is confident that there are enough medical supplies as well as hospital beds for the patients. The PM also wants the Ministry of Public Health to inform the public about the “long COVID”

“Long Covid is real. Don’t be fooled by the illusion that Covid-19 is more or less like the common flu, takes a little time to recover from, and will soon become an endemic disease,” said Dr. Thira Woratanarat, an associate professor at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine.

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Chiang Mai leads the most accidents at 14 resulting in 16 injuries while Lampang and Sa Keo provinces lead the fatalities at 3 each.

The current tally for the country since the seven dangerous days began is 1,195 road accidents, with 157 killed and 1,185 injuries. Chiang Mai leads with the most accidents at 44 while Nakhon Si Thammarat reported the most injuries at 43. Lampang had the most fatalities standing at 7. Only sixteen provinces remain accident-free.

Speeding was the most common issue in accidents. Department director-general Boontham Lertsukheekasem said that they are focusing on areas that people tend to visit a lot. These are areas where checkpoints are in the place where police check the alcohol level of drivers.

This is significantly lower than the peak of Songkran back when the pandemic haven not spread. After two years of hiatus from the pandemic, this is the first year people could travel back to their provinces to visit their loved ones.

The authorities are expecting the number of accidents to rise by Sunday when people will be traveling back to their homes. They expect the accidents to peak on this day and in preparation, they will tighten the measures to ensure road safety.

The seven dangerous days is a tally of accidents that occur in the country during the Songkran festival. This is due to the large number of people going back home to their provinces to celebrate.

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In a recent study of COVID transmissibility in public spaces such as public toilets and elevators, experts found that people could get infected easily. This prompted experts to warn the public not to remove face masks when in such places.

A team of researchers from Chulabhorn Research Institute led by Researcher Kwanrawee Sirikanchana conducted the study. Public spaces like public toilets increase the risk of airborne transmission. The study was published in the Journal of Water and Health. The study focuses on the effects of facemasks and ventilation on the transmissibility of COVID in public toilets.

The study focused on the scenario of using public toilets after an infected person has used them. One subject used a face mask while the other used an N95 or surgical face mask. The study concluded that there is a 10% chance that the next person could catch COVID. It shows a 100% possibility if the person was not wearing any masks. The risk is reduced to 0.01% when a mask is worn or of there is a 10-minute wait time in between. Face masks offered the best solution when in such public places.

Thammanitchpol Denpetkul, a lecturer at the faculty of tropical medicine at Mahidol University said that the COVID particles are as small as that of the PM 2.5 dust particles. In such instances, N95, KN95, KF94, and FFP2 offer the most effective protection.

“Some cloth masks may not be good enough to protect against the virus … but if someone uses an N95 mask and wears it properly, the risk is one in 100,000,” he said.

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The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department reported 237 accidents on Monday, 301 on Tuesday, and 331 on Wednesday. On Monday there were 26 deaths associated with these accidents and 47 on Tuesday. The number dropped to 40 by Wednesday.

The so-called Seven Dangerous days began on Monday, marking the week of the Songkran Festival where many people will be traveling back to their provinces to be with their families to celebrate. The massive exodus has seen a huge number of accidents for the past years and it has formed the perception of these deadly days.

Police said earlier that those 1,937 checkpoints were set up for strict traffic law enforcement and 1,430 for alcohol checks, with about 80,000 officers on duty across all departments.

In the first three days, there were 869 accidents, 113 accident-related deaths, and 835 injuries reported.

Khon Kaen and Nakon Si Thammarat had reported the most accidents, at 33 each, while the southern province also led in total injuries, at 36. Samut Sakhon had the most road deaths from Monday-Wednesday, with six.

Department director-general Boontham Lertsukheekasem said on Thursday that attention was being shifted to bringing down road accidents on secondary routes, as most travelers had now reached home or tourist destinations.

He expected small roads would see more accidents until people were heading back at the end of the holiday.

Stay tuned for daily updates on the Thailand Songkran updates.

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The government is urging foreigners and locals to abide by the COVID preventive measures during the Songkran period. In Bangkok and Phuket, tourists and locals were found joining water splashing events without any COVID measures in place. The government responded by increasing patrols to supervise places commonly attended by foreigners.

“The government and the CCSA would like to ask for the full cooperation of locals and tourists instead of strictly enforcing the ban as we do not want to ruin the festive spirit,” said government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana.

“We hope to not see anyone splashing water along Khao San Road and any other public spaces.”

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is concerned about the possible spike in cases after Songkran. Without any measures in place, experts fear it could reach 100,000 a day. This can overload health systems and hamper the plans of the country to ease measures.

Among the plans that are in place is the scrapping of the Thailand Pass and Test and Go scheme to attract more tourists. An increase in local cases could delay these plans by months and the economy will suffer.

Business operators and local governments are advised to inform tourists that water-splashing events are banned. There are other Songkran activities that are allowed but in a designated COVID-controlled area.

“Those who are going to celebrate the festival, especially young people, are advised to carefully observe their health and avoid having close contact with children, elderly people, and sick people when they come back home,” he said.

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Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said the ministry and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will present the proposal. If approved, the changes will take effect by May 1, 2022. The aim would be to attract more tourists to revive the tourism industry.

Part of the changes will be the use of vaccine passports instead of applying through the Thailand Pass system. Mr. Phiphat said the ministry estimates that at least 10 million tourist arrivals, and 1-1.5 trillion baht in tourism income. This hinges on what travel policies each country formulates at this stage of the pandemic.

“Thailand is ready to welcome back foreign visitors as our public health system is adequately equipped,” he said.

“However, there has been concern about the number of domestic deaths caused by Covid-19, while daily caseloads of infections after Songkran will also be taken into account when the government considers further reopening the country to tourists,” Mr. Phiphat said.

On April 1, 2022, the government scrapped the requirement of an RT-PCR test prior to traveling to the country. Also, RT-PCR tests on arrival for foreign visitors are also expected to be replaced by antigen tests from next month.

TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn said more than 100,000 hotel rooms have been booked under the government’s “We Travel Together” scheme during Songkran. The scheme allows participants to pay only 60% off normal room rates, with the government responsible for the rest. The subsidy was initially capped at 3,000 baht per night for up to five consecutive nights in the first stage but has now been stretched to 10 nights.

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Soi Bang La at Patong beach in Phuket held a water-splashing event despite the ban. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha instructed the local government to advise tourists about the ban. Government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said the PM expressed concerns regarding the event.

Aside from Phuket, other local governments were also advised regarding the water-splashing ban and to monitor their areas. The ban was in place to avoid large gatherings and a possible surge in cases. There were instances where people were not wearing masks during the event.

The water-splashing is the main highlight of the famous festival and there are designated areas to perform it. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has put in place measures to ensure that Songkran will not result in a surge in cases. Among the measures is to perform a self-test (ATK Test) prior to meeting up with elders to avoid putting them at risk.

Phuket deputy governor Anupab Yodrabam responded with units in place to monitor and ban the splash. He said that the Bang La incident will not be repeated again.

Royal Thai Police spokesman Pol Maj Gen Yingyot Thepjamnong said there are designated areas where events may take place. These areas are controlled with COVID-19 preventive measures. For areas holding massive events, powder dabbing, foam parties, and the sale of alcohol will not be allowed.

These areas require a test prior to entering the event and upon exiting the event. Social distancing is strictly observed with one person for every 4 sq meters is allowed. Also, only those who are fully vaccinated may access the venue.

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Starting next month, the length of the home isolation stay will be reduced from seven days to five days. Director-general of the Department of Disease Control (DDC), Opas Karnkawinpong said that the National Communicable Disease Committee (NCDC) agreed on Monday to reduce the isolation period.

“The decision is in line with the global situation,” Dr. Opas told a media briefing. He added that the people isolated at home are not considered patients. Currently, the procedure is to self-isolate for seven days and further monitor for three days. During the three days, there is allowed freedom of movement but with strict regulations. This includes social distancing and wearing a mask.

Despite the threat of cases surging after the Songkran period, the government understands that they have to reopen as soon as possible to revive the economy. Former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said that the government has to relax rules like other countries. This will help the ailing economy from the pandemic that ruled for 2 years.

The government is set to change the status of COVID-19 from a pandemic to an endemic. This is currently threatened by a spike in cases after the Songkran festival. Also, an emergence of a new variant could stop the status change. Among the things that the government has to continue to push is the vaccination of the population. There are still a number of people who have not received their second dose or booster shot. Another possible threat is the overwhelming of the health care systems due to a large spike in cases.

Any relaxation of rules depends on how the public will cooperate during the Songkran season.

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The government urges the public to obtain their booster shots as the 2+1 formula is proven to be effective against COVID. The Department of Medical Sciences (DoMS) said that this formula is particularly good against the BA.2 sub-lineage.

A study was conducted on volunteers from Siriraj Hospital who monitored the immune response to BA.1 and BA.2 variants. DoMS director-general Supakit Sirilak only 70% of the total vaccines distributed were including a second dose or a booster.

They also expect that in the next coming weeks, BA.2 will become the dominant strain as BA.1 is not as contagious. Delta has now disappeared from the daily cases.

Dr. Supakit said the two-week study revealed double doses plus a booster shot of most mix-and-match formulas provided more effective immunity against BA.2 than BA.1. The findings confirmed that BA.2 cannot evade an immune response after a full vaccination and a booster shot. This should allay many people’s earlier fears, according to the director-general.

A booster is given as part of the mix-and-match vaccine format — such as two doses of Sinovac plus an AstraZeneca booster shot — has proven to deliver a sustained immunity at high levels, even three months after having received the booster shot. Dr Supakit said the immunity increase from two AstraZeneca doses plus a Pfizer booster shot was being studied.

According to research, double doses reduce fatalities up to fivefold while a double dose with a booster shot can achieve 31 times greater protection.

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Dr. Prasit Watanapa, dean of Siriraj Hospital’s medical school under Mahidol University says cases could soar to 100,000 daily after the Songkran festival. According to the Public Ministry, most of the casualties are from those who have not received any vaccine. Also, underlying health concerns came as a factor.

The government continued to urge the population to complete their vaccinations before the Songkran festival. The massive exodus of people going home to their respective provinces could put the elderly at risk. He also added that around a million of those aged 60 and above have not yet been vaccinated.

“The message is: Don’t think one can be safe from the virus by staying at home. The virus can come knocking on your door during the festival when children and grandchildren come for a visit,” he said.

Before declaring COVID an endemic, the accepted casualty rate is at 0.01% which means for every 10,000 cases, there will be 10 casualties. At the moment, the fatality rate is 4 times above the acceptable rate. He then added that after Songkran, the estimated daily caseloads are at 50,000 – 100,000  a day.

To avoid overwhelming the health support system, the deaths should be kept below 200. He also added that the number of cases should be controlled to avoid overwhelming medical facilities.

Meanwhile, there are no additional reports of the XE variant in the country. It was initially expected to be more contagious but no cases have been reported recently.

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The full moon night party returns to Koh Phangan this month in the hopes of boosting tourism. The full moon party is held once a month in Koh Phangan, Surat Thani. It has been a major draw for party seekers. This all-night party can draw up to 30,000 attendees.

The last party was held on February 8, 2022, before the COVID pandemic struck the nation. There were many attempts to relaunch the party but were unsuccessful. As travel restrictions are being eased, the local tourism team tried to slowly revive the event.

This year, the country plans to declare COVDI-19 as an endemic by July. Part of the restrictions lifted was the Songkran travel ban that was active for two years. Also, the government is slowly removing restrictions from the Thailand pass to encourage more tourists.

Thawit Somwang, president of the Haad Rin Tourism Association, said the April 16 party will stick to the “Back to the Roots” concept. Organizers have sought permission from local authorities to go ahead with the party and they were confident the request will be granted.

“But to be honest, we don’t have high hopes [for the April 16 party] since it is now the low tourist season and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has caused a significant drop in visitors from Israel, France, and the US,” he said.

The party must comply with the regulations issued by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), meaning it must wind down by 11 pm. However, Mr. Thawit said that in his view, the authorities should allow the party to continue until 1 am or 2 am the next morning.

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Mr. Sathit said that foreigners arriving in Thailand will take an ATK test at the airport. He added that additional airport staff will be deployed to ensure that procedures will be followed. Tourists will be able to wait for the results as the test will only take 15-30 minutes to complete. There will be no need to book SHA plus hotels to take an RT-PCR test and wait 24 hours in.

This decision was made to attract more tourists and revive the tourism economy of the country.

“The CCSA meeting discussed a number of measures as well as the easing of entry rules which will take effect next month,” he said.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said that they will consider easing travel restrictions to allow more tourists in the country.

“We will try our best to balance public health and the economy,” the prime minister said.

The easing of travel restrictions will depend heavily on the situation after the Songkran festival.

CCSA spokesman, Taweesilp Wisanuyothin said that they have agreed in principle but are yet to finalize.

“The prime minister wants to evaluate infection rates after the long break,” he said.

The rate of new infections from tourists entering Thailand from the beginning of this month would also be taken into consideration.

Thailand Ministry of Health reports 25,298 new COVID-19 cases and an additional 98 deaths since yesterday. The ministry also announced an additional 22,033 patients recovered from the COVID-19 virus.

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On Friday, the government will consider dropping the on-arrival RT-PCR test requirement for tourists. This is in line with the further plan to ease restrictions towards a full reopening of the country.

Deputy prime minister and public health minister, Anutin Charnvirakul talked about the proposal. The Department of Disease Control (DDC) will submit a proposal to end RT-PCR tests to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).

“If approved [by the CCSA], foreign travelers would only need to take antigen tests upon arrival,” Mr. Anutin said.

Director-general of the DDC, Opas Karnkawinpong, said the new rules will apply after the Songkran festival. However, a source at the CCSA said the shift to antigen tests may take effect next month.

Government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will chair the CCSA meeting on Friday to assess the Songkran Covid-19 situation.

Large numbers of people are expected to join the festival this year when they return to their home provinces.

“Precautions will be put in place to prepare for inter-provincial travel and activities during the festival,” Mr. Thanakorn said.

The Director of the DDC’s epidemiology division, Jakkarat Pittayawong-anont said that the Public Health Ministry predicts that the cases would top at 50,000 a day four days after Songkran. This is if there are no precautions taken.

“The situation after Songkran could worsen as a result of social gatherings, inter-provincial travel, and the vulnerability of unvaccinated elderly people being exposed to infections during the festival,” Dr. Jakkarat said.

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Patients suffering from lung inflammation that would require the use of ventilators may spike after Songkran. The Department of Disease Control (DDC) warned of the possible consequences of not following the measures in place during the festival.

The Director of the DDC’s Risk Communication and Health Behavioral Development Bureau, Dr. Sumanee Wacharasint provided the details. Currently, 781 patients are on ventilators out of 1,862 experiencing lung inflammation.

During the press briefing, she said the number “continues its rising trend and is expected to increase further after Songkran.”

Based on the graphics provided, the cases are expected to peak during the first week of May. The estimate shows that 1,600 patients could end up using ventilators. This is if the universal COVID prevention measures are not followed.

For the past 7 days, the daily deaths have surpassed 80 a day. Many of the fatalities had underlying health issues and the elderly. About half of the fatalities have not received any vaccination.

“Vaccine immunity wears off after around three months. Therefore, it is necessary, particularly for the elderly and at-risk groups, to get boosters to prevent the worst effects of the virus,” Dr. Sumanee said.

People who plan to return to their home provinces during the festival have been urged to monitor and observe their health conditions in advance, including taking self-antigen tests.

Jakkarat Pittayawong-anont, director of the DDC’s epidemiology division, said that more Covid-19 infections and deaths have been detected among young children recently — including 27 deaths among children aged under five in the latest wave caused by the Omicron variant.

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There were also an additional 10,884 cases that tested positive through an ATK test. This was not added to the daily tally reported. The 91 fatalities included a Myanmar national and a five-month-old baby. The range of their ages is between five months and 96 years old.

Bangkok had 17 new deaths while there were also four in adjacent Samut Prakan province. Other central plain provinces further from the capital recorded 22 deaths – six in Lop Buri, three each in Sa Kaeo, Chon Buri, and Rayong, two in Trat, and one each in Saraburi, Chachoengsao, Prachin Buri, Phetchaburi, and Suphan Buri.

The Northeast had 19 fatalities – six in Si Sa Ket, two each in Chaiyaphum, Buri Ram, Sakon Nakhon, Yasothon, and Ubon Ratchathani, and one each in Nong Bua Lam Phu, Surin, and Loei. The South reported 15 deaths – three each in Phatthalung and Songkhla, two in Nakhon Si Thammarat, and one each in Krabi, Surat Thani, Trang, Satun, Yala, Narathiwat, and Pattani.

The North saw 14 more coronavirus-related fatalities – four in Kamphaeng Phet, three in Sukhothai, two in Phetchabun, and one each in Tak, Lampang, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Phayao.

Of the new infections in the general population, 20,710 were confirmed at hospitals and 261 via mass testing.

Bangkok had the most cases at 3,286, followed by 1,076 in Chon Buri, 925 in Nonthaburi, 884 in Samut Prakan, and 679 in Nakhon Si Thammarat, 629 in Samut Sakhon, 583 in Nakhon Pathom, 518 in Buri Ram, 517 in Rayong and 491 in Songkhla.

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On Saturday, the Center for Medical Genomics in Ramathibodi Hospital reported the mutant hybrid of the BA.1 and BA.2 variants. The XE subvariant mutation was found in one Thai patient.

The government in response said that there is no need to panic as it is not believed to result in as many complications. The patient where the sample was found had already fully recovered from COVID.

Dr. Supakit Sirilak, director-general of the Department of Medical Sciences (DMS) said that the rise in cases is due to Deltacron. It is a subvariant that is a combination of Omicron and Delta variants.

In the case of XE, it is a combination of two subvariants of Omicron, BA.1 and BA.2. Both variants are more contagious but not as deadly as the other variants. So it is most likely that this new mutation could be more contagious but not that deadly.

The DMS is performing genomic sequencing on about 500 virus samples a week. They will be holding a press briefing today to provide more information about the XE case and its implications.

The World Health Organization (WHO) had also on Saturday issued a warning over the XE Omicron variant. They said that many in the medical field fear could be the most transmissible yet. The XE recombinant was first detected in the UK on Jan 19 and less than 600 sequences have been reported.

Anan Jongkaewwattana, an expert with the National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (Biotec) said that those recovered from BA.2 variant may carry immunity. “Don’t be more afraid of XE than BA.2 as that strain has already been around town,” he said.

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On Saturday, Thailand reported the first case of Omicron XE, a combination of the previous variants of Omicron. The World Health Organization announced the variant on the same day. The Center for Medical Genomics in Ramathibodi Hospital reported the mutant hybrid of the BA.1 and BA.2 variants.

The center announced the discovery through its Facebook page. The sample was taken from a Thai patient. The XE mutant is different from Deltacron which is the combination of Omicron and Delta.

The WHO announced that the XE variant is more transmissible than the original strains of Omicron. There are no additional data on its virulence as well as if it is more fatal than the main strain.

Deltacron, a hybrid of the Delta and Omicron strains, does not spread quickly or cause severe symptoms. Massarray Genotyping has studied the sequence and reported its findings.

Omicron XE was first detected in the United Kingdom on Jan 19 this year and more than 600 sequences were reported. UK Health Services Agency (UKHSA) said Omicron XE is 10% more transmissible than BA.2 and 43% more transmissible than the original Omicron (B.1.1.529). It remains to be seen if Omicron XE will become the dominant strain, the center said.

According to Phylogenetic Assignment of Named Global Outbreak Lineages (Pangolin), there are two recombinants of Delta and BA.1, which are XD and XF, and there are six recombinants of BA.1 and BA.2, which are XE, XG, XH, XJ, XK, and XL.

The government warned that COVID measures should be in place during the Songkran festival. The emergence of a new strain could delay the downgrading of COVID to an endemic status.

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Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha called on businesses and the public to ensure that COVID-19 measures stay in place. Under the Test & Go, Sandbox, and quarantine programs, RT-PCR tests and certificate requirements ended.

“From now on, if anything happens, we must accept collective responsibility. But we have made full preparations. I listened to the pros and cons and have eased restrictions wherever possible. But if anything [untoward] comes to pass, we will have to go back to square one. This is the difficult part of running the country,” Gen Prayut said.

From Friday, for people who enter the country through Test and Go an RT-PCR test will be given on arrival. They also will be required to perform an antigen self-test on Day 5 after arrival and provide the results to their hotel. They also will be required to perform an antigen self-test on Day 5 after arrival and provide the results to their hotel. Visitors in the quarantine scheme, including people caught entering the country unlawfully, will be kept in isolation for five days and have an RT-PCR test on Day 4 or 5 after arrival.

The new rules are intended to help resuscitate the economy, in particular the tourism sector, which was among the worst hit, he said. However, everyone must still comply with health precautions prescribed by the Public Health Ministry spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said.

Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said that the ministry will this month ask the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) to consider further easing entry rules, such as replacing on-arrival RT-PCR tests with simpler and quicker antigen alternatives.

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The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration confirmed that travelers arriving in Thailand will no longer require pre-travel Covid-19 tests. This came in effect today, April 1, 2022, for Test & Go Sandbox and quarantine programs.

Tourists arriving under TEST AND GO will be required an RT PCR Test at an SHA Extra plus hotel. They will stay in the room for the next 24 hours until the results are out. Those who tested negative may proceed to their local destination right after the 24-hour quarantine. The ones who tested positive will be checked by a medical doctor. The doctor will decide the severity of the case and recommend hospitalization or self-isolation. In case of hospitalization, the tourist will be brought to the hospital accredited by their insurance.

On the fifth day, they are required to take a monitored (at the hotel) ATK test and report the results. Those who are negative may proceed with their holidays. For those who are positive, they might be required self-isolation or an additional RT-PCR test.

Sandbox visitors must remain in their designated area for five days. Visitors in the quarantine scheme, including people caught entering the country unlawfully, will be kept in isolation for five days and have an RT-PCR test on the fourth or fifth day after arrival. As the country aims to declare COVID-19 endemic by July, there are more relaxations expected. Among them is replacing RT-PCR with ATK test by May.

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The communicable diseases committee of Prachuap Khiri Khan issued restrictions on activities to celebrate the Songkran festival. The ban is imposed on alcohol and water splashing to control the spread of COVID-19.

Prachuap Khiri Khan deputy governor Prompiriya Kitnuson also added that the participants of Songkran should be fully vaccinated. He gave the option to pass an antigen test 72 prior to the event for those not fully vaccinated.

Organizers of Songkran activities must seek prior permission from the committee and comply strictly with Covid Free Setting measures. Activities could include concerts and traditional activities in communities and religious places.

The committee prohibited water fights, powder smearing, foam and alcohol sales, and consumption at festive venues, Mr. Prompiriya said.

Water fights, powder smearing, and foam parties were also banned elsewhere, including on roadsides.

Access to festive venues must be restricted and requires health screening, and organizers must prevent crowding, the deputy governor said.

As Thailand prepares for the Songkran festival, local governments are instructed to prepare COVID-19 measures. Public health officials had previously warned that new infections could reach 100,000 per day unless precautions are taken during the festival.

The public health minister also called on those who plan to visit their families during the Songkran holiday to exercise extreme caution and avoid risky activities at least one week before travel to help keep their families, especially the elderly, safe from the virus.

“We are preparing to classify Covid-19 as an endemic disease, so we need to have the cooperation of all stakeholders.”

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Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha signed the Songkran rules and regulations set by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA). Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) permanent secretary Khajit Chatchawanich announced the guidelines.

Traditional water sprinkling under the Covid-free setting is allowed.

Alcohol consumption in organizing venues will not be permitted.

Venues are limited to one person per four square meters.

Participants are required to wear face masks at all times

Water splashing, powder smearing, and foam parties are prohibited on roads and other public areas.

Families can take part in activities, such as pouring water on the hands of the elderly to show respect and seek their blessings, could be held, but wearing a face mask remains compulsory. People are advised to refrain from engaging in activities that involve close contact or shared objects.

Yesterday, Khao San Road business operators appealed to reconsider the “no water splashing” order. They said they could potentially lose a huge opportunity to recover their losses during the COVID lockdowns.

Mr. Khajit said that organizers are required to obtain permission from the BMA’s Health Department if participants exceed 1,000 people. If lower, they must seek permission from district authorities.

He said the administration had received seven to eight requests seeking permission to hold Songkran activities in areas run by private firms and temples.

Currently, 46 out of 50 district offices in Bangkok had notified that they would not hold Songkran celebrations, while the remaining four district offices had yet to give confirmation, he said.

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Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul discourage business in Khao San to plan water-splashing events. He added that their patience and cooperation will help avoid any resurgence of COVID-19 cases.

Business operators located on Khao San road requested a review of the government’s decision to ban water-splashing. They said that it will impact business operations and their ability to attract tourists to take part in the festival. Water splashing has become a trademark event of the Songkran festival. They said that without it, there are not many tourists who can take part.

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) had earlier banned water-splashing and other celebrations associated with the holiday. These activities increase the risk of getting infected with COVID.

President of the Association of Business Operators on Khao San Road, Sa-nga Ruangwatthanakul talked about the impacts. The participants are expected to contribute a revenue of 50-80 million baht during the 4-day holiday. Without such activities, this revenue will be compromised. Mr. Anutin said the ban on water-splashing is necessary to reduce the risk of contagion.

“This year, other social activities aren’t prohibited, so please be patient for another year,” he said.

“We are preparing to classify Covid-19 as an endemic disease, so we need to have the cooperation of all stakeholders.”

Public health officials had previously warned that new infections could reach 100,000 per day unless precautions are taken during the festival.

The public health minister also called on those who plan to visit their families during the Songkran holiday to exercise extreme caution and avoid risky activities at least one week before travel to help keep their families, especially the elderly, safe from the virus.

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Three months ahead of the national target of June to proclaim COVID-19 “endemic”, Surin plans to announce it on Friday. Provincial governor Suwongpong Kitipattharapiboon says that the people of the province have made it possible. Everyone cooperated with the Public Health Ministry’s Covid-free setting guidelines.

The provincial PR office of Surin says they are ready to shift the status of Covid-19 to an endemic. This will be starting on April 1. The office also urged people to get booster shots to build their immunity.

Surin reported 16,354 infections with 29 fatalities from Dec 24 to Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) announced that 11 provinces reported more than 600 cases on average. This is an increase from the previous daily average.

From April to May, officials must keep caseloads down, while from the end of May to the end of June, officials must push daily infection numbers down to between 1,000 and 2,000 in each province.

Hospitalizations must also remain under 3% of the total confirmed cases. Also, at least 70% of the citizens must have at least 2 vaccine doses. Locals must continuously follow the general guidelines for COVID such as frequent washing of hands, wearing of masks, social distancing, and obtaining booster shots.

This is if they want to reach the endemic status by June 1. From March 12 to early next month, officials say the severity of infections is likely to reduce under a goal they have set.

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Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered to inoculate those who are vulnerable to the COVD virus at a faster rate. Ahead of the Songkran celebrations next month, the premier would like to ensure the safety of those prone to infection.

It will be the first Songkran celebrations in two years since the pandemic began. Previously, celebrations were canceled especially inter-provincial travels. This is the first time that families will be able to reunite.

Government spokesperson Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said that the Prime Minister asked agencies to ensure that the elderly, or those with underlying health problems be vaccinated. This is to ensure that they have enough protection before the celebrations begin.

The main goal is to ensure that 70% of the elderly population have their booster shot. They will be at most risk when families travel to reunite. Close contact with relatives would be very risky if not vaccinated.

The government also advises limited activity and holding events in a well-ventilated area. They also advised that the water splashing events are not allowed. Also, taking an ATK test before and after attending an event is advised.

Dr. Korakrit Limsommut, director of the ministry’s Health Administration Division, has listed the medications to treat people with varying degrees of Covid-19 symptoms. Those suffering from mild symptoms will get general drugs like paracetamol. Those in the moderate symptom group will receive green chiretta capsules and those vulnerable will receive the anti-viral drugs.

As of Friday, provinces across the kingdom had received 10 million favipiravir pills, while 3 million were distributed in Bangkok. Dr. Korakrit added that authorities are moving to address favipiravir shortages.

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Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered governors to prepare COVID measures to contain the spread of the virus. As Songkran approaches, the massive movement of people anticipates a surge in cases. Health officials are concerned that cases could reach 100,000 a day if no measures are applied.

Songkran celebrations have been minimized for the past two years with many strict curbs applied to prevent travel. This is the first time it has relaunched and many would be traveling back home to reunite with their families. Among the famous activities is water splashing which was not approved for this year. Experts fear that such an event could bring a new wave of cases. Also, everyone is encouraged to wear masks, socially distance, wash hands and complete their vaccinations.

Families are also encouraged to hold ceremonies in a well-ventilated area and take an ATK test before beginning the event. The elderly will be at risk during this event and they are encouraged to complete their vaccinations.

Dr Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai, director-general of the Department of Health (DOH) shared the forecast. According to the report, the Public Health Ministry estimates that cases could reach 100,000 daily. In this scenario, no proper measures are applied during the events.

Precautions include refraining from group activities where possible, working from home more, delaying non-essential travel, maintaining a high vaccination rate, and practicing the VUCA (Vaccine, Universal Prevention, Covid-19 Free Setting and ATK) measures.

DOH’s health impact assessment division director, Somchai Tukaew said Songkran will be allowed to proceed partly because more than 70% of Thais have been vaccinated. Also, the symptoms caused by the virus are becoming less severe.

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The Tourism and Sports Ministry says that there is a high chance that the travel restrictions would be lifted. The country is expecting to scrap the Test and Go and Thailand Pass schemes by June if there are no case surges. Thailand will be celebrating Songkran in April which health experts say could cause a new wave of cases.

Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said Thai tourism has to move forward.

“Thailand started like a rabbit, running quickly last year as we reopened to visitors. We cannot let the country fall behind as many nations are opening borders and have fewer restrictions than us,” Mr. Phiphat said.

With a target of 7 million arrivals this year, the government and tourism agencies have to work together to loosen restrictions. This will allow more tourists to visit the country. Among the current reasons as to why the tourists hesitate are the additional expenses involved in traveling.

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) recently dropped the 72-hour pre-travel RT-PCR test for international arrivals starting from April 1.

On May 1, the government is expecting to replace the RT-PCR test with an ATK Test kit instead. The test will be conducted by a medical professional to ensure its reliability.

Songkran will be a critical test for the country in terms of easing restrictions. The number of cases including the ATK tests should remain at 50,000 – 60,000 cases. The fatalities should also remain under 100 to prove that the easing of measures could be acceptable.

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Department of Medical Sciences (DMS) reported 73 cases of the deltacron strain. DMS director-general Supakit Sirilak said Deltacron was found in the ministry’s weekly genomic sequencing. The samples have already been submitted to GISAID for confirmation. All the cases have already fully recovered.

The omicron and delta variants have combined to create a new strain. This is only possible if both are circulating at the same time. The samples were taken from December of last year and early January of this year. This was the time when both variants were causing a surge in cases.

“The full genome sequencing showed the 73 cases fit the profile of Deltacron. This usually happens when the Delta and Omicron variants are spreading. The samples weren’t from the past one to two weeks and most were from December last year and January this year when the two variants were spreading,” he said.

World Health Organization (WHO) is monitoring the strain but there are no signs it is more contagious or deadlier. There is also no suggestion that it can evade immunity from vaccinations.

“There’s no need to panic. If cases of the Delta variant drop further, the chances of the two strains combining also falls. However, if Deltacron is highly transmissible, it may replace Omicron. But there is no sign of that and there is no information about its virulence,” he said.

There are about 2000 samples from March 12-18. Only one case demonstrated a sequence like that of the delta variant. 406 are from the BA.1 omicron strain and 1479 were BA.2 or deltacron sequence. BA.3 is not yet found in the Kingdom.

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Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul urge everyone to complete their vaccinations. In preparation for the Songkran Festival, all elderly are encouraged to get their vaccinations done.

The Department of Disease Control will be working with the local public health offices to get about 2.1 million vaccinated. He urges everyone to do it as early as possible since it takes some time for immunity to build up.

Infections are expected to go up during the Songkran Festival as many will travel to their provinces to reunite with family. It has been about 2 years since the festival was suspended due to the COVID pandemic. It is also advised for those coming home not to take part in activities that would put them at risk of infection.

The Public Ministry of Health said that most of the deaths associated with COVID are due to not being vaccinated. It is risky not to get vaccinated if you have an underlying health problem.

According to the dean of Siriraj Hospital’s medical school, Dr. Prasit Watanapa, this year’s celebrations are not as worrisome. Even if the factors of people, places, activities, and timing, the vaccination percentage of the country is high. Also, the omicron variant, although contagious, mostly exhibits mild symptoms.

With all these said, it is important to keep in mind that basic practices can prevent the spread of COVID. Wearing masks, frequent washing of hands, social distancing, and vaccination can help reduce the risk. Also, it is wise not to attend events that would be crowdy or held in poorly ventilated places.

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70% is the target for elderly vaccination before Songkran according to the Ministry of Public Health. They are the most vulnerable population due to their age and underlying issues. Director of the general communicable diseases division, Wicharn Pawan identified it as a factor in last year’s surge in cases. After the Songkran celebrations in the previous years, and slow vaccination rollouts, the cases surged across the country. Now that the Songkran celebrations are back, the government would like to prevent this scenario from happening.

“The ministry won’t be taking any chances this year and will speed up the rollout of booster shots for the elderly before the holiday exodus begins,” he said.

“Elderly citizens who are due for a booster shot should get them before Songkran. About three million doses have been prepared for this age group,” he said.

In Western Europe, the “perfect storm” has resulted in a more contagious Omicron BA. 2 subvariant. Britain, France, and Germany have seen the return of the pandemic after curbs have been lifted. Despite the increase in cases, these countries have pushed to remove their remaining curbs. They have also lifter part of their travel restrictions.

The new omicron subvariant has “stealth capabilities” as it is most times, hard to detect. It is also said to be 30% more contagious than the original subvariant. Most experts say that the lifting restrictions and reopening of borders created a “perfect storm” for the virus to mutate. This would also open the doors for more variants to develop in the near future. World Health Organization also encourages wealthy countries to donate vaccines to those unfortunate ones.

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The Department of Disease Control says that favipiravir is highly effective against COVID-19. It is also now available for bulk purchase and the treatment will cost about 800 baht.

Siriraj Hospital’s Faculty of Medicine has observed its efficacy for the past two years. When Thailand was experiencing COVID waves, the hospital observed patients who have taken the medicine. Director-general of the DDC, Dr. Opas Karnkawinpong said that its value should not be disregarded.

Secretary-general of the Association for the Protection of the Thai Constitution, Srisuwan Janya, criticized the use of the pill. He petitioned the Administrative Court over the use of the pill as the main treatment for COVID-19. The petition was for Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and some other executives.

By August-September, the ministry is set to buy 254 million favipiravir pills and another 300 million by October-December. The total cost will be around 6 million baht. The manufacturer of favipiravir has been warned not to market that it’s the most effective against omicron.

Deputy director-general of the Department of Medical Services, Dr. Manus Potaporn said that a systematic review was conducted. The review process includes a formal guideline on the use of favipiravir pills. Other medicines for COVID like remdesivir, molnupiravir and paxlovid has been studied through the same process. He also added that each of them has an advantage and a disadvantage.

He also said that “Molnupiravir and paxlovid are both new drugs which … cost up to 10,000 baht per treatment course.”

Favipiravir has also been studied by many laboratories and hospitals across the globe. Thailand is not the only country that uses it as the main treatment.

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Khao San Business operators have objected to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s ban on water splashing. They said that this would have a negative impact on their income expected from the peak season.

The CCSA decided that the annual celebrations may proceed provided there is no alcohol during the events. They also encouraged people to continue to celebrate traditional activities minus the water splashing.

Sanga Ruangwattanakul, president of the Khao San Business Association said that water splashing should not be banned. “If the government wants to ease measures to allow Songkran festivities to be held, it must not prohibit water splashing.”

If you remove the trademark element, “tourists would have no idea why they should visit,” he said.

He added that the Khao San Road business operators will not likely plan any event for Songkran this year. They are also planning to submit a proposal to review the decision of the water ban.

Many businesses are looking forward to the festival hoping to boost income after two years of shutting down. The recent surge in cases has also caused many tourists not to travel to the country. Mr. Sanga added that the hotel bookings only increased by 20% despite the reopening of the country.

A number of nighttime venues like pubs and bars have changed their operations to a restaurant to comply with the measures. This has somehow revived their business.

“If the Songkran festival is banned, we could lose many tourists to other ASEAN countries,” he added. April and May are the peak seasons for tourist travels and Songkran is among the main attraction of the country.

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The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration approved the discontinuation of the RT-PCR test required prior to boarding. Starting April 1, the Test and Go scheme will no longer require travelers to take an RT-PCR test prior to boarding.

CCSA spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin announced the end of the pre-travel tests for all visitors. This includes the Test & Go Sandbox or quarantine channels. People who will enter the kingdom are required to take an RT-PCR test on arrival. This will be followed by an antigen test monitored by the hotel on the 5^th day.

For the Sandbox scheme, visitors will remain at the reception areas for five days. Those who will be on quarantine will be kept for 5 days and an additional RT-PCR test on the 4^th or 5^th day. Also, all visitors are required to have insurance coverage of $20,000 which will be reduced later on.

Songkran celebrations are allowed however, there will be curbs in place to help contain the spread of the virus. Among the proposed measures are the traditional activities being held in special areas. These areas will be under strict COVID preventive measures. It is also advised to keep social distancing during reunions. When asked about the reopening of the nighttime venues, the government said that they would need to consider it carefully. The past COVID waves in Thailand have been largely due to open nighttime venues that lacked social distancing. There will be proposals on the board on how these venues can open and have COVID measures.

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The government plans to allow tourists to enter the kingdom without an RT-PCR test prior to boarding a flight. The Test & Go scheme will be modified and will lower the required insurance. The government will only require an RT-PCR test on arrival and an ATK test on the 5^th day. This is in line with the plan to downgrade the status to endemic by July.

Permanent secretary for Public Health, Dr. Kiattiphum Wongrajit, said the ministry is proposing to ease travel requirements. They are set to present it to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Friday.

“Under the proposed entry rules, travelers under the Test & Go scheme would no longer be required to show negative RT-PCR test results up to 72 hours before departure to the kingdom,” he said on Wednesday.

In addition, they will lower the insurance requirement from $50,000 t0 $10,000.

He will also present plans to lower the status of COVID-19 from pandemic to endemic. The actual announcement may vary depending on the World Health Organization.

Among the changes is proposed that the emergency decree will be replaced by a Communicable Disease Act. The plan is essentially divided into four phases which will be a step-by-step process towards the endemic status. This is provided that there are no new mutations that would appear.  

CCSA is also considering allowing night entertainment to resume which is welcomed by business operators. Many of them have been asking for the government to let them resume their normal operating hours but to no avail. Since the pandemic began, night venues have been shut and have caused many businesses to close.

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Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients (Ucep) Plus scheme comes into effect today. The government outlines the process for cases with moderate to severe symptoms.

The permanent secretary for Public Health Ministry, Dr. Kiattiphum Wongrajit said that these cases will receive treatment at any hospital. The moderate, or yellow category, and the severe, or red category, may seek treatment at any private or public hospital. The treatment will be for free.

Those who have mild to no symptoms, or green category, will not be eligible for this free treatment. The treatment will be based on medical insurance, social security, or a 30-baht universal health care scheme. They may also choose to self-isolate, stay at a community isolation facility, or hospitels.

The National Institute for Emergency Medicine has provided doctors with the criteria for categorizing COVID patients. Especially for the red and yellow categories. The Department of Health Service Support relayed the UCEP process to the private hospitals.

A COVID patient stays at a hospital for 10 days, Dr. Kiattiphum said. Other countries have an average stay of 3-5 days. Public Health Ministry is considering revising this to 7+3 format. This means the patient stays at the hospital for 7 days and 3 days on home isolation. This is to help alleviate the hospital’s capacity and be able to accommodate more cases.

Deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek also announced the 35 billion baht reimbursement to NHSO. The National Health Security Office (NHSO) contracted the hospitals that accommodated the cases from December to February. The reimbursement covered the expenses shouldered by NHSO.

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The Public Health Ministry reports 4 cases of COVID infections that were of the new mutant strain found in Hong Kong. They assured it is of no grave concern at the moment.

Director-general of the Department of Medical Sciences, Supakit Sirilak said that most of the cases now are of the BA.2 subvariant.

There were 2000 samples sent for genome sequencing last week. 99.7% are of the omicron variant whereas 68% are from the BA.2. subvariant. The original strain, BA.1 accounted for 32% of the total samples. However, four of them were suspected to be the BA.2.2 subvariant causing an outbreak in Hong Kong.

These samples will be submitted to the international database compiled by  GISAID to confirm the sequence.

The four suspected cases were from 3 Thais and 1 foreigner. All of them have already fully recovered from COVID.

“There is no need to panic as there are no worrying signs. But we have to be vigilant and answer three questions. Does it spread more quickly? Will it cause more deaths and can it evade our efforts to boost immunity?” Dr. Supakit said.

Hong Kong is currently facing a wave that has recorded the highest fatality rate so far. He says it is too early to say if it was truly caused by the new mutation.

“The Omicron strain is highly transmissible, so when the public health system is unable to cope with the surge, it may result in more deaths,” he said.

Deputy director-general of the DMS, Banlang Uppapong said that there are other factors to consider. The age of those who died, vaccination record, health history, and healthcare system capacity.

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Thailand Ministry of Health reports 22,130 new COVID-19 cases and an additional 69 deaths since yesterday. The ministry also announced an additional 23,508 recovered patients.

Health experts are now concerned with a new omicron subvariant in Hong Kong. The country records the worst wave since the pandemic began. They have also recorded the highest death rate so far.

New Variant

Deputy chairman of a Senate committee on public health, Dr. Chalermchai Boonyaleephan reported that the omicron has mutated. So, far there were three variants known which were BA.1, BA.2, and BA. 3. He also noted that the days with the highest death rate in Hong Kong coincides with the emergence of BA.2.2. This original variant mutated to this subvariant due to the continuous rise in cases. For every 1 million people, 5,000 were infected and 30 of them would die.

The high number of cases partnered with the high mortality rate was observed with the subvariant BA.2.2. This is what we are seeing in Hong Kong at the moment.

”It is necessary to keep a close watch on the situation,” he posted.

The Centre for Medical Genomics at Mahidol University also shared their observation on the Hong Kong outbreak. The fatalities were mostly associated with the elderly and the unvaccinated. This subvariant is not yet found in Thailand.

The Director-general of the Department of Medical Sciences, Supakit Sirilak, said that this is yet to be confirmed. The Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data (Gisaid), the database for COVID sequencing has not yet confirmed anything.

“Currently, Gisaid has not accepted it. [BA 2.2] has only been referred to as such among Hong Kong scientists,” he said.

“Actually, another variant named BA.2.3 is found in the Philippines and is much more common than BA.2.2.

There is a process when declaring a new variant. It will take some time. GSAID will also raise awareness if it was a threatening subvariant. They have sounded alarms on subvariants like deltacron 14 days after it was found.

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Thailand Ministry of Health reports 23,584 new COVID-19 cases and an additional 66 deaths since yesterday. The ministry also announced an additional 23,517 recovered patients.

In a recent survey conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration, the majority are worried about the Omicron variant. Most are concerned about its ability to spread quickly and put the elderly and those with underlying issues at risk.

The poll consisted of 1,320 participants surveyed through phone calls on the current COVID situation. It was conducted on March 7-9 and compiles the participant’s opinion on the surge of cases.

Survey Results

56.36% said yes, 34.54% said that they are moderately worried and 21.7% are highly concerned. Most are saying that the Omicron variant puts the elderly and those with underlying issues at risk.

22.20% are not worried at all considering they are fully vaccinated and do not live in high-risk areas. 21.44% also said they are not quite worried since they do not have to travel to risky areas and are fully vaccinated.

They also have varied opinions on why the virus has been spreading in the country. 52.95% said people are not careful enough and omicron is not severe. 46.29% also sighted that the omicron variant is highly contagious. 15.76% say that the pandemic is worldwide and inevitable. 13.41% blame the management of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. 11.41% said that the surge is due to the high number of people being tested with COVID. 9.70% raised the issue that the spread is due to illegal migrants. 9.62% said that it was because of people not getting any vaccinations or partial vaccination.

They were also asked how often do they test themselves through RT-PCR or ATK testing. 41.14% said they do it once in a while 16. 82% say they do it once a week. 23.79% say they do not do it at all while 5.83% do it every three days. Only 1.44% test daily and 0.98% test every other day.

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Thailand Ministry of Health reports 24,592 new COVID-19 cases and an additional 68 deaths since yesterday. The ministry also announced an additional 21,371 recovered patients.

The government plans to declare COVID-19 an endemic by July of this year. In line with their plans, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is planning to relax travel measures.

TAT Measures

TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn said that the tourism revenue goals this year might be lowered. This is due to the surging oil prices stemming from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Part of the planned relaxation is the removal of Thailand pass by July. This would also mean other relaxations will be implemented. This would mark a milestone for the ailing industry.  Over the next four months, the agency will be working on the new protocols.

One of the requirements that will remain essential is an RT-PCR test due to the overwhelming number of cases in the country. He also added that Thailand should learn from other countries that have fully re-opened to remain competitive. International travel remains dull as the world is being ravaged by the pandemic and is battling rising oil prices.

TAT is expected to present the proposal to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on March 18.

For Europe, July is the summer season, many of them will prefer intra-regional travel. Thailand expects tourists from neighboring countries.

Land Borders and Travel

India remains a key source of travel for the country due to the travel bubble agreed between the nations. Southeast Asian countries are also planning to relax travel measures. Vietnam is expected to open on March 15. By April 1, Malaysia will reopen its land border with Thailand.

At the moment, the agency’s primary concern is the Russian-Ukraine conflict. This has directly impacted airline costs due to the rising oil prices. TAT will be observing developments till the end of the month before they provide any forecast.

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Thailand Ministry of Health reports 24,792 new COVID-19 cases and an additional 63 deaths since yesterday. The ministry also announced an additional 22,065 recovered patients.

The Public Ministry also announced that they will revise the recording of COVID-19 fatalities. This is after the findings that 30% of those who died from COVID had underlying causes.

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said that the Ministry wants to accurately determine the cause of death. Especially the fatalities that are related to COVID-19 infections.

Permanent Secretary for public health, Dr. Kiattiphum Wongrajit added that 10-30% of COVID fatalities have serious underlying illnesses. An example of this is cancer, a serious illness that is often fatal in itself.

The highest tallied deaths on the current wave are 74 compared to the all-time high of 312. The infections are also rising as ATK tests are taken into consideration. Cases reach a high of 70,000 cases daily.

NHSO

Secretary-general of the National Health Security Office said that the hotline missed over 3500 calls and messages. The service is overwhelmed with the number of cases they receive on a daily basis. In an early attempt at the volume of calls, they partnered with officers, volunteers, and government agencies. However, it was not enough as the hotline was still overwhelmed.

He advised those with mild symptoms that home isolation is recommended. The Public Health Ministry is also distributing medicine for those in home isolation.

Currently, the NHSO is following up on missed calls to ask patients about their symptoms. Those with mild cases will be provided Favipiravir and will be advised to stay at home for 10 days. Green chiretta is also distributed among the communities as alternative medicine.

It is anticipated that the call back will be completed within 5 days. This is within Bangkok and the neighboring provinces.

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Central Vaccination Centre (CVC) at Bang Sue Grand Station is now open for walk-in vaccinations. They will no longer require additional requirements regardless of what number of doses. This is open for both Thais and Foreign nationals.

Previously, you would need to book an appointment and wait for the text message confirmation. They will check if you are scheduled for the day prior to getting a shot. Due to the surge in cases and the upcoming festival, CVC has opened the vaccination for everyone.

Last month, the cases that suffered from lung infections rose to 1.5 times. The fatalities particularly with the unvaccinated elderly also rose. According to a study, elderly people who are fully vaccinated are 41% less likely to die from COVID.

CVC is increasing the vaccinations due to the upcoming Songkran celebrations. The country’s largest vaccination center is now open for walk-ins. Both Thais and foreigners are welcome and can choose which vaccine they would require.

The Bang Sue Grand Station will be closed on April 6 for Chakri Memorial Day and during the Songkran festival. It is expected to reopen on April 18.

Deputy Provincial Director for Nakhon Si Thammarat, Trairat Chairat recently chaired a meeting regarding the case surge. He followed up on the COVID-19 outbreaks in the area. He was joined by the provincial communicable disease committee.

Last month, the province has seen 95 cases to 2,283 cases. An average of 1,900 people tested positive from an RT-PCR or ATK test daily. This has raised additional concerns with public safety.

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Thailand Ministry of Health reports 22,703 new COVID-19 cases and an additional 69 deaths since yesterday. The ministry also announced an additional 24,247 recovered patients.

COVID Care for moderate to severe cases will remain free under the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients (Ucep) Plus scheme. This begins on March 16. National Institute for Emergency Medicine criteria will be used to guide the qualification of a case. Deputy government spokesperson, Traisuree Taisaranakul said that patients can seek treatment at any medical facility. After three days, they will be transferred to a hospital where their insurance is accepted.

As of today, all COVID cases can seek treatment anywhere. However, beginning March 16, the mild status cases will have a different treatment.

“We want to reserve beds in hospitals for the yellow [moderate] and red [severe] groups of patients,” she said.

COVID Care

The demand for COVID care has increased to the point where the hotline is getting overwhelmed. National Health Security Office (NHSO) assured everyone they are working on decreasing the waiting time. Due to the surge in cases, the hotline has been overwhelmed with calls regarding hospital beds and treatments.

Due to the uptick of cases, the medical system is trying to reserve hospital beds for severe cases. This is also in preparation for the approval of Songkran celebrations that could increase cases further.

Songkran

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has assured that inter-provincial travel and celebrations will go ahead. The Songkran Festival will be from April 13-15. During this time, Vaccine, Universal Prevention, Covid free-setting, and ATK testing – measures will be implemented. Also, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) will meet to discuss public safety measures.

The Prime Minister strongly suggests that everyone get their third dose as well as perform ATK tests before and after celebrations. A full vaccination is also recommended for the elderly and those with underlying problems.

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Yesterday, 24,236 positive results from antigen test kits were added to the tally. The total number reached 45,398 according to the Department of Disease Control. Dr. Sumanee Wacharasin, hazard communication director of the DDC acknowledged increasing case numbers.

“New daily cases are slowly increasing. The number of patients with lung inflammation and dependent on ventilators is also increasing as daily new cases rise,” Dr. Sumanee said.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed the health care system to provide treatment for those testing positive. This comes after a number of people complained they could not access the healthcare system. He called Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang to inquire more about the issue.

Beginning March 1, the outpatient care of COVID-19 patients took effect. Under the new scheme, people who have mild to no symptoms can be prescribed favipiravir or fah talai jone. Additional medications are also available if the doctor deems it necessary.

For those infected with COVID and with underlying health issues, self-isolation with a telecare system can be arranged. Community isolation and hospitels are also available. For those with severe symptoms, they will be admitted to the hospital right away.

The outpatient service is to avoid overwhelming the healthcare systems and reserving hospital beds for those who really need it.

In Washington, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has added Thailand, Hong Kong, and New Zealand to high alert countries. This means that it is not recommended to visit the country at the moment due to the COVID cases.

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The hotels have posted huge losses during the pandemic. According to the survey, 63% of the hotels recorded an average occupancy rate of less than 30%. This is despite the Test and Go scheme revived recently.

Thai Hotels Association (THA) president Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi said that 75% of the hotels project a 30% occupancy rate. However, 37% of the hotels were the ones who were able to reach the target.

The average occupancy rate increased from 32% to 34% in the month of January. This is largely due to the We Travel Together and Test and Go schemes.

“Even though the Test & Go scheme has resumed, local tourists were still the majority of our customers. Almost half of the hoteliers who took the survey said international guests made up less than 10% of their bookings,” Mrs. Marisa said.

Only 20% of the hotels registered international guests and accounted for 50% of the total number of guests. The small number of tourists traveling is largely in part of the Test and Go and Thailand Pass complications. The RT-PCR tests are particularly costly for many.

Due to the uncertainty faced by the hotels with the pandemic situation, the THA is asking for some help. They are requesting the government to reduce the land and building tax by 90% until 2023. Right after Songkran will be the off-peak season. The unemployment rate increased to 59.8% for most hotels.

At the moment, 43% of the hotels are struggling to find qualified personnel. Some of the positions lacking skilled workers are the front office, food and beverage, kitchen, and marketing. Due to the low occupancy rate, most hotels resorted to hiring part-time staff. Some resorted to increasing the permanent staff salary instead.

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Yesterday, the country has crossed the 3 million mark with 22,818 cases according to the Public Health Ministry. This is excluding the 33,085 who tested positive with an ATK test kit.

Bangkok leads the tally with 2,809 cases followed by Chon Buri at 1,126 and Nakhon Si Thammarat at 1,067. The current wave began in January and is now at 781,376 cases and 1,478 deaths. A total of 589,997 cases have recovered.

Yesterday Thailand has an overall total of 3,004,814 cases since the pandemic began with 23,179 fatalities.

National Health Security Office (NHSO) currently reports 60,000-70,000 try to contact their hotline daily. The number increased due to the current wave of omicron cases. Most people are contacting the hotline for assistance in terms of treatment. Due to the high volume of calls, some could not go through.

NHSO recruited volunteers to help answer their hotline and also opened social media channels. They are asking those seeking treatment to contact the service through social media.

For those who tested positive yet prefer not to go to a hospital, the NHSO can arrange medical facilities to assist. If the patients are not among the high-risk group, like the elderly or those with underlying health conditions, can self-isolate. They will be looked after via a telehealth phone app.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health, Anutin Charnvirakul said that those with mild symptoms can seek treatment as an outpatient. The treatment will be covered by the Social Security Funds. Patients can also use the NHSO’s universal health coverage scheme or the Civil Servant Medical Benefit Scheme.

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As the cases are expected to soar during the Songkran celebrations, the government is urging the elderly to get vaccinated. There is about 2 million elderly population who haven’t got any vaccinations. During the festival, families are expected to reunite which could cause COVID-19 infections.

Not getting vaccinations can jeopardize the health of the elderly. 2.17 million senior citizens have not been vaccinated yet, the government is urging them to get it done. Department of Disease Control, Deputy Chief, Dr. Sophon Iamsirithavorn voiced these concerns.

“Getting vaccinated can save their lives and certainly minimize any severe symptoms if they catch Covid,” he said. “A large percentage of the elderly demographic in Thailand is now vaccinated with at least one shot, with coverage now extending to 83% of the elderly population or 10.54 million people.”

“But more than two million people in that age bracket still haven’t had any shots at all. They need to get vaccinated as quickly as possible,” Dr. Sophon added.

“We don’t want to see a tragic loss of life among older generations of families due to this disease during the Songkran festival.”

Previously, the department released possible scenarios should there be no preventive measures. In their worst-case scenario, they predicted that cases will reach 100,000 a day. If some measures will be in place, it could be at 50,000.

Meanwhile, hospitality businesses in Pattaya are urging the government to allow them to serve alcohol past midnight. They are also asking to extend dine-in services past 11:00 PM.

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Most of the cases that are being recorded are from the RT-PCR tests conducted. If the additional antigen test kits will be accounted for, the total increase to 65,756 cases. Department of Disease Control Hazard Communication Director, Sumanee Wacharasin confirmed yesterday.

She also added that the cases are expected to peak in mid-April. “Please do your best to refrain from attending meetings, and work from home as much as possible,” she said.

Dr. Sumanee also provided details on the recorded fatalities. She cited that 67% of the fatalities were unvaccinated or inadequately vaccinated. 27% have received only two doses more than three months ago. Bangkok logged the most fatalities at 10 followed by Nakhon Pathom at 2.

Director-general of the Department of Medical Services, Dr. Somsak Akksilp said that ATK testing is actually 95% accurate.

The Public Health Ministry is mobilizing provincial hospitals near the capital to help handle the rising COVID cases. The current healthcare system of the capital is being overwhelmed by new cases every day. Health Ministry Permanent Secretary, Dr. Kiattiphum Wongrajit announced that thousands are seeking assistance. Patients call the National Health Security Office (NHSO) hotline for Home Isolation assistance.

“We have been concerned because there are around 50,000 pending cases waiting to access our outpatient self-isolation service in the capital. To ease their difficulties, we have decided to open acute respiratory infection [ARI] clinics in our hospitals in 14 provinces near the capital so that patients who meet with difficulty in contacting the 1330 service can go there directly to access our medical treatment system,” he said.

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Thailand Ministry of Health reports 23,618 new COVID-19 cases and an additional 49 deaths since yesterday. The ministry also announced an additional 19,093 recovered patients.

Public Health Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul plans to present an overhaul to the COVID treatment scheme. Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients (Ucep) Plus will be presented next week for review. It is expected to show how it will cover the treatment of moderate to severe cases of COVID-19.

UCEP

Under the new rule, people will be divided into categories depending on the severity of the cases. Green is for mild to no symptoms, yellow is for moderate, and red for those who are severe. Each category has a different coverage in terms of treatment. Doctors will be the ones to diagnose and categorize each patient.

Mr. Anutin that the new scheme will help reserve hospitalization for those in need of the treatment. “It is not right for people who do not need to be hospitalized to scramble for beds reserved for those who require more intensive care,” Mr. Anutin said.

“When we know how to control the pandemic and treat people appropriately, we should manage hospital resources to ensure their optimal use so people who need hospital care can access it straight away.”

The current UCEP scheme allows everyone to see treatment anywhere for the first three days. After which, patients will be transferred to hospitals accredited by their insurance. Initially, it was to be implemented by March 1 however, due to the surge in cases, it was delayed.

Self-isolation is still strongly recommended for mild to no symptoms to avoid overwhelming the system. The hospitalization is reserved for the at-risk groups or those with critical symptoms. Many countries suffered waves of COVID that caused the shortage of hospital beds.

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Public Health Ministry Permanent Secretary, Dr. Kiattiphum Wongrajit is hoping to increase awareness on COVID-19 treatment. As 95% of the cases are now asymptomatic or mild symptoms, there is no urgent need for hospitalization. Most people are not aware that non-severe cases do not require hospital confinement. The Ministry hopes to introduce the Self Isolation service as it transitions COVID-19 as endemic.

“We need people to change their mindset when it comes to the right medical treatment for Covid-19 as an endemic disease,” he said.

Home Isolation is suitable for asymptomatic and mild symptoms. Self Isolation is slightly different as patients will receive prescription drugs. There is also a facility transfer assistance and a one-time follow-up call. They will then stay at home for seven days and monitor their progress through an ATK test.

This is an additional option while Community Isolation and Home Isolation remain active.

Meanwhile, hoteliers are asking to scrap the RT-PCR test and the Thailand Pass as a whole. With the conflict in Russia and Ukraine costing many economies, the tourism sector outlook is not so good.

Founder and Chairman of Minor Internation, William Heinecke says that if the government would like to recover, they would need to scrap the Thailand Pass system. This will resume the regular travel requirements to Thailand. It could open the doors to more tourists and increase the arrivals.

He sighted examples such as the UK, the US, the majority of Europe, the Philippines, Cambodia, and the Middle East. The current Travel Pass rules will make it a bit more difficult for tourists. Also, the additional cost of traveling while economies tumble could be an issue.

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The Department of Disease Control predicts that the cases could hit up to 100,000 daily by Songkran. This is based on the worst cases scenario. They also added that the cases could drop or rise for the next few weeks. This would depend on how strict the COVID prevention measures are implemented.

The measures include avoiding group activities, non-essential travel, and working from home. Maintaining a high vaccination rate is also very important. VUCA (Vaccine, Universal Prevention, COVID-19 free setting, and ATK) preventive measures are recommended.

The best-case scenario is when the precautions are fully implemented. This will result in the cases staying within the 20,000 marks. This could also mean that it would peak by the middle of the month.

If the current preventive measures will continue as it is, they predict that the cases will reach about 50,000 daily. This would be until the Songkran festival.

The worst prediction would be if there are no measures implemented at all. In this scenario, the cases will reach 100,000 daily until the middle of next month.

Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration spokeswoman, Apisamai Srirangson said that there are 213,645 cases being treated. 83,479 are currently hospitalized with 08% of them with mild symptoms.

She also recommended that those will little to no symptoms should stay at home. Seeking hospital admission would not be necessary. The hospital beds are reserved for severe cases.

Test and Go scheme has also revised the entry requirement. The fifth-day RT-PCR test initially required will be replaced by an ATK test starting today.

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Green chiretta production will be ramped up by the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine. Fah talai jone is a famous alternative medicine for favipiravir for those with mild to no symptoms.

Green chiretta has been found to be able to cure mild symptoms of COVID-19. During the first wave of the pandemic in the country, many studies were conducted on its effectiveness. Many COVID patients have fully recovered because of herbal medicine. There are qualities in the plant that could help eliminate the virus inside the body.

Department director-general, Dr. Yongyot Thammawut announced the distribution of over 30,000 packs of green chiretta. Other tens of thousands are distributed to the provinces.

Fah talai jone comes either as an extract or as a capsule. A larger than usual dose is used for people with mild to no symptoms. Dr. Yongyot said that those who are taking the green chiretta should not combine it with favipiravir.

Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, a government spokesman announced that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered that all who are suffering COVID-19 must have unrestricted access to healthcare.

It is also suggested to take home isolation as an initial step rather than hospitalization. This will help not to overload the health care system. It is recommended to reserve hospital beds for severe cases. Overwhelming the healthcare system unnecessarily will cause more fatalities.

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The Rural Doctor Society (RDF) Facebook page posted a message saying several hospitals are short of COVID-19 medication. The Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) on Saturday announced that there is no shortage.

GPO Deputy Director, Sirikul Methivirangsan said that there are 24 million Favipiravir pills on reserved. There are also another 60 million currently being produced. In total the GPO has 84 million to be distributed across the nation. Aside from these, local GPO units have a reserve of their own.

RDS claimed that back in September, GPO began producing the pills and access was easy. In October, when the Delta cases begin to decline, there was a good number of reserves. This prompted the Public Health Ministry to allow access to everyone who tested positive to obtain the pills.

Recently, the shortage was so severe that hospitals are only left a few of the pills. Most of the pills left are being reserved for critical cases and the elderly. The formerly open distribution of the pills became stricter. Hospitals have to verify the patient’s need for the pill before handing it.

Permanent Secretary for Public Health Dr. Kiattiphum Wongrajit said “Outpatient care will be provided for patients who cannot access the two systems. It will be an alternative service to be available at certain respiratory infection clinics.”

“Outpatient care will be available at every hospital from March 1 because coverage for Covid-19 patients remains unchanged under the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients scheme,” Dr. Kiattiphum said.

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Thailand has had a total of 2,844,897 cases since the pandemic began. A total of 2,621,004 has recovered and the country logged a total of 22,852 deaths. There are 201,041 active cases and 687 are on a critical status.

As part of attempts to declare the virus endemic within the next four months, the Public Health Ministry will enable hospitals to treat Covid-19 patients as outpatients. The outpatient plan for persons infected with Covid-19, according to Kiatiphum Wongrajit, permanent secretary for public health, is set to start on March 1.

People suspected of being infected will be tested using an antigen test kit (ATK), and if the results are positive, doctors may consider giving favipiravir or fah talai jone, as well as other drugs, based on their symptoms. According to him, the proposed outpatient service is part of the ministry’s goal to downgrade Covid-19 to a self-care illness.

Several Covid-19 patients are receiving therapy at home in Chiang Mai and Phuket, according to Dr. Kiatiphum, and Siriraj Hospital is creating a similar scheme in which individuals with minor symptoms will be isolated at home.

He also stated that, based on their doctors’ assessments, at-risk populations can be treated as outpatients.

Somsak Akkasilp, director-general of the Department of Medical Services, said the ministry is in negotiations with three medical societies about developing standards for medical treatment for Covid-19 outpatients.

He said that the decision was made in accordance with Thai Paediatric Society recommendations for the care of young Covid-19 patients, which provide that children under the age of 15 can be treated as outpatients.

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COVID-19 cases among children aged 5 and below have risen to 100,000 accounting for 5% of the total cases. Since April of last year, reports have come in of children contracting the virus. The official tally is at 107,059 and 29 children have died.

The children mostly got the virus from contact with family members. Also, at that time, there were no vaccines available for the children.

“If there are vulnerable groups in their houses, people should assess the risk. If the risk is high, they should take antigen tests. However, they may show no symptoms,” Dr. Ekachai Piansriwatchara said. He is the deputy director-general of the Department of Health.

Health officials advise those coming home from work to assess their contact and level of risk. This would help protect vulnerable groups like children, the elderly, or pregnant women.

The Public Health Ministry is looking to downgrade COVID-19 into an endemic status in 4 months. There are no future lockdowns that are considered. This is due to the low fatality rate of the new omicron sub-variant BA.2.

The Ministry is hoping to outline steps on how it can transition into an endemic situation where people live with the virus. This could help balance the economy as the country begins recovering from the economic cost of lockdowns.

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April is just around the corner, it’s considered to be Thailand’s peak season as it is when Songkran is celebrated. The Thai New Year festival is among the most important annual events in the nation. For the past two years, the celebrations were minimized due to the lockdowns. This year, everyone is unsure if it will be the long-awaited return to normal or would be canceled.

This is usually the time of the year when the local and international tourists flock to famous Thai destinations. Year after year before the pandemic, it has brought in billions in revenue. This year, tourism operators are hoping for it not to be a dry one.

As the country continues to battle a resurgence of cases, many ask if a lockdown will happen. The current surge is expected to peak by March. The current alert level is raised to level 4. The government said previously that lockdowns will not be needed, however, due to the increase in cases, many are in doubt.

The recent announcement of the government of increasing the alert level to four was slammed by tourist operators. The alert level did not come to a lockdown but it discouraged unnecessary inter-provincial travels. This has greatly affected the businesses that were expecting an influx of local tourists after a long dry season. They are quick to suggest that the country should begin to live with the virus. They also sighted examples such as the European nations who lifted all restrictions.

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Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul will hold a meeting to assess the test and go package. The government is weighing the option to replace the second PCR Test requirement with an ATK test kit instead. The Department of Disease Control and Emergency Operation Centre will present proposals for the scheme.

The current Test and Go package require fully vaccinated tourists to take a PCR test on the first and fifth day. The reason for looking into the second test is that the virus is already on community spread. The infections are mostly local and not imported.

The country is currently facing new challenges as the cases continue to surge. The government announced the increase of the alert level to 4. This does not mean that a lockdown will be implemented however inter-provincial travel is discouraged.

The announcement of alert level 4 has worried many tourism operators. They said that this decision could affect the economy and those ailing businesses. They cited examples like Maldives and Europe for allowing people to love the virus. This new alert will cause anxiety to potential customers and could cancel plans to travel.

The inconsistent opening and closing of tourism-related businesses could cause worrisome situations for the sector. They ask the government to come up with a decisive action to address tourism at the same time keeping the public safe.

They ask to see how other countries are coping with the virus and still continue to stimulate their economies. This is in the hopes to balance the pandemic and the economic stability of the country.

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Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul approved the changes to the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients (UCEP) scheme. Part of the scheme is to delist COVID-19 treatment from the covered illnesses. The changes will take effect on March 1, 2022.

Under the previous scheme, patients can seek treatment for the first three days. After the initial treatment, they will be transferred to a hospital where the universal coverage is registered. Under the changes, if a patient seeks medical help from a private hospital, they would have to pay for the bill.

Mr. Anutin also announced the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients (UCEP) Plus for patients with moderate to severe symptoms. These changes were done to improve budget management but still provide standard COVID treatment.

“We have to make necessary adjustments [to the UCEP scheme] for the sake of giving fair and effective treatment while also considering budgetary factors,” he said.

For those who were recently infected by the omicron variant, most of the cases are asymptomatic or with mild symptoms. Most of the cases could be addressed through home isolation. Even under home isolation, the cases are still monitored by health professionals. In cases where it becomes severe, they can be admitted to hospitals for treatment.

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As the cases continue to rise once again, virologists issues a warning that cases could reach 30,000 – 50,000. This is the most likely scenario if there are no measures taken to curb the spread.

The Interior Ministry Permanent Secretary, Suttipong Juljarern ordered provincial governors to come up with COVID measures. These are plans to help curb the virus spread and will be strictly enforced. He also advised provinces located near the border to tighten security measures. Part of their concerns are migrants crossing borders illegally.

In addition, they are also required to raise public awareness about the COVID conditions. They would also like to seek public cooperation to contain the spread. Local leaders are asked to prepare contingency plans in case of an outbreak.

Chulalongkorn University’s Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology, Yong Poovorawan posted a message on Facebook. “Covid-19 cases are also on an upward trend in Thailand and the country may see daily cases reach 30,000-50,000,” he said. He also noted that if antigen kit results are added to the daily count, it would probably show 25,000 a day.

He urged those who tested positive through an ATK test and are asymptomatic to isolate right away. There is no need to take an RT-PCR test. This will help reduce a load of laboratories on running tests. If all ATK tests will be retested through an RT-PCR test, the cost will increase.  

With the Songkran Festival on the horizon, health experts continue to suggest following the universal measures. These are vaccination, social distancing, wearing of masks, and frequent washing of hands.

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Thailand Ministry of Health reports 18,953 new COVID-19 cases and an additional 30 deaths since yesterday. The ministry also announced an additional 13,962 recovered patients.

Department of Medical Sciences director-general Dr. Supakit Sirilak says they are studying the virulence of the BA 2 subvariant. They wanted to see if it is deadlier than the previous variants alpha, beta, and delta. This is in response to the growing concerns about the rising number of cases in Thailand.

Omicron Subvariant

”Normally it takes at least 14 days to follow up on the condition of Covid-19 patients to determine how severe their disease is, while it is actually best to monitor them until they fully recover,” he said.

The treatment seems to be the same as the other variants. The doctors treat the patients based on their symptoms. It is not necessary for them to know the sub-lineage prior to treatment.

“We’re treating patients based on their symptoms. And [once again] Covid-19 vaccines are capable of preventing severe disease, whether it be Delta or Omicron,” he said.

Delta variant has a fatality rate of 200 lives for every 10,000 cases while omicron’s original variant kills about 20 per 10,000 cases. “A great virus is one that kills only between 3% and 5% of the people it infects while it continues to spread,” he added.

”Whether Omicron’s BA.2 sub-variant will be the same or worse remains to be seen,” he said.

Current studies suggest that BA.2 subvariant is more contagious, this has been corroborated by many health experts. All of them are conducting studies on its virulence. It is unknown if it will be resistant to the immunity provided by the vaccinations.

With the Songkran Festival on the horizon, health experts continue to suggest following the universal measures. These are vaccination, social distancing, wearing of masks, and frequent washing of hands.

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The Department of Disease Control assured that there were few cases of side effects among the administered doses. There were 120 million doses administered in the country. This comprises 26.4 million Sinovac, 46.8 million AstraZeneca, 14.7 million Sinopharm, 27.6 million Pfizer, and 4.3 million Moderna doses.

Director of the Emergency Health Hazard and Disease Control, Dr. Chawetsan Namwat confirmed the data. He said that 79 people developed allergies with their vaccines. 43 affected by Sinovac and 22 by AstraZeneca. 31 people suffered from pericarditis after receiving doses. 29 attributed to Pfizer and one to Astrazeneca and one to Sinopharm. Thrombosis with thrombocytopenia was found in six people. Five of them received AstraZeneca jabs while one with Pfizer.

There were 2.081 complaints regarding deaths associated with vaccination. Only four were confirmed. Two from thrombosis with thrombocytopenia, one due to severe shock and one associated with Stevens-Johnson syndrome.

The other 177 deaths were associated with heart disease, intracerebral hemorrhage, and thrombosis. The other 938 were due to infected nervous system, pneumonitis, and other factors. The cause of death for the other complaints was not confirmed.

The Tourism Industry proposed to remove the second RT-PCR test required by the Test and Go scheme. The proposal was submitted to the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration. The Tourism and Sports Ministry will propose to replace the second PCR test with an antigen test. If approved, it will be applied by March 1.

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Nakhon Si Thammarat has become a new hotspot logging in nearly 1500 COVID cases. The Provincial Public Health reported 1,436 total cases. 750 cases were detected through the RT-PCR tests and 686 were detected from ATK test kits.

The asymptomatic cases were advised to undergo home isolation. Those who have mild to severe symptoms, there were asked to take hospital treatments. Muang, Thung Song, Tha Sala, Bang Khan, Ron Phibun, Chulabhorn and Sichon were among the hotspots.

Chief of the Provincial Health Office Dr. Charasphong Sukkree said that 80% of the cases were identified as the Omicron variant. Most of the cases were obtained through contact with family members who were infected.

“Before that, we were more concerned about it spreading within gambling circles, at ordination ceremonies, funerals, and marriage ceremonies,” he said.

“But from this January, Omicron has been prevalent and it’s hard to trace the origin, especially as many cases are asymptomatic. When people contract the virus, it spreads quickly among their family members.”

320 schools located in the province previously resumed onsite learning. However, due to the increasing number of cases, some had to close once again.

In Nakhon Sawan, Sangsawan school decided to cancel onsite learning after 38 students tested positive. The closure was to allow about 60 staff members to quarantine themselves.

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The Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Education approved covid zones for Mathayom 6 students. Students who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms will be able to take the university entrance examinations.

Department of Health Deputy Chief Dr. Sarawut Boonsuk made the announcement on Wednesday. “Any student who is infected with Covid-19 [with mild symptoms] will not be denied the opportunity to take an entrance examination. Each university must arrange a special area for them.”

Universities are required to have three exam zones for the students. “The first zone should be reserved for confirmed Covid-negative students. The second zone should be for students considered a possible health risk. The third will be for confirmed Covid-1 infected students who have shown mild or no symptoms. This is part of the understanding that all students will be treated equally,” he said.

Apart from zoning, the ministry also discussed possible solutions for COVID-19 that do not involve the closing of schools. He added that it was agreed that both boarding and non-boarding schools should carry on with onsite classes despite the detected presence of Covid-19 cases in schools. He added the present isolation system will continue at boarding schools where infected students can learn onsite in isolated buildings until they recover from the disease. They will all the while be under close medical supervision by public health teams. These will all be submitted to Gen Supoj Malaniyom, head of operations at the CCSA for approval. The meeting will be chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

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BA.2 subvariant of Covid-19’s Omicron variant accounted for 18.5% of Omicron cases for the past week. The  Department of Medical Sciences examined the lineages of the samples. Director-general Supakit Sirilak reported that they found 18.5% were of the BA.2 subvariant. These are from 567 Omicron cases obtained from Feb 5 to 11.

“There are some signs that BA.2 spreads faster than BA.1 looking at cases in other countries but there has not been any significant difference from BA.1 when it comes to severity and vaccine avoidance,” he said.

BA.2 has been detected in 57 countries and is likely to replace BA.1 in India, Denmark, and Sweden. It has already superseded BA.1 in Denmark. BA.2 was first recorded in Thailand among visitors early this year.

Omicron is already a dominant variant of Covid-19 worldwide and booster vaccine shots could prevent infection, severe illness, and fatalities caused by BA.2 according to overseas papers.

Bangkok had the largest number of accumulated Omicron infections with 6,641 cases including 2,132 local infections, followed by 1,286 cases in Phuket, 1,240 in Chon Buri, 670 cases in Roi Et, 590 in Samut Prakan, 534 in Nong Khai, 511 in Surat Thani, 508 in Maha Sarakham, 419 in Kalasin and 410 in Khon Kaen.

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The government will move ahead with the planned change for COVID-19 treatment. Even if a few members urged to delay the implementation due to the current surge in cases. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said this is in line with the planned downgrade of the virus.

The Ministry plans to remove COVID-19 from the coverage of the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients (UCEP). This will take effect on March 1, 2022. Those who will test positive for covid but not in a critical state must go to their registered hospital for treatment. Previously, any hospital is open for treatment for both mild and critical conditions.

Mr. Anutin affirmed that COVID will be reduced from pandemic to an endemic by the end of the year. He insisted before that we must live with COVID. Also, the most recent variants are less deadly. This is largely due to the vaccination.

The CCSA also advised that the number of cases should be leveling out soon. This is due to the increase in cases in the past few days. Apisamai Srirangson, CCSA spokeswoman said that the cases should stabilize soon and should begin falling by this week. This is the same globally as cases begin to fall.

She also commented on the recorded deaths. “All of them had underlying illnesses. Fourteen were unvaccinated. Two had received one vaccine dose. Two others had their second dose more than four months ago. Two had already received their third dose but had not reached the time when their immunity would peak yet,” she said.

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The government is being urged to continue covering the treatment for COVID-19. This comes after the Ministry of Public Health’s decision to delist it under the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients (UCEP). Previously, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced that COVID will not be covered by the scheme. The only exception will be for those in critical condition.

Due to the rise in daily cases, Deputy Public Health Minister Sathit Pitutecha urged the ministry to delay the implementation. March 1 was the set date for the scheme to take effect however, he is urging the government to delay it to April. Pheu Thai Party also urged the government to reconsider the move. They said it could complicate efforts to contain the outbreak.

The announcement will apply on March 1. For those with critical conditions, secondary COVID infections will be the only ones covered.

The number of hospitals the health insurance is applicable to will decrease. Patients who tested positive for COVID must seek a hospital where the UCEP is accepted.

National Health Security Office (NHSO) secretary-general Jadej Thammatacharee said that the power to change the scheme is with the Department of Health Service Support. He said free and/or subsidized treatment for Covid-19 will remain available to the public. Even if the disease has been removed from the list of conditions covered by the UCEP.

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The World Health organization continues to track new variants appearing worldwide. Dr. Andrew Freedman from Cardiff University Medical School said that viruses “tend to become milder” as they evolve. However, he continued to say “isn’t always the case.”

“It may well be with future variants that they are even more contagious. They may be milder, but we can’t say that with certainty,” he added.  “Until the whole world is vaccinated, not just rich Western countries, I think we are going to remain in danger of new variants coming along and some of those could be more virulent than omicron.”

Thailand is on track to be one of the countries that have 70% of the population vaccinated according to WHO data. This is a great effort by the country. This is not the case for other countries. Some countries are nowhere near the 70% vaccination requirements.

The WHO has released the data for fully vaccinated 70% of their population by mid-2022. The green tag represents those who are already above 70%. Yellow shows the countries on track to be at 70%. The red tag is for countries that are nowhere near 70%.

Among those on the green zones are Canada, China, Japan, Australia, France, Germany, and Switzerland. There are about 40% of countries that are in the yellow zone. This includes the UK, Thailand, India, Russia, Brazil, Columbia, and Mexico. About 50% of the countries are still in the red zone. These include Myanmar, Kazakhstan, Poland, Turkey, Ukraine, Romania, and most of South Africa. The only countries that are tagged yellow in South Africa are Tunisia, Mauritania, Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Djibouti. The rest are on red zones.

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Thailand is planning to initiate a travel bubble with India with the goal of attracting high-value young Indian visitors. They are a valuable market in terms of the contributions they can make to the recovery of the economy.

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Friday approved a proposal on the Thai-Indian Air Travel Bubble (ATB). CCSA spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin cited extra convenience will be offered to air passengers traveling between the two countries.

“Indian visitors represent Thailand’s hope for the recovery of tourism,” said the VP of the Tourism Council of Thailand and the Indian-Thai Chamber of Commerce, Somsong Sachaphimukh. “India is a high-value tourism market given it has 600-700 million people aged 29 years and under,” she added. “The country also has a growing number of new millionaires.”

Many of the young Indian tourists have a preference for the beaches of Thailand which remains to be their top destination. The beaches of Pattaya, Koh Samui, and the other islands are on top of their lists. This could help revive the economy.

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The government has raised concerns regarding the increasing number of COVID cases. They are now considering tightening measures for Valentine’s Day and Songkran.

The head of operations at the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), Gen Supoj Malaniyom chaired the discussion. They expressed their concerns regarding the rise of cases above 10,000. A meeting will be chaired today by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to discuss tougher measures. These curbs will help reduce the cases during Valentine’s Day and Songkran.

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) will also begin their campaign for “Start Safe Sex, Use Condom”. Their aim is to reduce the transmission of covid and sexually transmitted diseases among the youth. There was a considerable rise in cases last year for STD cases.

Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he will provide updates. They are aiming to revise the insisting measures to help curb the infections.

Mr. Anutin said, “People who have been fully vaccinated and still test positive are mostly asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, as predicted by medical experts”. “However, they are still required to follow precautions strictly and get their booster shot as quickly as possible. It may take about a month and a half before case numbers go down. We have to try to co-exist with Covid,” he added.

He will also include a proposal to remove COVID-19 from the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients (Ucep) scheme. The current scheme allows patients to seek treatment from a private or public hospital for the first 24 hours.

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Department of Disease Control (DDC) says that the number of cases could reach up to 2000 a day in Bangkok. Most infections will be adolescents and those who are of working ages.

The main cause will be coming in contact with infected patients through group activities. Especially if they are conducted in an area with poor airflow. Examples would be pubs and bars.

Dr. Suthat Chottanapund, director of the department’s Institute for Urban Disease Control and Prevention commented. “We have found the main cause of infections remains unchanged, and we have seen more infections within families as the Omicron variant is easily spread”.

Senior citizens, unvaccinated people, and those living with chronic diseases still account for most deaths.

Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai, Department of Health chief advised precautions when on fresh markets. This is due to clusters appearing regularly in the markets. He also advised the markets to follow the department guidelines. These include social distancing, frequent washing of hands, and wearing masks.

The number of cases has been increasing for the past three days. However, the dominant variant is the omicron which has mild symptoms. Home isolation is enough for most cases. Some would require intensive care, especially those who are immune-compromised.

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The global cases are now at 400,428,718 cases since the pandemic began. There were 5,781,769 total casualties and 320,737,052 recoveries. At the moment there are 73,909,897 active cases of which, 89,919 are in critical condition.

The US has recorded the most cases standing at 78,556,139. This is followed by India at 42,409,052. Third is Brazil at 26,776,620 followed by France at 20,804,372. The UK stands at number five with 17,932,803.

The world continues to tackle the latest wave of COVID 19 which is dominated by the omicron variant. WHO has announced a variant of concern in November of 2021. There are fresh reports from over 54 countries of a new sub-lineage called BA.2. This variant is said to be more contagious than the original one. Additional studies are on the way to see if it is deadlier than previously identified variants.

Many countries are also relaxing measures against COVID. Although the new variant is contagious it is less deadly. Many borders are reopening along with business capacity increasing. The World Health Organization advises keeping basic measures in place. These include social distancing, wearing a mask, frequent washing of hands, and vaccination. Their main concern is the virus mutating into a deadlier lineage.

Countries are also beginning to distribute vaccinations for children below the age of 12. They are also encouraging adults to get a booster shot to increase immunity. If there a no new variants of covid, it could be declared an endemic this year.

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Thailand Ministry of Health reports 10,398 new COVID-19 cases and an additional 17 deaths since yesterday. The ministry also announced an additional 8,922 recovered patients.

The government is planning to open talks with China and Malaysia this month regarding a travel bubble. This would help boost the tourism economy after a successful Test and Go resumption. Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, the government spokesperson, talked about discussing an agreement with  China’s minister for culture and tourism.

Travel Bubble

There will be a limit on the number of tourists that will arrive in Thailand. Their traveling will also be limited in some areas of the country. This is to prevent any COVID-19 outbreaks.

No quarantine is required for the tourists however special protocols will apply. Protocols like their visa, accommodation, and flights will be limited.

Mr. Wangboonkongchana said “The prime minister is confident that Thailand will remain one of the world’s top tourist destinations despite the pandemic, and the government will support efforts to revitalize tourism with an emphasis on public health and safety,”

International arrivals may reach 5 million this year if the government would launch the travel bubbles. This is according to The Association of Thai Travel Agents (Atta). The current Test and Go and sandbox programs will not be enough.

Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said they will not propose lifting all the curbs. This is in light of the high case numbers reported daily. The ministry also said that they will suggest the way they deliver the report to not cause worry. He insisted that they will still be based on facts.

“Therefore, we don’t need to bring back lockdowns. Only nightlife venues, such as pubs, bars, and karaoke parlors won’t be allowed to reopen just yet,” Mr. Anutin said.

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The Public Health Ministry is also proposing to ease the COVID measures. This is to encourage people to live with the virus as opposed to imposing lockdown measures.

Department of Disease Control (DDC) Director-General Dr. Opas Karnkawinpong did not provide many details. “The global situation of Covid-19 seems to be moving in the same direction. Many countries have started to ease measures despite spikes in daily infections,” he said.

Thailand is reflecting the global trend where cases might be high however the mortality rate remains low. Many health officials are hoping to declare COVID as an endemic this year. The cases Thailand is reporting are relatively low compared to the rest of the world.

“We need to get people to understand that the number of daily new cases is nothing to worry about,” he said. The majority of cases are now due to the omicron variant. It is more contagious but less deadly than the delta variant. “We’ve lived with the disease for two years already, so it’s about time to move on together.”

Home isolation has been very effective for COVID patients and prevents them to overwhelm the health system. The most recent deaths recorded are all attributed to the high-risk category. The category involves those aged 60 or older or those with chronic diseases.

Despite the general trend towards easing curbs, Maha Sarakham has announced the prohibition of dining activities. This includes weddings, meetings, ordinations, and funerals, which became effective on Saturday. Violators are liable to imprisonment of up to two years and/or a fine of up to 40,000 baht under the Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations, in addition to a fine of up to 20,000 baht.

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Bill Heinecke, the founder and chairman of Minor International PLC said that the entry should be relaxed. He sighted that the current procedures are “cumbersome”. “If you’re vaccinated and tested you must be allowed to travel without so much paperwork,” said Mr. Heinecke. He said that tourism is “going to be tough and challenging for a while until the government changes its position”.

He sighted that the current requirements are too heavy for some tourists. Multiple Covid tests, the need to use an online registration system, and having an insurance policy with at least $50,000 cover is “cumbersome”. The United States is among the examples he sighted. “These are the bright spots — we don’t see difficulties or roadblocks stopping tourism from the rest of the world”.

A government spokesman defended the current scheme. “In reopening the country again this time, we have to make sure it’s safe for all,” said Anucha Burapachaisri. Secretary to the Prime Minister’s Office said “These travel requirements won’t be the norm forever, but only until the outbreak situation improves.”

While reopening is important to the economy, the current surge in cases should also be taken into consideration. Ensuring the health and safety of the public is still the priority. As WHO has stated, we must stay vigilant since this virus has the ability to mutate. Relaxing of measures could give it a chance to spread and evolve.

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The Department of Disease Control forecasts that the cases should begin to decline by mid-year. The daily infections should be down by 200 a day by August. DDC Director-General Dr. Opas Karnkawinpong predicted this outcome if no new variants emerge. The model shows that the cases will be down by 4000 a day in June. This will fall further to 1000 by July and eventually 100 by August.

A new surge in cases since yesterday prompted the government to remind the public of the measures. They asked the public to continue to tighten measures. The urge is attributed to the relaxing of entry measures as well as clusters. As the Test and Go were revived, some of the cases counted are from tourists. They were tested at the airport prior to their entry.

“Please do not worry about the figure. It is not important as long as our public health system can effectively manage the outbreak,” Dr. Opas said. “The most important point is that we have large-scale vaccination, especially of booster doses now having reached 21.4% [of the population],” he added.

The government is planning to declare COVID-19 as an endemic this year. This is due to the falling number of cases as well as the severeness of the symptoms. This scenario is possible if there is a new stronger variant that will emerge.

Omicron BA. 2 is now in 54 countries however further studies are needed to see its difference from the original. So far scientists confirmed that it is more contagious but not necessarily deadlier.

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Phuket issues an alert regarding an alarming number of arrivals testing positive. The local government asks the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) for stricter measures. The request was to better screen pre-departure documents.

The local government suspects that some of the documents submitted during the application were inaccurate. As a result, when they are tested on arrival, they show as positive. Phuket Deputy Governor Pichet Panapong made the call.

Due to the rising number of arrivals testing positive, it falls on the government to find hospitels for them. There will be a massive demand for isolation centers which the island did not anticipate. This number is due to the rise in Test and Go applications. “False Covid-19 RT-PCR test results are assumed to have something to do with the sharp rise in the number of post-arrival positive tests among tourists,” he stated.

Some travelers might have used a rapid antigen test to meet the requirement. It is widely noted that the results of the antigen test are not as accurate as of the RT PCR test. The local government also asked air carriers to properly verify the test results prior to departure.

Phuket has the capacity to test 3,000 tourists a day and can increase to 10,000 if needed. As of the moment, over 40,000 tourists are applying under the Test and Go scheme. 40 % of the applications chose Phuket.

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Phuket issued an order for a repeat test on the fifth day for all tourists arriving on the island. This comes after a large number of tourists tested positive upon arrival. Dr. Koosak Kookiatkul, provincial chief health officer made the announcement.

“This means Test & Go tourists coming to Phuket will have to pay for their two Covid-19 tests and book their hotel rooms on the first and fifth days in advance,” Dr. Koosak said. “In case they test negative for Covid-19 in the first test, they may undergo the second test and stay in a hotel while waiting for the test result of the repeat test,” he added.

During the first day of the Test and Go program, the island received 17 visitors. Another 2,439 were under the sandbox scheme. 2 of those under the Test and Go and another 104 from the Phuket Sandbox tested positive. Most of the infected cases were from Russia and Kazakhstan. It worries health and government officials that it will affect the overall tourism program.

Phuket governor Narong Woonciew said that out of 300 recorded cases in a day 100 of them are from tourists. The tourists arriving from the two nations account for most of the infection. Russian tourists account for a vast majority of international tourists arriving in Thailand through Phuket,” the governor said.

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Around 2500 passengers arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday. Airport general manager Kittipong Kittikachorn that test and go package arrivals come from Malaysia, Singapore, and Europe. Renovations made to the airport allowed a smoother process for the tourists as they checked in for quarantine.

Hotels were also advised to respond to the Thailand Pass booking verification within 30 hours. In cases that the hotel failed to respond, the application will be automatically rejected. The tight measure prevents any infected tourist from roaming around. Thailand Pass Hotel & Swap System (TPHS) is designed to help track tourists and contain the possible spread of Covid-19. It connects data from all related parties and updates it for effective analysis.

Tourists were sometimes granted a QR code from Thailand Pass to enter the country. This is despite lacking a hotel, airport transfer, or an RT-PCR test booking. Thailand Pass Hotel & Swap System (TPHS) prevents that since all data is updated in real-time.

The changes made to the Test and Go program is showing that it is now able to address previous flaws. It has better measures not just to protect the local residents but also the tourists.

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The Test and Go program resumes today. Unlike the previous version where one RT PCR test is required on arrival, this time tourists need 2. The second one will take place on the fifth day. Previously, 24 hours stay in a certified hotel is required. The revised program advises that tourists need to wait for the second test result too. This is an added precaution since the scheme is now open to all countries.

Another revision added is the coverage of the insurance policies. Previously, the government shouldered expenses beyond the coverage. This time, tourists must have full coverage prior to being awarded a Thailand Pass.

Previous programs have seen the weaknesses of the old models for tourism. Among them are tourists escaping quarantine or not returning for the second test. Insurances in some instances also failed to cover all bills. Another issue was a few tourists able to enter the country without insurance coverage.

The revisions made were necessary to address the shortcomings of the previous version. This also ensures the domestic population they are properly protected.

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Suvarnabhumi Airport staff is preparing for the Test and Go reopening. Part of the preparations is their 4^th vaccine shot to increase protection against COVID-19. Over 450,000 domestic and international travel will be expected over the Chinese New Year period. Part of the precautions in place are the testing centers at the airport.

Mr. Kittipong Kittikachorn, Suvarnabhumi Airport director announced that they are strictly following the “COVID free” rules. The airport collaborated with Emergency Operation Centre, the International Communicable Disease Control, the Immigration Police Bureau, the Tourist Police Bureau, airlines, and hotel operators. This is to ensure that measures an in place to avoid any case surge. All staff members are also regularly tested. There are also SHA plus certified transportations ready to take tourists to their hotels.

The government is currently discussing downgrading the COVID 19 pandemic to endemic this year. WHO has suggested not to do it for now since the virus is still mutating. Classifying it as an endemic would mean that things may go back to normal. Schools will reopen and people will be going back to work. These action plans are still under review by the CCSA.

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Cases remain to be steady on the 6000-8000 mark and most cases appear to be minor. This suggests that even if the omicron variant appears to be contagious, the symptoms are manageable. Basic COVID safety measures are still recommended. This includes frequent washing of hands, earing masks, and social distancing.

The lunar new year is expected to provide a breathing space for tourism. The reopening of the Test and Go scheme along with the expanded sandbox is about to resume. Many business operators are waiting for this opportunity for quite some time.

There are no current updates on the curbs in terms of curfews or serving alcohol at this time. Even if the tourism industry is reopening, the government is also cautious in terms of the pandemic.

Cases continue to rise across the world as curbs begin to ease up. WHO still advises everyone to remain vigilant and to keep up with vaccinations. They have warned that this might not be over yet. Their greatest concern remains to be the ability of the virus to mutate over time.

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Test and go is expected to resume on February 1, 2022, Tuesday. This is just in time for the Lunar New Year celebrations. About 450,000 tourists are expected to arrive in Thailand for the holiday.

Airport General Manager, Kittipong Kittikachorn said that the majority of the flights would be domestic passengers. The international flights comprised only 115,931 out of the 450,000 expected arrivals.

Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, the government’s spokesperson expressed their confidence in the test and go program. He said that the measures and processes in place ensure that they are prepared for the holiday events. This will greatly help the tourism industry bounce back after it has been battered for two years.

Both the test and go and the expansion of the sandbox program are expected to stimulate the tourism economy. With the continuous threat of the omicron variant across the globe, measures were added. Instead of just one RT-PCR test, tourists will need 2 tests. Also, the quarantine period is extended to 7 days as opposed to the original 1 day.

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The cases continue to fluctuate as today shows a slight increase from yesterday’s cases. The vaccination drive continues as more people are scheduled for their booster shots.

The Test and Go package along with the extended sandbox scheme are hoping to turn the markets around. As many as 5 million tourists are expected to visit the country. Tourism is among the largest economic source in the country. Two years of COVID pandemic has pushed markets to depend upon domestic consumers.

The reopening sparks concerns that the virus may evolve. This view is shared around the globe as COVID measures begin to relax. The current wave of cases is mostly due to the omicron variant. Omicron is very contagious but not as deadly as the previous variants. This could be because of the vaccinations that the population has received.

The future of many industries depends on how quickly a new variant will emerge. They will also be dependent on how fast governments around the world will respond.

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The Ministry of Public Health announced that they will be providing the first round of Pfizer vaccines to children. Those who are aged 5 to 11 may get vaccinated at the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health.

Chief of the Department of Disease Control Dr. Opas Karnkawinpong has set up guidelines on administering vaccines. There is also a support system in place for those who show side effects. He recommended that healthy children may get vaccinated at schools. However, those who are suffering health conditions must be vaccinated at a hospital.

“We are ready to kick off the Covid-19 vaccine for kids on Jan 31 at the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health. Children suffering from chronic diseases will be our priority,” Dr. Opas announced.

The ministry has ordered 10 million doses of Pfizer’s mRNA-based vaccine. Over a third is expected to arrive during the first quarter. The vaccines for children will require different preparatory procedures. They will arrive with an orange label to differentiate them from the adult versions.

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As the opening of the Test and Go scheme approaches, the government is ramping up the 4^th vaccine rollout. The plan is to ensure that the residents of the areas where tourists visit are protected from possible transmission.

Bangkok is currently the center of most infections. Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) announced that the capital registered 1,150 infections. Samut Sakhon had the second-most new infections during the 24-hour period with 688 cases, followed by 412 in Phuket, 394 in Chon Buri, 325 in Nonthaburi, 275 in Khon Kaen, 253 in Pathum Thani, 155 in Ubon Ratchathani, 141 in Lop Buri, and 125 in Chiang Mai.

As part of the effort to contain the virus, Bangkok is ramping up the vaccination rollouts for residents. This is also to ensure protection during the re-opening of the country to tourists. Bangkok remains a hotspot for tourists in Thailand. It is also the business center of the country where the biggest companies locally and globally have their headquarters.

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As the opening of the Test and Go scheme approaches, the government is ramping up the 4^th vaccine rollout. The plan is to ensure that the residents of the areas where tourists visit are protected from possible transmission.

Rachada Dhnadirek, deputy government spokeswoman that the doses will be distributed to 10 provinces — four popular tourist destinations and six others with relatively high infection rates.

The four tourism-reliant provinces are Phuket, Surat Thani, Krabi and Phangnga. The six others are either tourist destinations and/or provinces with high infection rates: Bangkok, Chonburi, Samut Prakan, Nonthaburi, Kanchanaburi, and Pathum Thani.

The government’s initial plan is to reserve the fourth shots for medical personnel and front-line responders. However, since the re-opening was approved, they have decided to include the local population. This is to provide protection as the tourism industry reopens.

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As the cases of omicron are stabilizing, the government is proposing to offer additional insurance options for tourists. As the sandbox and test and go programs are about to relaunch, there was a stipulation added. The insurance should be able to cover all the expenses related to covid hospitalization.

Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn is in discussions with the Office of the Insurance Commission (OIC). They wanted to provide insurance options to tourists. Currently, if a hospitel lets a patient slip through the quarantine or a tourist who cannot pay for their medical expenses will face legal actions.

Ideally, the premiums need to cover up to 800 baht a day, these premiums are currently priced at 30,000 baht. Previous problems with the earlier versions of the travel programs were tourists refusing to be confined. These are the current challenges the government is addressing to change.

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Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has cited that there is a decreasing number of cases and a controlled number of severe cases and deaths. At this point, the government is considering lowering the alert level. The country is currently at level 4 and is considering lowering it to level 3 (5 being the highest). They are also considering easing the curbs that are in place to control the spread of the virus.

He also stated that there will be more sandboxes to revive the tourism sector of the country. Among those in consideration are Chiang Mai, Chonburi, Khon Kaen, and Samut Prakan provinces. The Test&Go scheme is set to return by February if there will be no outbreaks.

Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn plans to push through with the resumption of the Test&Go program. It is expected to resume by February. This could bring more tourists to Thailand. He mentioned that it could attract at least 8 million tourists this year. He stated “Tourism is the engine that can revive the overall economy the fastest. It is important to resume travel activities, which have slowed since the suspension of the Test & Go scheme.”

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Department of Medical Sciences chief Dr. Supakit Sirilak that the combined jabs of inactivated vaccine and mRNA-based vaccine boosters prove to be effective against Delta and Omicron variants. Samples show a significant improvement in the immune system after receiving an mRNA booster.

“The study shows we do need to get a booster vaccine for fighting against the Omicron variant,” he said. “I would like to recommend all people, especially those considered at high risk from the disease, to get the booster vaccine as soon as possible.”

The study shows that a combination of either a full dose of Sinovac or full dose AstraZeneca combined with a Pfizer booster shows the immunity increased by the hundreds. While a two-dose AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Sinovac combined with AstraZeneca are showing below a hundred.

The department is now going to study the length of valid immunity from the vaccine doses.

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Over the weekend, Thailand reports its first death that is associated with the omicron virus. The Songkhla public health officials reported the death of an 86-year-old woman. The woman was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and was bedridden at the time. The lady was pronounced dead at Hat Yai Hospital.

The woman tested positive for COVID and was later been discovered to be suffering from the omicron strain. She was a resident of Khlong Hae and was believed to have contracted the virus from her nephew. Her nephew recently returned from Phuket.

Director-general of the Department of Disease Control (DDC) Dr. Opas Karnkawinpong sighted that the woman has received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine. However, her underlying illness compromised her immune system.

Public Health Ministry spokesperson Rungrueng Kitphati stated “even though Thailand has suffered its first death from the Omicron variant, the situation remains under control and the public remains urged to receive booster shots”.

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Government spokesperson Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana assures that there are enough beds for the increasing number of COVID cases. Measures in place are effective as the number of daily cases has stabilized. He also sighted that home isolations have been effective in handling mild symptoms and asymptomatic patients.

Home isolation is almost like hospital care since the medicine, monitoring, and food will be provided. Should the symptoms worsen, there are hospitals designated and ready to accommodate the patient.

Mr. Thanakorn provided an update that there are 22,035 field-hospital beds available across 118 locations in Bangkok and other provinces. The beds were provided by Defense Ministry, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha urged the public to remain vigilant. This includes abiding by the universal COVID measures like wearing masks and frequent washing of hands. These precautions are necessary as omicron has seen a spike across the world. He also sighted that if the situation gets better, the alert level will be lowered down from the current level 4 standing.

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Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul will propose the easing of COVID-19 curbs. Although case numbers are high, the number of those in critical condition is still low. As omicron becomes a dominant variant, the symptoms are mild.

Mr. Anutin states that “In light of the positive trend, the Public Health Ministry will ask the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) to ease as many containment measures as possible quickly. But if there are still threats to public health, the ministry will also propose measures for the public’s safety.”

He also sighted that the number of vaccinations is on a positive trend. It is the number one driver for the containment of the virus. He added that children aged 5-12 years old can now have Pfizer vaccinations. The manufacturer confirmed the order and is expected to deliver by the end of the month.

“We cannot afford to be complacent or let our guard down. We have to prepare just in case,” Mr. Anutin said. Universal measures like social distancing, wearing masks, and urging people to get vaccinated will always be in place.

The ministry is also considering reducing the 14-day quarantine. This is because of the current trend that most people recover within 10 days. The Public Health Ministry insisted that these measures do not contradict WHO warning of treating it as an endemic. They stated that it could be endemic in a year but not in a few days or even a month. This will also depend on the public’s cooperation with the containment measures.

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Travel sentiments have also dropped across the nation due to the rising daily cases. The cost of living has also increased due to the recent hike in prices. Inter-provincial travel has also been minimized due to the work from home directives. Some provinces also raised their alert level to 4.

Most of the rise in cases can be attributed to gathers. Some gatherings are related to pubs and bars. The recent alcohol ban is set to minimize the gatherings and the spread of the virus.

Bangkok has reported a jump in cases. The Department of Disease Control sighted that most of the rising cases are from restaurant-cum-pubs and crowded communities. The capital reported 939 cases. 300 of the cases contracted the virus from pubs and crowded living spaces. Another cause of the spike is caused by people visiting high-risk areas.

 Dr. Suthas Chottanapan, the director of the Institute for Urban Disease Control and Prevention urged the public to be careful. Among his suggestions were to avoid poorly ventilated areas and crowded places with people not wearing masks. This scenario is common at drinking parties. He also recommended delaying any travel plans at the moment.

In Pattaya, authorities continue to monitor venues and restaurants to ensure they follow the protocol. Twelve venues were found violating the COVID measures. These venues have served alcohol after 9:00 pm. The owners and staff members were detained to face charges.

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Officials from the Ministry of Public Health announced that most of the schools have effective COVID-19 control measures. This is in line with their initial statement that there will be no need to close schools. Department of Disease Control hazards communication director Sumanee Wacharasin said that most of the schools have passed the inspections.

95% of the students aged 12 and above have received their first vaccine and around 70% are fully vaccinated. School staff has also been fully vaccinated and measures like classroom closure are in place.

The government also announced that they have procures Pfizer mRNA vaccines for children aged 5-12 years old. The first batch of vaccines is expected to arrive late this month.

As of now, there were covid clusters among schools identified from three provinces. Six are from Chanthanaburi, five in Bangkok, and two in Nonthaburi. The common cause of infections is contact with family members infected with the virus.

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As COVID cases continue to fall, Phuket Tourism Authority remains to have a positive outlook. More than 4,000 applicants apply through the Phuket Sandbox program. Most applicants are from Europe and the United States. It shows that the restrictions in place inspire confidence among tourists.

126 out of 480 hotels have received Safety and Health Administration Plus certificate from the Public Health Ministry. This allows the hotel to isolate infected travelers within their facilities. For those hotels that are not certified, they need to refer their customers to government facilities. The authorities will assist in finding a suitable and certified hospitel or Traveller Community Isolation (TCI) facility.

PTA expects the number of certified hotels to double soon. Bangkok Hospital Siriroj in Phuket is also working with local hotels to add 100 hospitel rooms.

Currently, Phuket records 468 local COVID cases, 184 from the sandbox scheme, and 74 from the Test and Go program.

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The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) sighted those cases may jump up to 20,000 cases a day. This is an estimate if precautions are not taken seriously.

Currently, the delta strain dominates the infections at 64.71% while omicron stands at 35.17%. An assistant spokeswoman for the CCSA, Sumanee Wacharasint sighted 5,397 omicron cases from 71 provinces. However, if we look into the cases from January 2 until January 8 only, 70.3% of all the cases are from the omicron variant. Permanent secretary for the Public Health Ministry Dr. Kiattiphum Wongrajit stated that “Even though new cases are high, deaths are low. This suggests that the new strain is highly transmissible but less severe.”

The Ministry predicts three possible outcomes depending on the cooperation of the public. The first where the public will fully cooperate shows cases would reach 10,000 a day. The second scenario where there is not much cooperation would peak at 15,000-16,000 cases a day. The third scenario where there is no public cooperation shows that it would peak at 30,000 a day.

The Public Ministry urges everyone to be vigilant and to follow COVID-19 regulations to avoid an outbreak. In a best-case scenario, the surge in cases will be under control within a month or two.

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A new testing center will begin operating on Tuesday, January 10, 2022. The center can conduct 1,000 tests per day. It is located on the first floor of Car Park Building B at the government complex at Chaeng Wattana Road. The free mass testing service is a joint project of the National Health security office, Mahidol University’s Faculty of Medical Technology, and Dhanarak Asset Development, a state enterprise under the Ministry of Finance.

Professional and medical use grade antigen test kits will be deployed in the center. The results will be known in 30 minutes. The positive cases will be taken to an NHSO facility. NHSO will determine the facility that would best fit the individual cases.

NHSO will provide meals, medication and some medical devices for the patients recommended for home isolation. Home isolation is recommended for patients with mild symptoms.

The continuous high demand for cases has affected many businesses. All businesses are tasked to test their staff members regularly. Many business operators are requesting government aid in procuring test kits at cost.

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Officials caught 29 men and women partying in Hat Yai in the early hours of Sunday. The officials received complaints of violation of the alcohol ban imposed by the province. At 1:30 am, the police found a group of 14 men and 15 women packed in a small room drinking and dancing to loud music. The pub owner was also detained for violation of the COVID 19 restrictions. The owner initially allowed the rent of the room with the knowledge that only 5 or 6 will attend.

The alcohol ban is currently imposed for 69 provinces to help curb the rise in infections. This came in light of clusters appearing from drinking spots. The provinces exempted from the ban are those included in the sandbox along with green zones.

The public is still encouraged to continue vaccination, observe social distancing, wear masks, and sanitize their hands as often as possible. These are simple steps that can strongly help prevent the spread of the virus.

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