BANGKOK (AP) – Thailand has reported 527 new cases of coronavirus, most of them migrant workers who were already isolated, and the government has said it is stepping up movements across the country.
Thailand has struggled with a sharp rise in the virus after months of nearly domestic transmission. Field hospitals were set up in parts of five provinces, with many cases.
Large parts of the country, including the capital Bangkok, are under various blockade restrictions, and the government has said it will further restrict travel between provinces affected by viruses to goods, cargo and travel needed and set up checkpoints on some roads.
Of the new cases confirmed on Tuesday, 439 were migrants, 82 were local transmissions and six were in quarantine, the COVID-19 Situation Administration Center said. The total was a decrease from the 745 recorded on Monday, the all-time high in Thailand, where the first case of the virus outside China was detected last January.
Most of last month’s growth was in Samut Sakhon province, near Bangkok, among migrant workers living in dormitories and employed in fish markets and factories. A field hospital near the market treats infected migrants.
Although it has canceled public activities and rallies and closed schools, bars and other places where people gather, the government has not yet taken as strict measures as it imposed in March – when it successfully eliminated local broadcasting. .
Shopping malls and shops remain open, social distance is required, and indoor dining at restaurants is allowed until 21:00.
Instead, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha begged people to stay home.
“We don’t want to close the whole country because we know what the problems are, so can you all close?” he said. “It depends on everyone, if you don’t want to get infected, stay home for 14-15 days.”
The government also struggled to purchase more vaccines after an initial period of satisfaction.
Prayuth said Monday that Thailand is trying to deliver 63 million doses, which would not cover half of its population of about 70 million. So far it has about 28 million doses on order for later in the year.
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region:
– The Sri Lankan authorities say they will completely reopen the country’s two international airports and allow the return of tourists undergoing coronavirus testing from 21 January. Foreign tourists were banned in March, when the first wave of COVID-19 appeared. In a pilot project last month, hundreds of tourists were allowed from Ukraine in a “travel bubble”. In the new program, tourists must be tested in their country 72 hours before the flight, when they arrive at the hotel and again seven days later. Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said on Tuesday that the decision to reopen airports and tourism was made because of the plight of people dependent on the tourism industry. Tourism accounts for about 5% of Sri Lanka’s GDP and employs 250,000 people directly and up to 2 million indirectly. Sri Lanka reported 45,498 COVID-19 cases, including 215 deaths.
– Qantas Airways has started selling seats on international flights since July 1, despite the Australian government’s ban on most residents leaving the country. The Australian airline said on Tuesday that it was selling tickets in anticipation of international travel “starting again in July”. “We continue to review and update our international program in response to the developing situation of COVID-19,” he said in a statement. Since March, Australia has prevented most citizens and residents from leaving so as not to bring the coronavirus back to the island country. Travelers in New Zealand are the only ones who have been exempted from a 14-day hotel quarantine upon arrival in Australia in recognition of their close neighbor’s success in controlling the virus. Australian Transport Minister Michael McCormack has said borders will be reopened when international arrivals pose no risk to Australians. “Decisions on the resumption of international travel will be made by the Australian government,” McCormack said in a statement.
– China has designated parts of Hebei Province near Beijing as a high-risk area for coronavirus after 14 new cases of COVID-19 were found. Eleven of these cases were in Shijiazhuang City. Parts of the city will be subject to stricter testing and isolation measures, and areas in another city in Hebei with new cases have been recorded as medium-risk areas. Medical investigators looked at whether a single event, such as a family reunion, was the cause of many cases. Concerned about another wave of infections, China is urging migrant workers to stay during the Lunar New Year holidays. The courses are rejected early, and tourists are told not to come to Beijing for the holidays.
– Indonesia will start COVID-19 vaccinations on January 13, with President Joko Widodo the first beneficiary. Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said on Tuesday that other government ministers would receive the vaccine after the president. A larger program will start the next day, giving priority to 1.3 million health workers and 17.4 million civil servants. China’s Sinovac Biotech vaccine must continue to receive emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration and halal approval from the Ulema Indonesian Council. The Ministry of Health says it will take 15 months to vaccinate its total population of 181.5 million people. On Tuesday, the country reported 7,445 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number confirmed to 779,548, including 23,109 deaths.
– India reported another 20 cases of a new variant with the rapid spread of coronavirus, initially found in the UK, reaching 58 percent. local. However, confirmed cases of coronavirus generally remain on a recessionary trajectory since reaching a peak in mid-September. India reported more than 10.3 million cases and more than 150,000 deaths. It is soon planning a massive vaccination program targeting about 300 million people by August. The government has given emergency approval for two vaccines, one developed by Oxford University and UK drug manufacturer AstraZeneca, and another by Indian company Bharat Biotech and a government institute. The Indian vaccine has been hailed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a success in India’s self-confidence boost, but has entered into controversy as the country’s regulator has not released information on its effectiveness. The All India Drug Action Network said it was “puzzled to understand the scientific logic” in approving “an incompletely studied vaccine.”