BANGKOK (AP) – For much of 2020, Thailand has had coronavirus under control. After a strict nationwide blockade in April and May, the number of new local infections dropped to zero, where they remained for the next six months.
Thailand has closed its borders, imposing mandatory quarantines on its own citizens and on a few foreigners allowed to visit. But apart from a few outward signs of the “new normal,” such as the ubiquitous wearing of masks and reminders to practice social distancing, life resumed as if the pandemic had largely taken its course.
A new outbreak discovered in mid-December threatens to bring the country back to where it was in the hardest days since early 2020, when it recorded 3,045 cases and 59 deaths. The COVID-19 Coordination Center in Thailand has warned that the number of new daily cases could rise to more than 10,000 by later this month, in the worst case scenario, if the government does not do more to reduce the spread of the virus.
The fire, identified in mid-December, was centered on a seafood market in Samut Sakhon, southwest of the capital Bangkok, which employs thousands of migrant workers from Myanmar. It has now spread to 56 of Thailand’s 77 provinces.
On Tuesday, the country reported 527 new cases, mostly migrant workers linked to the Samut Sakhon market. A day earlier, Thailand counted 745 new cases, a record high since the pandemic was first found in the country in January last year.
Thailand now has a total of 8,966 confirmed cases, with 65 deaths.
Complicating its path to recovery, Thailand is lagging behind in trying to secure vaccines. Despite being a production center for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, the government has not yet provided enough doses to cover its population of nearly 70 million people.
Thailand signed a joint venture agreement with AstraZeneca in October to produce up to 200 million doses of vaccine in the country, but managed to deliver only 26 million doses. Thailand expects these vaccines, which will be produced locally by Siam Bioscience, to be delivered in June.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Monday that Thailand was trying to get 63 million doses, enough to cover just under half of its population. The cabinet approved a $ 39 million budget for vaccines on Tuesday, which will be offered free of charge to Thai citizens.
Meanwhile, Sinovac Biotech of China is expected to supply Thailand with 2 million doses of vaccine, with an initial batch of 200,000 to arrive in February, and subsequent deliveries are expected in March and April.
“I hope it will arrive soon. There are so many cases right now, it’s terrifying, “said Watee Kongsilp, a street vendor in Bangkok.
Cin Amornchainon, an office worker, added: “If you ask me if our vaccination orders are slower than other countries, yes. But I understand the limits that our country has in terms of budget. “
Neighboring countries in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia, are also struggling to procure vaccines.
Indonesia has been negotiating for months to provide millions of doses for the nearly 270 million people. It has agreements with Sinovac, Novavax, AstraZeneca and COVAX and is in talks with Pfizer. Vietnam is still negotiating with pharmaceutical companies and trying to develop its own vaccines. Malaysia has signed agreements to cover up to 40% of its population.
For now, Thailand is preparing for the number of cases to continue to rise.
The Thai navy has built four emergency hospitals across the country, with up to 4,000 beds in Samut Sakhon and at least 500 beds in Rayong on the east coast. Hospitals and extensions are also planned for Chantaburi and Chonburi, two coastal provinces southeast of Bangkok.
Prayuth, which is trying to balance public health issues with economic realities, has implemented a new round of restrictions, but has stopped putting the country in a complete deadlock, similar to what it experienced in the spring.
The economic concerns are daunting: the closure of Thailand for most international travel has helped limit domestic coronavirus outbreaks, but has destroyed the tourism industry, which accounts for about a tenth of the economy and provides many jobs. The Bank of Thailand estimates that the economy contracted by 6.6% in 2020.
“We do not want to close the whole country because we know what the problems are. So can you all shut up? Prayuth said in a press briefing on Monday.
“It simply came to our notice then. If you do not want to become infected, stay at home for 14 to 15 days. If you think about it, then things will be safer and easier to screen, ”Prayuth added.
On January 3, the prime minister signed an order designating 28 provinces, including the capital, as “highly controlled areas”, where public gatherings are banned and many businesses and other places must close at least by the end of January. These include schools, gyms, childcare centers, internet cafes, massage parlors and more.
Restaurants may not serve alcohol and may operate with strict social distance requirements between 6:00 and 21:00, but only serve from 21:00 to 6:00. Tables must be at least 1.5 meters away.
“I learned the lessons from the previous blockade,” said Taweesilp Visanuyothin, a spokesman for the COVID-19 coordination center. “We need to consider the imposition of measures as well as the impact on the economy.”
The cabinet is expected to extend the national state of emergency, which will end on January 15, until February 28.
As has been the case elsewhere, small leaks can be costly.
Thailand reported no new local infections between May 26 and November 7, when two women who illegally crossed the border into Myanmar tested positive for the virus, triggering a frantic search effort by authorities. Thailand and Myanmar, which have been hardest hit by the virus, have a porous border of 2,400 kilometers (1,500 miles).
Cambodia, which borders Thailand to the east and has been relatively slightly affected, has stepped up security at land border checkpoints after at least 17 Cambodian workers returning from Thailand recently tested positive for coronavirus.
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AP journalists Chalida Ekvitthayavechnukul from Bangkok, Hau Din from Hanoi, Vietnam, Victoria Milko and Edna Tarigan from Jakarta, Indonesia, Sopheng Cheang from Phnom Penh, Cambodia and Eileen Ng from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, contributed to the report.