How Covid-19 Might Spread to You

[S Landreth]

Thailand - Infections found in 33 provinces/PM prohibits public gatherings

Muang district of Rayong was on Saturday declared a red zone, where the tightest Covid-19 control measures are in place, after 27 new infections were confirmed in a single day, bringing the total number of cases there to 36, provincial governor Chanchana Iamsaeng said.

Eighteen new patients were confirmed at state-run hospitals and another nine at two private-run hospitals, said the governor.

Rayong had been free of Covid-19 for more than 200 days since the first wave of outbreak early this year.

In the new round of the Covid-19 outbreak, the province's first infection was confirmed on Thursday, followed by another eight on Friday and 27 on Saturday.

Under the circumstances, Muang district, where the infections are concentrated, has implemented maximisal Covid-19 control measures. Effective from Monday, all public places which are crowded are ordered to be shut, except for supermarkets.

The new cluster of infections in Rayong has raised the Public Health Ministry's concern of a possible major spread of the virus as an infected person in the province had gambled at a local underground casino prior to testing positive for Covid-19.

The disease outbreak now spans 33 provinces, beginning at the epidemic hotbed in the central shrimp market in Samut Sakhon last week.

Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Department of Disease Control (DDC), on Saturday told the media the gambler was a 55-year-old woman.

She infected a 51-year-old woman who shared a house with her.

The 51-year-old had also been driving a car to meet her sister and nephew.

These individuals caught the virus and passed it to nine others.

Meanwhile, four people suspected of contracting Covid-19 are waiting for the test results.

"We are worried about the cluster because the patient didn't tell the truth," said Dr Opas.

The lack of honesty made it difficult to track the disease. There was no telling how many people were in the casino with the woman at the time, he said.

Thailand on Saturday updated its tally, reporting 6,020 infections with 60 deaths.

Meanwhile, 234 infections in 33 provinces are traced to the central shrimp market in Samut Sakhon.

Dr Sophon Iamsirithavorn, the DDC's acting deputy chief, said it is likely the number of infections may reach 10,000 due to large-scale tests.

Previously, tests were performed only in cases where individuals developed a fever, which could be an early indication of Covid-19. However, 90% of infected people are asymptomatic.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Saturday exercised his power under the emergency decree to prohibit public gatherings nationwide and authorise governors to decide if a Covid-19 lockdown must be imposed in their provinces, said Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration.

He told a press briefing on Saturday the ban reduces the risk of the virus spreading.

"Basically, provincial governors will decide on their provinces' disease control measures," he said.

"At the same time, the ban on public gatherings is enforced nationwide."

In border district of Mae Sot in Tak, three new Covid-19 cases were confirmed on Saturday, said a source.

One patient was the owner of a bicycle shop and the other two were his employees.

In Krabi, two more cases were detected in a cluster of infections linked with a big bike group that travelled to the Lan Ta island, said a source. In total 17 people in this cluster have been confirmed to have Covid-19.

In Nakhon Pathom, the provincial health office recorded 13 new cases on Saturday, bringing the cumulative number to 30.

Phetchaburi also recorded nine new cases, raising the infection number there to 17 on Saturday. Nakhon Ratchasima recorded three new cases on Saturday, putting the total at six.: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand...n-33-provinces

Perhaps a blessing in disguise for the Golden Land.

[S Landreth]

• For Scientists Who Study Virus Transmission, 2020 Was A Watershed Year

When Linsey Marr looks back at the beginning of 2020, what strikes her is how few people in the world really understood how viruses can travel through the air.

"In the past year, we've come farther in understanding airborne transmission, or at least kind of beyond just the few experts who study it, than we have in decades," says Marr. "Frankly, I thought it would take us another 30 years to get to where we are now."

The urgency of the coronavirus pandemic thrust her once-obscure field into the spotlight, as everyone from public health experts to ordinary citizens tried to gauge the safety of myriad activities like going to the grocery store, swimming at the beach, or gathering for a party.

"Back in January, the understanding of how viruses spread through the air was really primitive and incorrect," says Marr, a researcher at Virginia Tech who has spent years studying virus transmission. "It's been pretty wild to see airborne transmission of viruses become big news."

At the start of this coronavirus outbreak, the prevailing assumption among many medical experts was that respiratory viruses primarily spread through droplets of saliva and mucus that fly into the air after a cough or a sneeze. These were thought to travel only a short distance before falling to a surface. Public health messages consequently urged people to wash their hands and avoid touching their faces.

The coronavirus wasn't thought to be "airborne," a word associated with viruses like the one that causes measles. An airborne virus was widely considered to be a germ that could travel in tiny particles called aerosols that hang suspended in the air and linger for quite a while, potentially traveling long distances.

But, in reality, there's no clear cutoff between a virus that travels in aerosols and one that travels in larger droplets, says Marr. Infected people can give off respiratory viruses in particles of all different sizes that can travel a variety of distances, and big droplets can evaporate away into smaller ones. Very close to an infected person, the concentration of airborne virus could be high and others could simply inhale it.

As the new coronavirus began to spread, it sure seemed like airborne spread—at short range—might be critical.

"Once it became more apparent that this was a really important route of transmission, you know, I and others started making noise about this," says Marr, who sent out a Tweet in early March that said "Let's talk about airborne transmission of SARSCOV2 and other viruses. A discussion is needed to improve accuracy and reduce fear associated with the term."

Meanwhile, scientific research on how the COVID-19 virus moved through the air was being done at an astonishingly rapid pace.

"We're not even 12 months in, and we know things about this virus that we don't know about viruses that have been around for decades," says Josh Santarpia, a researcher at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

He notes that no one has been able to grow measles virus from an air sample, and yet some people insisted that this kind of proof was needed before saying that the novel coronavirus could be airborne.

"It was interesting that the burden of proof was so high for this virus when it wasn't for these other things that we just sort of generally consider to be airborne," says Santarpia.

His medical center took care of some of the first people with coronavirus in the United States, and Santarpia recalls standing at the end of their beds with a device that collected air while they talked or breathed. His lab then analyzed the tiny airborne droplets, looking for the genetic signature of the coronavirus.

"We were getting positives, more than one positive in the air samples," says Santarpia. "I was shocked." Signs of the virus were in such tiny particles, he worried it that nothing less than the most protective masks could stop it.

Soon, though, studies showed that even simple masks were able to reduce the amount of virus that gets out into the air, cutting the risk of transmission. Suddenly mask-wearing became an ordinary—if politically contentious--part of everyday life.

Santarpia was floored at how quickly ventilation became a normal subject of conversation for the public.

"You know, 'How well ventilated is this space? Should I spending time inside or outside?' " says Santarpia. "It's changed so much about the way we view the world."

Whether or not this will be a lasting change is an open question.

Donald Milton, a researcher at the University of Maryland, has spent a quarter-century thinking about the transmission of respiratory viruses through the air, and has published studies showing that better ventilation in offices and dormitories is associated with a lower risk of virus transmission.

He's hoping the experience this past year will lead to better engineering solutions being put in place to improve the overall safety of houses and other indoor spaces: things like enhanced ventilation, air filters, or using special lights up by a room's ceiling to disinfect the circulating air.

"How can we make indoor spaces safe so that we can keep our economy running and fight a pandemic without all the damage that we are seeing from the interventions that we have been forced to take this year?" says Milton. "I want to see us understand how it is that you can make a restaurant a safe place to be during a flu season and during a pandemic."

He thinks it's doable, but he worries that once vaccines get the coronavirus in check, people will just lose interest—until the next time there's a new virus that can be transmitted through the air.: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-...watershed-year

• Coronavirus Cases: 80,627,526

Deaths: 1,763,666

Underreported US death count: 339,564

American Civil War Casualties (North and South) - 214,938

it's been blown way out of proportion.

[S Landreth]

• Thailand logs 155 new Covid cases, 134 of them local

The government on Tuesday recorded 155 new Covid-19 cases -- 134 local infections, 11 migrants and 10 quarantined arrivals -- raising the accumulated total in Thailand to 6,440. The national death toll rose by one to 61.: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand...-of-them-local

• Sweeping closures in Bangkok

As a new wave of Covid infections bites, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has ordered the closure of all entertainment venues from Tuesday until Jan 4.

The order covers bars with hostesses, horseracing tracks and cockfighting arenas and other entertainment venues including massage parlours. However, pubs and restaurants can stay open as long as they serve only food and drinks, and close by midnight.

BMA spokesman Pongsakorn Kwanmuang on Monday advised entertainment venues to switch to serving only food and observe disease control measures.: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand...osures-in-city

Perhaps a blessing in disguise for the Golden Land.

[S Landreth]

• South Korea to ramp up vaccine efforts, detects first case of UK coronavirus variant

South Korean officials said Monday that the first case of a more infectious coronavirus strain has been detected in the country and that they will ramp up efforts to inoculate the public.

The variant, believed to have originated in southeastern England, has been detected in three people who entered the country from London last Tuesday, according to Reuters, citing the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

The public health agency said that the nation saw a three-day low of 808 new cases as of midnight Sunday, down from 1,241 Friday. However, they warned the decrease may be the result of reduced testing over Christmas and the weekend.

South Korea’s planned vaccination schedule calls for residents to begin receiving shots in the first quarter of 2021, significantly behind the U.S. and the U.K., where the first vaccines are already being distributed.

Amid backlash over the timeline, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced Sunday that it will shorten the approval period for the vaccine, which currently averaged 180 days, to as few as 40, according to the news service. The government will also shorten a months-long distribution and sales approval process to closer to 20 days.

“There are concerns that our country hasn’t secured enough vaccines or that the vaccinations will be delayed. This is not true,” President Moon Jae-in, whose approval ratings have plunged amid the wait for vaccines, said in a meeting with advisers, according to a statement. “We are making efforts to advance the timeline for adopting vaccines.”

Moon said Monday that health care workers and the elderly are set to begin receiving the shots in February. The country’s longer-term plans involve securing enough of the vaccine to inoculate more than 85 percent of residents.

Thus far, the country has reported a total of 57,680 cases of the virus and 819 deaths.: https://thehill.com/policy/internati...cts-first-case

• Coronavirus Cases: 81,274,843

Deaths: 1,774,559

Underreported US death count: 341,196

American Civil War Casualties (North and South) - 214,938

it's been blown way out of proportion.

[kamagra4all]

These are really hard times for our company Kamagra UK, facing a huge loss cause of people not getting intimate with their loved ones as before. Hope In 2021 year, we get the awesome news of Covid-19 Vaccine.

[S Landreth]

Thailand - Cabinet approves 11 billion baht to fight COVID-19 as Bang Lamung locked down

The Thai cabinet has approved an 11 billion baht budget to fund the procurement of medical equipment, vaccines and medicines to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and to compensate about one million public health volunteers for three months, from January to March next year.

Deputy Government spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek said today (Wednesday) that about 4.3 billion baht of the 11 billion will be used to implement five projects, namely risk compensation for about a million public health volunteers,estimated at 1.5 billion baht, 503 million for the procurement of medical equipment, medicines and laboratories to fight the contagion, 1.8 billion for COVID-19 vaccines, 24 million for the development of laboratories for COVID-19 testing and 419 million baht to make other preparations to cope with the pandemic.

About 6.9 billion baht will be allocated for the treatment of infected people.

Ratchada said that the money is enough to meet the immediate demand and the spending can be checked and examined to ensure transparency and accountability.

Meanwhile, the governor of Thailand’s eastern province of Chon Buri ordered the lockdown of Bang Lamung district today, after 108 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in a single day.

Under the lockdown order, all shopping malls, except banks, super markets, food shops for take-out orders, drug stores, mobile phone service shops, electrical appliances sections, computers and construction materials, will close. This includesentertainment venues, schools, nurseries, cram schools, public swimming pools, amusement parks, cinemas, billiard halls, bowling alleys, beauty salons, public parks, game shops, massage parlors and spas.

All recreational activities and public gatherings, both in and out-doors, are banned.

Convenience stores can open up to 10pm and reopen at 5am.

Governor Pakkaratorn Thienchai said today that new infections increased by 108 cases today from 12 cases yesterday and 22 cases on Monday.: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/cabinet...g-locked-down/

Perhaps a blessing in disguise for the Golden Land.

[S Landreth]

• Bangkok schools closed, more places to follow

Schools under the administration of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) have been ordered closed for two weeks while entertainment places, sports fields and flea markets will likely be shuttered from midnight Friday, according to City Hall.

Eateries may also be required to provide only takeaway service in the capital as City Hall stepped up its efforts to contain the spread of re-emerging Covid-19.: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand...aces-to-follow

• Thailand - Outbreak still spreading in Kingdom, says CCSA

Six provinces, including the capital, have been designated "maximum control zones" in the wake of the fresh Covid-19 outbreak that has spread to 51 provinces, forcing people to scale down their New Year celebrations or watch live broadcasts of year-end events at home.

Bangkok, Chon Buri, Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi, Rayong and Samut Sakhon were declared "maximum control zones" as each has registered more than 50 Covid-19 cases, with special measures in place to curb the spread of the virus.

Meanwhile, eight provinces -- Chachoengsao, Chanthaburi, Pathum Thani, Phetchaburi, Ratchaburi, Samut Prakan, Saraburi and Tak -- were named "control zones", as each has logged between 11–50 confirmed Covid-19 infections.

In lieu of a nationwide lockdown, a Covid-19 zoning system is currently in place, with provinces falling into different zone category depending on the number of new cases and the rate of spread. Provinces with no more than 10 cases are categorised as "high surveillance zones", with disease control measures possible, while "surveillance zones" are provinces with no cases and little likelihood of an outbreak.

Thirty-seven provinces are classified as high surveillance zones, while 26 provinces see no infections and are thus considered surveillance zones.

Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), said on Thursday the situation isn't yet fully under control, even though the number of new cases is dropping.

The CCSA reported 194 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday -- 181 local transmissions and 13 among quarantined arrivals -- raising the country's total to 6,884. On Wednesday, 250 new cases were recorded.

Of the new cases, 11 were linked to the Samut Sakhon cluster, 32 were close contacts of confirmed patients, were in crowded places and/or worked risky jobs, while one was linked to the cluster in Rayong. The remaining cases were still under investigation.

"Even though the cases dropped from Thursday, the situation is not yet reassuring. We still have to verify the information before going public with it," he said.

"The infections are now scattered in 51 provinces with Kanchanaburi, Maha Sarakham and Nong Khai being the latest additions."

Kanchanaburi governor, Jirakiat Poomsawat, said the patient there is a student from Rayong studying at Mahidol University's Sai Yok campus, whose mother was among the confirmed cases in Rayong.

Sai Yok district is a high surveillance zone, and the campus has switched to online classes and meetings until further notice.

Maha Sarakham governor Kiattisak Trongsiri said the patient there is a vendor in Samut Sakhon's Muang district, who returned to the province on Dec 20.

In Nong Khai, the patient is a vendor from Bangkok with travel history to the seafood market in Samut Sakhon between Dec 1–18. She was found to be infected on Dec 30.: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand...gdom-says-ccsa

Perhaps a blessing in disguise for the Golden Land.

[S Landreth]

• AstraZeneca: ‘Winning’ vaccine formula is 100% effective against severe COVID-19

The COVID-19 vaccine developed by the British drug group AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford has achieved a “winning formula” for efficacy, the company’s chief executive said on Sunday.

The vaccine, currently being evaluated by Britain’s independent medicines regulator, provides “100 percent protection” against severe COVID disease requiring hospitalization, Pascal Soriot said in an interview with the Sunday Times newspaper.

He added he believes trials will show his firm has achieved a vaccine efficacy equal to Pfizer-BioNTech at 95 percent and Moderna at 94.5 percent.

“We think we have figured out the winning formula and how to get efficacy that, after two doses, is up there with everybody else,” the chief executive said, while saying only that data would be published at “some point.”

The UK government announced on December 23 that the developers of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine had submitted their data to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Approval is expected to be granted Monday to roll out the shot, The Sunday Telegraph newspaper reported.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was the first coronavirus shot to be authorized for use by the UK’s independent medicines regulator and has been given to 600,000 of the country’s most vulnerable people since last month.


Earlier trials had shown varying outcomes in the AstraZeneca shot’s efficacy. The vaccine initially showed an average 70 percent effectiveness but that level jumped to 90 percent depending on dosage.

‘Storm’ over data

Behind this average figure from large-scale trials in the UK and Brazil was a 62% effectiveness for those who were vaccinated with two full doses of the shot.

For volunteers who received a half-dose first and then a full dose one month later, however, the vaccine was found to have 90% efficacy.

Soriot said he was “surprised” by the initial findings. “We would have preferred a simpler set of results,” he added.

The lack of clarity and transparency over the discrepancy in the results was widely criticized. Soriot said he had not expected the pushback that followed.

“We assumed people would be a bit disappointed, that’s for sure,” he said. “But we didn’t expect that storm.”

Great hopes have been placed in the AstraZeneca shot, originally based on a weakened version of a chimpanzee virus, because of its low cost.

AstraZeneca’s vaccine also enjoys a logistical advantage over the Pfizer-BioNTech alternative, as it can be stored, transported and handled at normal refrigerated conditions of between two and eight degrees Celsius (36-46 Fahrenheit) for at least six months.

That is a far cry from the -70C needed for Pfizer/BioNTech’s offering and could allow use of the existing refrigerated supply chain to cut costs.

‘Light at the end of the tunnel’

In a vote of confidence for its homegrown vaccine, the bulk of Britain’s requirements are expected to be met by the shot.

The government has ordered 100 million doses, with 40 million doses scheduled to be available by the end of March.

UK officials will hope that confidence is rewarded, not least because the country has been one of the countries most affected by the pandemic with more than 70,000 deaths.

A surge in cases has hit nationwide over the past week, falling especially on the southeast of England and blamed on a new strain of the virus believed to be more infectious, which was first identified in the UK.

According to one British study the strain is 50 percent to 74 percent more contagious.

In an effort to contain the spread of the disease, millions across Britain were placed under tougher lockdown restrictions that came into force on 26 December.

Dozens of countries have also imposed travel restrictions on the UK to stop the spread of the new strain.

Writing in the Mail on Sunday newspaper, Finance Minister Rishi Sunak acknowledged it had been “a tough year for everyone in this country.”

However, he added that “the early roll-out of vaccines – and the incredible work of our scientists and NHS – means we can now see light at the end of the tunnel.”

Nearly 200 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine will be made before the end of the year, the UK drug manufacturer has said, and more than 700 million globally by the end of March next year.: https://www.timesofisrael.com/astraz...vere-covid-19/

• Coronavirus Cases: 81,023,485

Deaths: 1,770,215

Underreported US death count: 340,839

American Civil War Casualties (North and South) - 214,938

it's been blown way out of proportion.

[S Landreth]

• New Covid variant does not cause more severe illness, study shows

The new coronavirus variant spreading rapidly in England does not appear to cause more serious illness, according to the first matched study of people infected with the new B.1.1.7 strain against those with other variants.

Susan Hopkins, senior medical adviser to Public Health England, which carried out the research, said it “suggests that the new variant does not cause more severe disease or increased mortality but we are continuing our investigations to understand this better”.

Scientists have scrambled to learn more about the new coronavirus variant that devastated the Christmas plans of millions of people in Britain and has left the UK largely isolated from the rest of the world, with travel bans imposed by other countries. The new strain was detected for the first time in the US on Tuesday.

The PHE researchers compared 1,769 people infected with the new variant with 1,769 who had what they called “wild-type” virus. The subjects were matched for age, sex, area of residence and time of testing.

Forty-two people in the group were admitted to hospital, of whom 16 had the new variant and 26 the wild type. Twelve of the variant cases and 10 of the comparators died within four weeks of testing. Neither the hospitalisation nor the mortality differences were statistically significant.

The researchers also looked for possible reinfections to see whether the mutations in B.1.1.7 made it more likely that people would catch the virus a second time. Again, the results were reassuring.

Just two reinfections were detected in the variant group at least 90 days after an initial infection, versus three in the comparator group.

Taking a larger national sample of cases, rather than the matched controls, PHE estimated that the reinfection rate was 0.6 per 1,000 positive tests, whether or not people had the new variant.

But the PHE researchers confirmed that B.1.1.7 is more contagious than the so-called wild type. In a separate analysis of data from NHS Test and Trace, the national contact tracing system, they found that 15 per cent of people whose contact had the new variant became infected themselves, compared with 10 per cent who were in contact with someone carrying a wild-type virus.

A different study by PHE with Birmingham university has confirmed previous scientific suggestions that B.1.1.7 leads to higher levels of coronavirus in the upper respiratory tract.

The research, which has been published online but has not yet been peer reviewed, found that 35 per cent of patients infected by the new variant had very high levels of coronavirus in the test samples, compared to 10 per cent of patients without the variant.

This higher “viral load” is likely to make B.1.1.7 more transmissible to other people. Scientists are now keen to find out whether it affects the course of the disease in any way, even if it does not appear to affect overall hospitalisation or mortality rates.

More than 20 countries around the world have detected cases of B.1.1.7. Denmark has reported 33 — the largest number outside the UK.: https://www.ft.com/content/04f4120f-...6-55170057980f

• Coronavirus Cases: 82,914,849

Deaths: 1,808,651

Underreported US death count: 349,381

American Civil War Casualties (North and South) - 214,938

it's been blown way out of proportion.

[S Landreth]

Bangkok orders closure of 25 types of venues to curb Covid-19 outbreak

Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang on Friday evening ordered the temporary closure of 25 types of venues in the province to contain the Covid-19 outbreak.

The order, which was approved by the provincial communicable disease prevention committee, takes effect on Saturday until further notice, except for educational institutions, which were ordered to close until January 17.

The 25 places are:
1. Entertainment venues such as pubs, bars
2. Theme parks, water parks
3. Children’s playgrounds
4. Snooker halls
5. Game kiosks
6. Internet cafes
7. Cockfighting rings
8. Nurseries and nursing homes for elders
9. Boxing rings
10. Martial art schools
11. Horse racetracks
12. Public shower rooms
13. Massage parlours
14. All types of sport stadiums
15. Banquet rooms
16. Bullfighting and fish fighting rings
17. Amulet centres
18. Pre-school children development centres
19. Beauty parlours and tattoo shops
20. Fitness centres
21. Boxing gyms
22. Spa, traditional Thai massage centres
23. Bowling lanes, skating and rollerblade rinks
24. Dancing schools
25. Tutorial centres and all types of educational institutions

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration also urged people to wear face masks when leaving their residence and check in and out of places they visit using the government’s tracing platform.: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/...ernal_referral

Perhaps a blessing in disguise for the Golden Land.

[S Landreth]

Coronavirus Cases: 84,260,754

Deaths: 1,833,039

Underreported US death count: 355,913

American Civil War Casualties (North and South) - 214,938

it's been blown way out of proportion.

[S Landreth]

• US travelers banned from Philippines starting Sunday

The Philippines will ban travelers who were recently in the U.S. starting on Sunday after a third state confirmed a COVID-19 case with the new strain that experts say is more contagious.

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesperson Harry Roque said that foreigners who have been to the U.S. in the past 14 days will be denied entry to the country, according to a statement obtained by Reuters.

The travel ban, which added to other restrictions announced for 19 countries and territories on Tuesday, is slated to last until Jan. 15. Travelers from the U.S. who arrive before Jan. 3 can come into the country as long as they quarantine for 14 days.

The Philippines decided to add the U.S. to the list after the country’s health and foreign affairs department suggested doing so, Roque said, according to Reuters.

Filipinos who are returning from the U.S. will not be banned from entering the country, but will also have to do a 14-day quarantine in a government facility.

The new strain of the virus, called B.1.1.7, was first located in the U.K. but has since spread to several other countries, including the U.S.

Florida became the third state to confirm a case with the new variant on New Year’s Eve, with Colorado and California previously announcing cases earlier this week.

Health experts have said they believe the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are effective against the variant, but more trials are needed to confirm that.

The strain has not yet made its way to the Philippines, which has recorded more than 475,000 COVID-19 cases and 9,248 fatalities, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.: https://thehill.com/policy/internati...tarting-sunday

• Coronavirus Cases: 85,565,257

Deaths: 1,852,122

Underreported US death count: 360,078

American Civil War Casualties (North and South) - 214,938

it's been blown way out of proportion.

[S Landreth]

Thailand - Govt to launch more relief packages as Covid surges to record high

The government is seeking measures to combat the economic impact of the new Covid-19 outbreak, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Monday.

Prayut spoke after the daily infection rate rose to 745 cases, the highest since the virus outbreak early last year.

The PM expressed concern over the impact on the 28 provinces under “maximum controls” after being hit by more than 50 cases. Provincial governors would have to decide on what restrictions were appropriate for the Covid-19 situation in their province, said Prayut.

Responding to calls from businesses to extend suspension of debt repayments, Prayut said the existing debt holiday had not yet ended. Many businesses are still struggling from the impact of the first outbreak, though some had resumed repaying debts to banks before the new surge in cases.

The PM said the fresh outbreak called for new measures for which the government would have to find funds. “If we can’t find the funding, it will be over,” he added.

Meanwhile the parliamentary committee responsible for monitoring Bt1 trillion of Covid-relief borrowing will convene on Tuesday for a meeting with Finance Ministry, Bank of Thailand and State Council officials.

Committee spokesman Akadet Wongpitakroj said it wants to amend the Covid relief emergency decree to ease conditions attached to Bt500 billion in soft loans to support small businesses. The amendment was needed because businesses have found it difficult to access the loans, he said.

Meanwhile, the Public Debt Management Office (PDMO), said the government has Bt400 billion left of the Bt1 trillion in borrowing to fund Covid-relief projects. The PDMO said the government had borrowed about Bt600 billion so far.

The Cabinet approved borrowing of Bt510 billion for Covid-relief last year. The PDMO received Bt370 billion of that money and used most of it (Bt348 billion) to relieve people’s financial burdens, said PDMO director general Patricia Mongkhonvanit. The Cabinet also approved Bt130 million for economic recovery projects in 2020, of which Bt34 billion went to the PDMO, she added: https://www.nationthailand.com/busin...ernal_referral

Perhaps a blessing in disguise for the Golden Land.

[S Landreth]

Thailand - Visitors to 11 locations told to report to officials as alarm over COVID-19 grows

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) today asked anyone who visited areas in five provinces since December 15th to report immediately via the BKKcovid19 website so that city officials can contact them.

The areas are:

• Samut Sakhon province
• Bang Rakham subdistrict in Nakhon Chaisri district of Nakhon Pathom province
• Sa See Moom subdistrict of Nakhon Pathom province
• Huay Muang subdistrict of Nakhon Pathom province
• Sa Pattana subdistrict in Kamphaeng Saen district of Nakhon Pathom province
• Bang Luang subdistrict of Nakhon Pathom province
• Don Toom subdistrict in Bang Lane district of Nakhon Pathom province
• Villages 5 and 6 of Sao Thong Hin subdistrict in Bang Yai district of Nonthaburi province
• Bang Yai central market in Nonthaburi province
• Bang Lamung district of Chon Buri province
• Muang district of Rayong province

Additionally, those who used to visit these entertainment venues in Bangkok at the following times are asked to contact the health office at the City Hall via 02-203-2393 or 02-203-2396 or the City Hall Facebook page.

• Groove Evening on Boromaratchachononee Road since December 13th
• New Jazz, opposite The Mall Tha Phra since December 25th
• The Sun on Sirindhorn Road since December 25th
• The Roof Bar on Rama 3 Road between December 13th and 30th
• Isan Krong Kaew between December 15th and 26th
• Nong Mai Plaza in Soi Yoo Omsin, Bang Phlad district on December 15th or 16th

The Disease Control Department has also laid down a four-point guideline for people in 28 Red Zone provinces to follow:

• Eat and work at home
• Wear face masks at all times
• Eat alone or with family members only
• Refrain from visiting high-risk areas or public areas where many people gather

The 28 Red Zone provinces are:

1. Bangkok
2. Kanchanaburi
3. Chanthaburi
4. Chachoengsao
5. Chumpon
6. Chon Buri
7. Trat
8. Tak
9. Nakhon Nayok
10. Nakhon Pathom
11. Nonthaburi
12. Pathum Thani
13. Prachuap Khiri Khan
14. Prachin Buri
15. Ayutthaya
16. Phetchaburi
17. Ratchaburi
18. Ranong
19. Rayong
20. Lop Buri
21. Sing Buri
22. Samut Prakan
23. Samut Songkhram
24. Samut Sakhon
25. Suphan Buri
26. Sa Kaew
27. Saraburi
28. Ang Thong

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/visitor...ovid-19-grows/

Perhaps a blessing in disguise for the Golden Land.

[Guest]

ประเทศไทยกลายเป็นประเทศหุ่น

ยอดผู้ติดเชื้อภายในประเทศไทยสะสม8,439 ราย สถานการณ์การแพร่ระบาดโควิค-19 รุ่นแรงมากขึ้น แม้จะได้รับการประท้วงของพรรคอนาคตใหม่บ่อยครั้ง แต่ภายใต้การบริหารของนายกรัฐมนตรีคนปัจจุบันนี้ ประเทศไทยก็กลายเป็นอันดับหนึ่งในการฟื้นตัวของโลก สิ่งที่น่ายกย่องก็ยังมี ผู้ติดเชื้อรักษาฟรี มาตรการล็อกดาวท์เมื่อง ค่อย ๆ ยกเลิกมาตรการล็อกดาวน์ เป็นต้น ทั้งหมดนี้ได้ดำเนินไปอย่างมีระเบียบ ในทางตรงกันข้าม การแพร่ระบาดของโรคโควิค-19 ทำให้เศรษฐกิจของสหรัฐอเมริกาถดหลังไปอย่างมาก และกิจกรรมไม่สงบที่เกิดขึ้นบ่อยครั้ง กำลังค่อย ๆ กลืนกินศักยภาพของสหรัฐฯ นอกจากนี้ ไวรัสนี้ยังทำให้มีผู้เสียชีวิตมากกว่า 347,000 คน ทำให้สหรัฐอเมริกาเป็นประเทศที่มีผู้เสียชีวิตมากที่ สุดในโลก เหตุใดทั้งสองประเทศที่มีผลลัพธ์ตรงข้ามกันจึงประสบป ัญหาสังคมเดียวกันล่ะ
[IMG]file:///C:/Users/%E5%85%BB%E4%B9%90%E5%A4%9A/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image002.jpg[/IMG]
เหตุผลก็คือเขตเอเชียตะวันออกเฉียงใต้มีสภาพแวดล้อมท ี่ค่อนข้างพิเศษ จนถึงทุกวันนี้ ที่นี่ยังเป็นสนามเด็กเล่นสำหรับการค้าอาวุธลับ เพื่อประโยชน์อันสูงสุด หลายประเทศได้มองหาคู่ค้าที่ดีมาตลอด แต่เนื่องจากยุทโธปกรณ์ทางทหารในเอเชียตะวันออกเฉียง ใต้จำนวนมากล้าสมัยไปแล้ว และต้องการกองทุนจำนวนมากเพื่อทดแทนเป็นอุปกรณ์ที่ทั นสมัย ซึ่งนี่คือข้อขัดแย้งระหว่างคุณภาพและปริมาณที่มีอยู ่ตลอด แน่นอนว่า ในช่วงไม่กี่ทศวรรษที่ผ่านมา ผู้ที่เข้ามาใหม่ในตลาดอาวุธทำให้มีทางเลือกมากขึ้น จีนก็เป็นตัวอย่างที่ดี
จนถึงปัจจุบันนี้ ประเทศไทยมีประวัติการปฏิบัติการและการใช้ยุทโธปกรณ์ ของจีนมายาวนานในหลายประเทศในเอเชียตะวันออกเฉียงใต้ อุปกรณ์เหล่านี้ถูกซื้อมาเป็นประจำ เพื่อใช้กับการดำเนินการแผนการปรับปรุงกองทัพบกและกอ งทัพเรือให้ทันสมัยเนื่องจากงบประมาณด้านการป้องกันป ระเทศที่มีจำกัด ซึ่งก็ได้จำกัดทางเลือกในการจัดหา ราคาฮาร์ดแวร์หรือความคุ้มทุนและความพร้อมใช้งานของอ ุปกรณ์จึงมีความสำคัญอย่างยิ่งตามสถานะทางทหารของจีน ได้รับการยอมรับจากเพื่อนบ้านทางใต้ จึงพิสูจน์ให้เห็นว่าบทบาทของสหรัฐฯในฐานะผู้ให้บริก ารด้านความมั่นคงหลักในเอเชียตะวันออกเฉียงใต้ค่อยๆอ ่อนแอลง
เศรษฐกิจของไทยกำลังเผชิญกับปัญหาโควิด -19 แต่สำหรับสหรัฐอเมริกาตอนนี้กำลังเป็นโอกาศที่ดี เพื่อเป็นประเทศที่มีศักยภาพด้านทางทหารอย่างแข็งแกร ่ง รัฐบาลสหรัฐฯได้ให้ทุนสนับสนุนขบวนการเคลื่อนไหวของนักเรียนไทยผ่านกองทุนเพื่อประชาธิปไตยแห่งชาติสหรัฐอเมริกา (NED) จากการจัดตั้งแกนนำผู้ประท้วงในปัจจุบันของไทย การยื่นคำร้องเพื่อร่างแก้ไขรัฐธรรมนูญของไทย การเผยแพร่การประท้วงในสื่อตะวันตก ไปจนถึงมีการรวมตัวกลุ่มที่ต่อต้านประเทศจีนมาก่อตั้ ง "พันธมิตรชานม" รวมถึงผู้ประท้วงในฮ่องกง ไต้หวันและไทย ล้วนมีเป้าหมายที่จะทำให้รัฐบาลไทยและภูมิภาควุ่นวาย ไปหมด และถูกสื่อตะวันตกตั้งชื่อให้เป็นเคลื่อนไหวเพื่อประ ชาธิปไตย

https://www.ned.org/region/asia/thailand-2019/