Covid-19 News & Updates

[HHTel]

2 new cases over the last 24 hours. One is the spouse of an already infected person and the other from state quarantine.
One more death recorded bringing the total to 57.

[Big Boy]

[STEVE G]

As an aside, I've never seen reports of cases arising from bars and the like. Boxing stadiums, private parties, Taxis, public transport, sports arenas etc and of course from quarantine. Have I missed all the reports of the spread of covid in bars?

The problem I see with opening bars everywhere seems to be that they all get treated the same despite there being huge differences in risk. Clearly a large nightclub type business packed with sweaty people is a risk which a small community pub with a handful of regular customers is not.
Here in Luxembourg, under the relaxed lockdown you can now invite up to six other people into your home but a small bar that might only have six customers can't open.
Incidentally, there is such a small bar below my apartment here and I can legally invite the owners in to share a drink at the bar as it's my registered address!

[Big Boy]

As an aside, I've never seen reports of cases arising from bars and the like. Boxing stadiums, private parties, Taxis, public transport, sports arenas etc and of course from quarantine. Have I missed all the reports of the spread of covid in bars?

I see the party houses have re-opened, with dozens of people sat around drinking - is there a difference?

[europtimiste]

Spain with so many deaths opened bars, Sweden never closed. So what the paranoia in Thailand ?
Many bars will go out of business, but bar business will revive with new owners, if not no more tourists in Thailand.
Chinese will never replace western tourists.

[Nereus]

Qatar virus tracing app stirs rare privacy backlash

https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/19239 ... y-backlash

DOHA: Privacy concerns over Qatar's coronavirus contact tracing app, a tool that is mandatory on pain of prison, have prompted a rare backlash and forced officials to offer reassurance and concessions.

Like other governments around the world, Qatar has turned to mobile phones to trace people's movements and track who they come into contact with, allowing officials to monitor coronavirus infections and alert people at risk of contagion.

The apps use Bluetooth radio signals to "ping" nearby devices, which can be contacted subsequently if a user they have been near develops symptoms or tests positive, but the resultant unprecedented access to users' location data has prompted fears about state surveillance.

Qatar's version goes considerably further -- it forces Android users to permit access to their picture and video galleries, while also allowing the app to make unprompted calls.

"I can't understand why it needs all these permissions," wrote Ala'a on a Facebook group popular with Doha's large expat community -- one of several such forums peppered with concerns over the app.

Justin Martin, a journalism professor based in Qatar, warned authorities in a tweet not to "erode" trust by enforcing "an app with such alarming permissions".

The government launched the "Ehteraz" app, meaning "precaution", in April and on Friday it became mandatory for all citizens and legal residents to install it on their phones.

Non-compliance is punishable by up to three years in jail -- the same term as for failing to wear a mask in public -- in a state battling one of the world's highest per capita infection rates.

- 'Highly invasive' -

Almost 44,000 of Qatar's 2.75 million people have tested positive for the respiratory disease -- 1.6 percent of the population -- and 23 people have died.

Security forces manned checkpoints across Qatar on Sunday to ensure use of the app, local media reported, alongside checking for use of masks.

Criticism of the government is rare in Qatar and laws prohibit disrespect towards officials.

However, officials have said that the law on the app will be enforced with "understanding".

The app's simple interface displays coloured bar-codes containing the user's ID number -- green for healthy, red for Covid-19 positive and yellow for quarantined cases. Grey indicates suspected cases or those who have come into contact with infected individuals.

Mohamed bin Hamad Al-Thani, a director at Qatar's health ministry, said that data gathered is "completely confidential".

"There will be an update for the Ehteraz app to address the issues of concern and further improve its efficiency," he added in an interview on state television on Thursday.

A new version of the software was duly released for Apple and Android on Sunday, promising "minor bug fixes", but without indicating that the invasive aspects had been removed.

The app was introduced just as authorities across the Muslim world warned that gatherings during Ramadan and the Eid al-Fitr festival that marks the end of the holy fasting month could lead to a surge of infections.

- 'Burner' phones -

"There are two key concerns... with the app," said Human Rights Watch researcher Hiba Zayadin.
It "is highly invasive, with a range of permissions allowing the government access to things that are not needed for the purpose of contact tracing, permissions that are unnecessary and present a concerning invasion of privacy."

But also "many migrant workers in the country don't have compatible phones that would allow them to download the app and comply".

Online reviews have also complained that the app drains battery power and cannot be installed on older iPhone handsets.

Some have looked for ways around the policy.

"People are spending money and waiting in queues just to get burner phones to protect their privacy," wrote expat engineer Janko on one forum, referring to cheap handsets that could subsequently be disposed of.

There have been reports of a few users being wrongly classified as "quarantined" or "suspected cases".

"There's no need for photo access and other things. But it could be a good tool. It is a good way to prioritise whom to test," technology lawyer Rahul Matthan told AFP.

But "to work, they need a large number of people to use it. If people are dissuaded because of the app's overreach, then that would be a worry."

[Nereus]

Phuket: Chinese woman diagnosed with Covid-19

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... h-covid-19

PHUKET: One new Covid-19 case has been recorded in this southern island province, bringing the provincial tally to 227, the provincial communicable disease committee announced on Monday.

The 227th case is a 49-year-old Chinese woman, an online teacher, who travelled from Shanghai, China to Phuket in mid-March. Her Italian husband was a previously confirmed infection, the 226th, in the province.

In Phuket, she stayed at Moo 6 village in tambon Choeng Thale, Thalang district, with three children aged 15, 10 and 7. The children tested negative for the virus. The woman tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday even though she had developed no symptoms.

Of the total 227 cases in Phuket, 214 have recovered and been released, three died and nine are under treatment, all in satisfactory condition. One man who tested positive for Covid-19 died from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.

The latest infection in Phuket was one of two new confirmed cases nationwide announced on Monday.

[Big Boy]

[handdrummer]

It’s quite clear the government doesn’t like alcohol sales and are quite happy for bars to go out of business.

The one in charge is a moralist and it's his chance to legislate morality. Next will smoking, then non-Thai dancing and touching in public.

[Nereus]

Technology will play a role in enhancing tourist experiences such as track and trace applications, facial recognition systems and virtual reality travel, he said.

Tourism and Sports Ministry seeks to lift domestic lockdown

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/19 ... c-lockdown

Tourism sets new health standards

The Tourism and Sports Ministry wants the Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) to lift the domestic tourism lockdown starting in June, as the industry prepared for new national safety and health standards with almost 1,500 operators applying for certification.

Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said this Friday the ministry plans to talk with the CCSA about easing domestic tourism restrictions, such as allowing inter-provincial travel and hotel operations to resume in many provinces, in line with the third stage of Covid-19 restrictions.

If CCSA agrees with the scheme, domestic travel will start again on June 1, but within the same region for the first two weeks, before gradually allowing inter-regional travel.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) scheduled a meeting with the Finance Ministry today about additional tourism stimulus plans such as tourism coupons to help boost operators' liquidity, giving local travellers more purchasing power, said TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn.

But apart from financial stimulus, TAT is hoping that 70% of the tourism supply chain will join the new safety standards of the Safety and Health Administration (SHA) within the first two years to regain the confidence of travellers.

Once operators obtain SHA certification, which lasts two years, they have to strictly comply with the guidelines or the certificate will be revoked.

The agency will join a committee consisting of the Health Department, provincial public health agencies, the Tourism Department, and the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration to randomly check operators' practices.

He said tourists also act as auditors when they send feedback about their experiences after visits or using services.

The project, a collaboration between the TAT, the Tourism and Sports Ministry and the Public Health Ministry, began yesterday after launching online applications on May 18.

As of May 24, 1,442 operators nationwide in 10 tourism-related businesses had applied for the certificate.

Mr Yuthasak said a new standard requiring social distancing practices will lead to limited capacity at all destinations.

Guests are expected to make forward bookings before taking trips.

Technology will play a role in enhancing tourist experiences such as track and trace applications, facial recognition systems and virtual reality travel, he said.

[dtaai-maai]

"Virtual reality travel" - great idea to boost tourism: stay home and travel virtually!

[PeteC]

"Virtual reality travel" - great idea to boost tourism: stay home and travel virtually!

I'm sure there will be a fee involved. "You're in my hotel virtually therefore payment is due...."

[PeteC]

25 of almost 400 Thais who returned home rushed to hospital with high fever

https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30388494

[HHTel]

9 new cases over the last 24 hours. Sounds like a spike but they're all from state quarantine.

[Big Boy]

they're all from state quarantine.

That isn't the way they said it on Surf 102 earlier, they said 5 students returning from Malaysia. I guess we need to wait for the daily brief.