Coronavirus Outbreak Update – Page 19

Thailand to allow limited number of foreigners into the country again

Thailand’s CCSA has agreed to reopen the country’s borders gradually, initially for six groups of foreigners and citizens from Japan, South Korea, China, Singapore and Hong Kong.

CCSA spokesman Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin said Monday that, initially, the number of foreigners to be allowed to enter the country will be capped at 200 per day, and they must go through 14-days of quarantine at alternative state quarantine (ASQ) at their own expense.

Although no limits are set for the number of citizens Japan, South Korea, China, Singapore and Hong Kong, groups are limited to 10 at most and all must be tested for COVID-19 in their home countries and again upon arrival in Thailand.

Additional restrictions will apply for travel within Thailand and they

Thailand enjoys another day free from new COVID-19 infections or fatalities

Thailand recorded another day without new COVID-19 infections or fatalities on Sunday. There has not been a recorded case of locally transmitted infection in the country for 34 consecutive days, according to the CCSA.

Cumulative infections in Thailand to date are 3,162, with 3,053 recoveries. The death toll remains 58.

Worldwide infections have now reached 10,081,545, with the United States still topping the list with 2,596,537, followed by Brazil, Russia, India and the UK. Thailand is ranked 95^th.

155,301 new infections were recorded globally today, including 37,310 in the US, Brazil’s 33,613, India’s 20,131, South Africa’s 7,210, Russia’s 6,852 and Mexico’s 5,441.

Global fatalities are now 500,183, with the US

Coronavirus cases in India cross 500,000 as big cities reel from surge

A man wearing a protective mask walks past a graffiti paying tribute to police and healthcare workers during a lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mumbai, India June 24, 2020. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India reported over 17,000 new coronavirus cases over the last 24 hours, pushing the country’s total above 500,000, federal health ministry data showed on Saturday, with infections surging in major cities including the capital New Delhi.

India has the world’s fourth-biggest outbreak of the virus that causes COVID-19, below only the United States, Brazil and Russia in confirmed infections

Some states in the U.S. revert to restrictions as virus cases surge

Bartender Katie McGranahan pours a beer at the Saint Arnold Brewing Company Friday, June 26, 2020, in Houston. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Friday that he is shutting bars back down and scaling back restaurant capacity to 50%, in response to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in Texas.(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas and Florida reversed course and clamped down on bars again Friday in the nation’s biggest retreat yet as the daily number of confirmed coronavirus infections in the U.S. surged to an all-time high of 40,000.

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NESDB approves first 213 projects aimed at rebooting the economy

Thailand’s National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) has agreed the first 213 projects, out of about 46,000 proposed by government agencies and local administration organizations, to rehabilitate the economy and a society disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

NESDB Secretary-General, Professor Tossaporn Sirisamphan, told the media today that the chosen projects will use about 100 billion baht, from a total of 400 billion baht of the one trillion baht in loans secured by the Government.

He said that the money will be divided into 2-3 tranches, to ensure continuity in the project implementation, with the first phase to commence in July, coinciding with the expiration of the subsidy packages rolled out by the Government to help people affected by t

Thailand set to extend state of emergency until end of July

The CCSA’s subcommittee in Thailand, which considers the easing of lockdown restrictions, has decided to extend the state of emergency for another month, until the end of July.

National Security Council Secretary-General Somsak Rungsita, in his capacity as head of the subcommittee, said Thursday that the panel’s decision will be proposed to the CCSA for finalization on Monday.

He explained that the subcommittee felt that the state of emergency is still necessary, especially with further easing of restrictions in Thailand. This time around, the easing will apply to high risk business and leisure activities, such as pubs, bars, karaoke bars and massage parlors, which will become effective next month.

He added that, under the fifth phase of relaxations, s

Minister Anutin expects Thailand to have COVID-19 vaccine in 9 months

Thailand may have its own COVID-19 vaccine in the next nine months, if every stage of the development proceeds smoothly, according to the country’s Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Thursday.

The Minister, accompanied by Medical Science Department chief Dr. Opas Karnkawinpong, Food and Drug Administration Deputy Secretary-General Dr. Supachoke Tangvivat and Dr. Nakorn Premsri, Director of the National Vaccine Institute, were briefed on the development of the DNA type vaccine by Mr. Vitoon Wongharnkul and Dr. Pham Hong Thai, joint managing directors of Bionate Asia.

The vaccine is joint development between Bionate Asia and the National Vaccine Institute.

Mr. Anutin said he is pleased that the candidate vaccine has been successfully t

Australia’s Qantas airline to cut 6,000 jobs as virus hits

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Qantas plans to cut at least 6,000 jobs and keep 15,000 more workers on extended furloughs as Australia’s largest airline tries to survive the coronavirus pandemic.

Qantas announced a plan Thursday to reduce costs by billions of dollars and raise fresh capital. The plan includes grounding 100 planes for a year or more and immediately retiring its six remaining Boeing 747 planes.

Chief Executive Alan Joyce said the airline has to become smaller as it braces for several years of much lower revenues. He said the furloughed workers faced a long interruption to their airline careers.

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Thailand records one new COVID-19 infection

Thailand recorded one new COVID-19 case today, among quarantined returnees from abroad, and no new fatalities.

CCSA spokesman Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin said that the new patient is a 31-year old Thai man, who had been working at a restaurant in the Philippines. He arrived in Thailand on June 17^th and entered state run quarantine in Bangkok.

An asymptomatic case, the man tested positive for COVID-19 five days after arrival and became the second infection among 961 Thais returning from the Philippines.

Cumulative infections in the country to date are 3,157, with 3,026 recoveries and 73 still in hospital. The death toll remains 58.

Worldwide, Dr. Taweesin said that total infections have increased to 9.35 million, with 165,0

Thailand today records three new COVID-19 cases among returnees from India

Three Thais, who returned from India on June 15^th, are infected with coronavirus, as Thailand has remained free of locally transmitted infections for 28 consecutive days.

CCSA spokesman Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin told a news briefing on Monday that the new infections are all in females, aged 11, 21 and 34, who arrived in Thailand on the same flight and immediately entered state quarantine in the Thailand’s eastern province of Chon Buri. They tested positive for COVID-19 three days after arrival, but were asymptomatic.

The new infections bring the cumulative total in Thailand to 3,151, with 3,0