Phuket “Sandbox” traveller infected with Covid-19, tour group now in quarantine

[Thaiger]

A man who arrived in Thailand under the Phuket “Sandbox” reopening scheme has tested positive for Covid-19. The man is the first so-called “Sandboxer” to test positive for the virus since the island’s reopening last week under the scheme which allows travellers from overseas, who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, to enter the island province without undergoing quarantine. A Covid-19 test is required both before departure and upon arrival. The traveller from the United Arab Emirates arrived yesterday and had a routine swab test done upon arrival at the Phuket International Airport before going to his hotel, according to Phuket […]

The post Phuket “Sandbox” traveller infected with Covid-19, tour group now in quarantine appeared first on Thaiger News.

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[vlad]

How can it be unclear how many are in Quarantine ??

[Bluesofa]

Just how could this happen? After all the precautions and checks that have been put into operation.

Red faces all round - but not directly from Covid.

[mcambl61]

Bwaak Bwaak...! 

 

And now let the mass irrational unhinged panic ensue. 

 

Perfom a blood test and then determine when to retest. 

 

This will be yet another nother excuse to not allow vaccinated people to return without having to quarantine will be the next move. 

 

Cases are not the issue. 

 

The vulnerable part of the country is. 

[Bobfran]

So now the tour group is now in Quarantine for 14 days... How can it be that this person all of a sudden tested positive when he arrived in Phuket..  weren't the tested before they left their own country. What about all the others on the plane who aren't in the tour group... Do they go into quarantine as well.. or do they just fall between the cracks and all will be covered up...

But I suppose money talks more than someone's health..

[triplebogey]

I guess if you were lucky enough to receive your COE a special 14 unplanned days in a hotel should be  exciting.  Kidding aside what would your reaction be to this surprise. I think this could be one of the biggest negatives about the plan. You jump thru the hoops and an outside agency destroys the outcome. Do the innocent bystanders have to pick up the difference in the hotel bill. I think quarantine hotels are more expensive than SHA hotels

[Woifal]

So I believe that the nice Arab gentleman had a fake vaccination certificate or a fake PCR test before departure. 

[Soidog]

1 hour ago, Bobfran said:

So now the tour group is now in Quarantine for 14 days... How can it be that this person all of a sudden tested positive when he arrived in Phuket..  weren't the tested before they left their own country. What about all the others on the plane who aren't in the tour group... Do they go into quarantine as well.. or do they just fall between the cracks and all will be covered up...

But I suppose money talks more than someone's health..

72 hours before they left their country. That’s 3 days before. So the day they tested clear they maybe went to a coffee shop and caught it. Two days later flew to Phuket and the test showed it up. 72 hours is too long to catch everyone. It’s a percentage game as with everything else associated with this virus. 

[Ringo]

So when someone in your group comes up positive, you can still be locked up during your 2 week holiday.. I'll pass.

 

[Bluesofa]

12 minutes ago, Ringo said:

So when someone in your group comes up positive, you can still be locked up during your 2 week holiday.. I'll pass.

Look on the bright side. If you can see the beach from your prison cell hotel room, you can tell everyone back home how wonderful the view was. Well, assuming you get an early release for good behaviour.

[Stonker]

3 hours ago, Thaiger said:

A Covid-19 test is required both before departure and upon arrival. 

So how did the American "escapee" manage to leave  without one?

[Stonker]

21 minutes ago, Ringo said:

So when someone in your group comes up positive, you can still be locked up during your 2 week holiday.. I'll pass.

Yes, that definitely wasn't mentioned in the rules and regs ...

[Bluesofa]

Just now, Stonker said:

3 hours ago, Thaiger said:

A Covid-19 test is required both before departure and upon arrival. 

So how did the American "escapee" manage to leave  without one?

Perhaps the escape committee produced false papers for him to deceive the border control guards and successfully enter Switzerland.

[GES]

17 new COVID confirmations in the Province ?

Today or in past week ?

Its only been a couple a day according to what has been released

[David297]

2 hours ago, Tornado said:

The core question of this story is what vaccine did this traveler receive in Abu Dhabi? 

I'm sorry but I don't agree.  I think this story is entirely to be expected, given that this is one case in approximately 2000 visitors.  There is every chance that someone can pick up the virus after having taken the pre-departure PCR test; and a small but significant chance of carrying the virus despite having been vaccinated.  No vaccine is 100% effective against picking up the virus and transmitting it to other people.

I think the issue here is about how risky it is to enter the sandbox and expect to get 14 days of quarantine-free holiday; which is why I'm uncertain about whether to apply for my CoE right now! 

I do agree that it is of interest to know which vaccine the traveller had, but even with a "good one" this scenario is still to be expected.  And good that this case was picked up on arrival, I suppose.

[vlad]

10 minutes ago, Mike-Hunt said:

Perhaps the escape committee produced false papers for him to deceive the border control guards and successfully enter Switzerland.

lol Mike his Tilak or Thai wife was more likely to send in his fav bowl of Somtam. Got a tummy upset told the hotel he was off to the Hospital. Woosh absconded back to his Condo.

[Soidog]

1 minute ago, David297 said:

I'm sorry but I don't agree.  I think this story is entirely to be expected, given that this is one case in approximately 2000 visitors.  There is every chance that someone can pick up the virus after having taken the pre-departure PCR test; and a small but significant chance of carrying the virus despite having been vaccinated.  No vaccine is 100% effective against picking up the virus and transmitting it to other people.

I think the issue here is about how risky it is to enter the sandbox and expect to get 14 days of quarantine-free holiday; which is why I'm uncertain about whether to apply for my CoE right now! 

I do agree that it is of interest to know which vaccine the traveller had, but even with a "good one" this scenario is still to be expected.  And good that this case was picked up on arrival, I suppose.

Spot on comments here. The Thai authorities should be credited for the process working. 1 in 2,000 is a great result. The damage to the sandbox reputation is in how they now handle the individual and those around that person. They should isolate him in a comfortable hotel room. Treat him well and get a nice interview from him to stick in the media. 
 

I’d be surprised if this person was a genuine tourist. Most likely a person looking to get out of ASQ or someone with an interest in Thailand other than tourism.  
 

It’s a shi*#y situation the whole world is in and tolerance and adherence to rules is essential right now. 

[Bluesofa]

14 minutes ago, vlad said:

27 minutes ago, Mike-Hunt said:

Perhaps the escape committee produced false papers for him to deceive the border control guards and successfully enter Switzerland.

lol Mike his Tilak or Thai wife was more likely to send in his fav bowl of Somtam. Got a tummy upset told the hotel he was off to the Hospital. Woosh absconded back to his Condo.

I'm just concerned about your use of the word 'Woosh'. Not sure if it was meant to describe him evacuating his room or his bowels?

[EdwardV]

1 hour ago, David297 said:

I think the issue here is about how risky it is to enter the sandbox and expect to get 14 days of quarantine-free holiday; which is why I'm uncertain about whether to apply for my CoE right now! 

It’s one thing to enter knowing if you test positive it’s off to quarantine. It’s quite another to find out if someone else tests positive you could get scooped up for quarantine too. The risk vs reward equation just got even worse. 

[PatrickSatoLee]

If I'm part of his tour group, and I have to quarantine 14 days due to him being positive, I will start "sending regards" to his family and friends for 3 generation ! So much for quarantine free holidays !  

[JohninDublin]

7 hours ago, Mike-Hunt said:

Just how could this happen? After all the precautions and checks that have been put into operation.

Red faces all round - but not directly from Covid.

All the precautions and checks worked. The vax is not 100% guaranteed to work, and PCR tests have a 15% fail rate. So the gov said only those who have been vaxxed. Then they must have a pre-flight PCR test. Then another on arrival, Finally they had to wait 24 hours in quarantine in an approved hotel pending the test results. The system worked because they caught the case before he was able to wander around infecting all and sundry.

I am not a fan of the Thai gov, but so far, I think they've done a good job. It will only be a failure if they allow infected people in, and fail to detect them.

It's a lot easier to prevent infection than to cure it.

[JohninDublin]

3 hours ago, EdwardV said:

It’s one thing to enter knowing if you test positive it’s off to quarantine. It’s quite another to find out if someone else tests positive you could get scooped up for quarantine too. The risk vs reward equation just got even worse. 

So far, 19 people connected with this case are in quarantine. That's slightly under 1% of all sandbox arrivals. Not a great risk, but not impossible. A major factor is that he was travelling as part of a group. Had the other members of the group travelled as individuals, they would have been ok. 

[SickBuffalo]

The three problems here are vaccine quality, vaccine fraud, and certification quality.

1. The primary purpose of the vaccines is to reduce hospitalization and death, but the Western vaccines also appear to significantly reduce your chance to become infected and, if you do, your ability to transmit it to others. If I was running the sandbox, I would only allow those fully vaccinated with Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca manufactured in Europe (and not the Indian version of AstraZeneca, Covshield).

2. There are many reports of vaccine fraud. In most cases, a counterfeit vaccine is injected into patients. The fraud can occur at any point in the supply chain. We have no idea how prevalent this might be, but it could be well run into the millions.

In some cases, the vaccine is real but the vaccinator does not actually press down the plunger, allowing her to smuggle out and sell vials that were meant to be used on patients. This happens often enough in the Philippines that many recommend you actually watch the injection, rather than turn away, so you can be sure the plunger was pressed.

Certain countries are sourcing their vaccines directly from the manufacturers and have effective systems in place to prevent fraud. During the delicate sandbox period when any outbreak could compromise the entire re-opening roadmap, I would only allow those coming from countries with highly credible, government-run vaccination programmes, such as the EU, US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Israel.

3. At this time, the only credible certification systems are the EU Digital Covid Certificate and the Japanese system based on the EU DCC. It appears that the US is unable to introduce a national system due to misguided political pushback.

Any system involving a letter, a paper certificate, or a vaccination card are too easily forged. Quickly checking an online database needs to be part of the verification process every time a vaccination certificate is presented. I would only allow those using the EU DCC or a national system based upon it, such as Japan's.


So, in conclusion, if I were the Thai government, I would focus entirely on the EU, Japan, Israel markets so that the Thai public can be reassured that fully vaccinated tourists are safe. I would also add the UK and US as soon as they introduce an online certification system.
 

Edited July 7, 2021 by SickBuffalo

[EdwardV]

33 minutes ago, JohninDubin said:

So far, 19 people connected with this case are in quarantine. That's slightly under 1% of all sandbox arrivals. Not a great risk, but not impossible. A major factor is that he was travelling as part of a group. Had the other members of the group travelled as individuals, they would have been ok. 

Sorry I was talking about the personal risk vs reward associated with all travel. Not the risk associated with Thailand deciding to open or not. In most travel we all do some level or risk vs reward calculation, even if it's just subconsciously. In coming to Phuket right now you risk: the normal cost of the vacation, bad weather as it's monsoon season, the possibility of testing positive and getting a 14 day quarantine along with the extra costs and bureaucratic hoops to be jumped associated with the scheme. To some that's a lot, to others not so much. The reward is to lay on a beach and eat Thai food. Now you add in the chance of getting a 14 day quarantine for someone else testing positive. I'm not sure we know whether or not that last sentence is completely true or not. At least not yet. 

[BIGGLES]

Well we're at the end of the first week of the Sandbox.

Things are not perfect, and there has been a few hick -ups. It's not a perfect system, as it rolls along, it is producing issues. These operational issues I would say, are to be expected.

This beginning,  and I emphasise beginning,  is better than nothing.

My advice to people travelling to Phuket at the moment would  be to acknowledge the process is not without risks, but life is not without risks!

So, be prepared for the unexpected, take all your precautions and make sure you have plenty  of credit on your plastic. If it goes smooth great! If it goes pear shaped  put it down to one of life's experiences.

YOU KNOW THE RISK.

Roll the dice or don't. 

Upto you!