Proposal: stop Covid-19 testing foreign workers in dark red zones

[Thaiger]

Thailand’s Minister of Labour Suchat Chomklin is scrambling to explain away a leaked alleged proposal to stop testing foreign migrant workers for Covid-19 after Thai social media exploded all day with criticism. The order had been sent to the Bangkok Employment Office Area 1-10 on July 5, but just came to light yesterday. The proposal to cancel testing for foreign workers in the most at-risk areas because hospitals didn’t have facilities to accommodate many more infections. It is alleged that the Foreign Workers Administration of the Department of Employment, a department of the Ministry of Labour, cancelled Covid-19 tests for […]

The post Proposal: stop Covid-19 testing foreign workers in dark red zones appeared first on Thaiger News.

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[OnbekendeNederlander]

Treat all foreigners with Ivermectine

[MHW]

This is brilliant! If you stop testing you will not get more positive cases…. 

[Martin]

It's staggering really. Apart from the blatant discrimination of some of the most vulnerable in society, an infected person will still be infected even if you don't test them. Only no-one will know until they become visibly ill. By which time they may have infected many others. And so on and so on. 

You can't help but worry that Thailand is in for a really rough time of it the next few months. I hope not, but that's the way it's heading. 

 

[M.O.]

The underlying problem is the policy to "hospitalize" all covid cases. Why the quotes? Because a more appropriate term is isolate. Admission to a hospital is basically a decision that the treatment/management of an ill person can not be adequately done outside the hospital setting. This mass "hospitalization" of all covid patients is un-necessary. What is needed is isolation. Just set up isolation centres. Even self-isolation may be acceptable if it is possible eg, all members in a house are infected in which case they can all stay at home. Hospital beds will then be available for those truly needing hospital management.

To free up beds by reducing testing is just like the ostrich burying its head!

[EdwardV]

So you stop testing because the hospitals are full? Is that suppose to stop the infections or just increase the ones you don't know about? 

[Soidog]

This would be funny if it wasn’t so serious. Irresponsible doesn’t come close. 

[9S_]

What a joke. 
 

the only ones saving Thailand’s ass right now are foreign countries who are donating vaccines in the millions

Hell you even see Thai youtubers who fly to the US to get a free vaccine

[gummy]

1 hour ago, Tjampman said:

That is what they are doing, the field hospitals that are set up, is only for isolation areas.

So putting up to 500 people in the same enclosed building is your definition of isolation is it ?

[Chaimai]

27 minutes ago, gummy said:

So putting up to 500 people in the same enclosed building is your definition of isolation is it ?

 

 

I am sure that they are social distancing............

[gummy]

1 minute ago, Chaimai said:

I am sure that they are social distancing............

You may be right and I expect the cardboard beds and barbed wire helps with that too.

[JamesE]

 

3 hours ago, MHW said:

This is brilliant! If you stop testing you will not get more positive cases…. 

Originally proposed by the former president of the US. A brilliant idea, probably his best.

[JamesE]

1 hour ago, EdwardV said:

So you stop testing because the hospitals are full? Is that suppose to stop the infections or just increase the ones you don't know about? 

Thailand early on decided to hospitalize all positive cases. That was doable back when there weren't many. Now, for some reason, they won't walk that back.

[Chaimai]

Just now, JamesE said:

Thailand early on decided to hospitalize all positive cases. That was doable back when there weren't many. Now, for some reason, they won't walk that back.

 

 

That was never a smart move IMO.

 

If you are unwell and warrant hospital treatment, go to hospital - otherwise isolate at home.

[gummy]

Just now, JamesE said:

Thailand early on decided to hospitalize all positive cases. That was doable back when there weren't many. Now, for some reason, they won't walk that back.

A matter of saving face. Saving face is far more important then saving lives.

[BlueSphinx]

3 hours ago, MHW said:

This is brilliant! If you stop testing you will not get more positive cases…. 

 

7 minutes ago, JamesE said:

Originally proposed by the former president of the US. A brilliant idea, probably his best.

Aaaargh, yesterday 97 today 102 - we are all going to die!

Most people are not able to correctly interpret figures, which is quite logical when the data are presented without context.  Basing conclusions on the daily positive cases-number is largely meaningless without insight in number of tests conducted and the testing method (targeted testing, random testing, false positives, etc). 

[Objectivance]

Probably one of the more logical ideas they've had to this point, in relation to what they're actually equipped to deal with.

[JamesE]

26 minutes ago, BlueSphinx said:

Basing conclusions on the daily positive cases-number is largely meaningless without insight in number of tests conducted and the testing method (targeted testing, random testing, false positives, etc). 

Sadly, Thailand stopped reporting testing numbers some time ago. I've been watching worldometer and the numbers haven't budged in about ten days. Even the positivity rate would paint some context. But nothing.

[Thaichris]

I have a slightly different slant. It seems to me to be discriminatory to Farangs. If we want to go abroad, when we return, if we have not been vaccinated, no doctors certificate etc etc, we are put into a costly hotel and quarantined- but migrant workers can get off fishing boats and walk into a fish market in Thailand and cause a whole new wave of Covid, resulting in its arrival at my son’s school. Where is the common sense in that?

[gummy]

10 minutes ago, Thaichris said:

I have a slightly different slant. It seems to me to be discriminatory to Farangs. If we want to go abroad, when we return, if we have not been vaccinated, no doctors certificate etc etc, we are put into a costly hotel and quarantined- but migrant workers can get off fishing boats and walk into a fish market in Thailand and cause a whole new wave of Covid, resulting in its arrival at my son’s school. Where is the common sense in that?

So the moral of that story is ; Become a fisherman and save money.

But seriously common sense is not a well proven commodity here sometimes.

[TorontoJeff]

2 hours ago, gummy said:

So putting up to 500 people in the same enclosed building is your definition of isolation is it ?

What does it matter if they're already infected?  Not agreeing with the policy.  It's madness.

[MikeTexas]

Stop testing foreigners so they won't know they are sick and take up hospital beds?  Well that goes along with not giving foreigners equal access to vaccines.  Treat others as you would have them treat you.     

[gummy]

2 hours ago, TorontoJeff said:

What does it matter if they're already infected?  Not agreeing with the policy.  It's madness.

It matters a lot. Children are separated from their parents, now tell me does that not matter ?

[Grumpyoldman]

7 hours ago, Martin said:

an infected person will still be infected even if you don't test them. Only no-one will know until they become visibly ill. By which time they may have infected many others. And so on and so on. 

.....thats how you get herd immunity.

Not everyone gets C19.

95% of people that get it are not seriously ill. These are statistics in the public domain.

The policy of "nil cases" doesnt work, cannot ever work and is flawed.

[AdamX]

25 minutes ago, Grumpyoldman said:

.....thats how you get herd immunity.

Not everyone gets C19.

95% of people that get it are not seriously ill. These are statistics in the public domain.

The policy of "nil cases" doesnt work, cannot ever work and is flawed.

Could not agree more. 

We have an epidemic of cases, not of Covid. 

 Singapore seems to also have come to the realization that zero infection is a pointeless pipe dream that is downright dangerous in practice as it leads to self harming procedures like lockdowns