News Forum - First local Omicron case, officials consider cancelling quarantine exemption Test & Go

[Thaiger]

Thailand’s first local transmission of the Omicron variant was reported today by public health officials. The confirmed case comes as the government considers cancelling the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme due to increasing reports of Omicron cases involving those arriving in Thailand from overseas. So far, health officials have reported more than 60 imported Omicron cases. The first local infection is a woman who contracted the virus from her husband who had travelled from Nigeria. The man had returned home on November 26 and tested negative on arrival in an RT-PCR test. He had entered under the “sandbox” scheme […]

The story First local Omicron case, officials consider cancelling quarantine exemption Test & Go as seen on Thaiger News.

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[AlexPTY]

too late, it's here and tourists are tested at least twice. Locals are not.

[Rick]

Lockdown 

[MikeW]

Here comes the lock downs and curfews. Well for every place but Bangkok and Phuket 

[Sire]

Foreigner or Thai, all should do the PCR test before arrival and after. This systemic dual system is just going to cause issues like this 

Edited December 20, 2021 by Sire
Misspelt

[Chatogaster]

22 minutes ago, Rick said:

Lockdown 

I wonder if those in charge are prepared to lose face & revenue by cancelling all New Year festivities.
If there's a (national) lockdown, I expect it to be announced no sooner than after the super spreader events.
After all, it's quite feasible to downplay the advent of Omicron for the coming 14 days by imposing some half-measures here and there.
 

[palooka]

Why was he allowed to travel home after testing positive on arrival and only 7 days quarantine?

If Omicron is as contagious as reported then half of Bangkok may have it already.

So sandboxing tourists is a waste of time.

[Phuket]

<Content deleted>

Edited December 20, 2021 by KaptainRob
English only please.

[Geo]

Don't panic captain mannering don't panic

[HarryN]

So what if your Thailand Pass is approved already for arrival in 2 weeks?

 

[S2k]

17 minutes ago, HarryN said:

So what if your Thailand Pass is approved already for arrival in 2 weeks?

Nobody knows. We wait and find out. I'm due to arrive Jan 3rd.

[S2k]

1 hour ago, Sire said:

Foreigner or Thai, all should do the PCR test before arrival and after. This systemic dual system is just going to cause issues like this 

Unless he was flying Thai Airline, surely he was required to be tested before boarding.

[Nipral]

At last the final blow for tourism in Thailand !

[HolyCowCm]

I know exactly where it was in CM last week already so this is not a limited only several cases. Anything you read I just don't buy anymore when it comes to CV-19 here.

[ozvenision]

keystone cops

[Jason]

Yes, you could close the borders again. But thinking that would stop the spread of Omicron is like saying that closing the borders against Delta, worked....it didn't. Omicron is coming...that is as certain as the tide rising BUT, we don't know yet what Omicron will do. It's too early to tell. So hold your nerve and chill Thailand!!! Yes this variant will spread...rapidly. But if it turns out Omicron is mild and maybe even the last throws of Covid, before it becomes just another Flu, then Thailand stands to lose out .....majorly. The best course of action, I think, is to keep to the current conditions of entry. Test and go, sandbox and ASQ gives enough safeguards. It would also be wise to keep the PCR test going in all circumstances. Maybe add extra PCR tests for those coming from places where Omicron is emerging and reduce the countries that qualify for test and go.

[Stonker]

4 hours ago, Sire said:

Foreigner or Thai, all should do the PCR test before arrival and after. This systemic dual system is just going to cause issues like this 

What "dual system"?

WTF are you talking about?

Everyone arriving, foreigner or Thai, does exactly the same tests under exactly the same conditions.

[Stonker]

2 hours ago, S2k said:

Unless he was flying Thai Airline, surely he was required to be tested before boarding.

The previous exemption for Thais flying with Thai Airlines, along with free SQ,  went out long ago.

[Stonker]

54 minutes ago, Jason said:

But if it turns out Omicron is mild and maybe even the last throws of Covid, before it becomes just another Flu, then Thailand stands to lose out .....majorly. The best course of action, I think, is to keep to the current conditions of entry. Test and go, sandbox and ASQ gives enough safeguards. It would also be wise to keep the PCR test going in all circumstances. Maybe add extra PCR tests for those coming from places where Omicron is emerging and reduce the countries that qualify for test and go.

... and what if it doesn't?

[Stonker]

3 hours ago, palooka said:

Why was he allowed to travel home after testing positive on arrival and only 7 days quarantine?

If Omicron is as contagious as reported then half of Bangkok may have it already.

So sandboxing tourists is a waste of time.

He didn't test positive on arrival:

5 hours ago, Thaiger said:

The man had returned home on November 26 and tested negative on arrival in an RT-PCR test.

There's a big question mark over another case of a pilot whose wife also tested positive, but this doesn't appear to be it.

[palooka]

58 minutes ago, Stonker said:

He didn't test positive on arrival:

There's a big question mark over another case of a pilot whose wife also tested positive, but this doesn't appear to be it.

So he was in country some 7 days and  I would assume he  had multiple tests for Covid during those seven days particularly before he left quarantine sandbox,  3 days later (total 10 since arrival) after he has visited a shop and a mall he contracts Covid.  3 days later his wife has Covid also. 

I think he got it at the Mall.  Possibly a 3 day incubation period.

[palooka]

1 hour ago, Stonker said:

He didn't test positive on arrival:

My bad, slack after lack sleep after a big family day yesterday.

[Jason]

1 hour ago, Stonker said:

... and what if it doesn't?

Then I guess we're in for a long ride...

[Shark]

9 minutes ago, Jason said:

Then I guess we're in for a long ride...

We will be. It's not done yet. My early day predictions where 2024.... this was when we started talking about COVID-19 and since all these anti vaxxers are still going strong it might end up to become 2028.

[Rain]

6 hours ago, Rick said:

Lockdown 

Nah.

Not gonna happen.

Though, I could see a new profitable opportunity advantage from the new and invented scare - as it's currently being adopted in the West.....again and again.