News Forum - Thailand Omicron update: More than 500 cases, many Test & Go travellers

[Thaiger]

As of yesterday, there have been 514 Omicron cases reported in Thailand, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Of that number, 147 are local transmissions while others are from overseas, many who travelled to Thailand under the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme. The entry programme allows fully vaccinated travellers from approved countries to enter Thailand after passing an on-arrival RT-PCR test. Registration for the scheme has been closed due to the uptick in Omicron cases involving travellers entering the country. Here are some notable cases reported over the last few weeks… 25 Omicron cases reported after religious […]

The story Thailand Omicron update: More than 500 cases, many Test & Go travellers as seen on Thaiger News.

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[AlexPTY]

Are those RT-PCR tests actually detect Omicron? 

[Rain]

8 minutes ago, whitesnake said:

Here we go, here we go, here we go! Here we gooohhh... HERE WE GO!

Most. 

It ain't rebellin' if you're buying what they're sellin'.

[Rain]

1 minute ago, AlexPTY said:

Are those RT-PCR tests actually detect Omicron? 

No. Or can any of these crappy test kit decipher any of the other particular mutated strains. 

Comical. 

[Graham]

Just wait for A-Nut-In to get on his soap box. 555

[HolyCowCm]

Thye are going to pin it on the foreingers to blame and not the locals or the powers that be who think they know sh*t from shinola.

[beachwalker]

I am from the UK.I had Covid 7/12/21 I got my NHS covid recovered cert and noted section 3 on the Thai pass that they recognised covid could cause a postive test and to have proof of recovery.My pre departure test in the uk on Christmas Eve was negative..So i went ahead with the flight.Arrived to test and go on the 27th ,had my PCR at the hotel.This morning at 11am I was told the test was inconclusive,I have to stay in room for 2 days while Dept of Public Health do a check.If the NHS had not given me my Covid travel pass and the Thai embassy webite on the Thailand pass page ,had siad about inconclusive tests ,I would have cancelled my flights.Now I am paying 3000 baht a day and I really dont know what will happen.

 

[Cabra]

Hate to say it, but I would not try to enter any other country right now (that imposes restrictions). There are way too people testing positive (even those who previously tested negative). I'm starting to question if the testing regiments being used are even accurate for omicron

[SkylineGTR82]

2 hours ago, Thaiger said:

A 16 year old, who attended the Chang Fair, a popular annual elephant festival, on December 15 and 17, tested positive for the Omicron variant, according to Nation Thailand. Those who attended the festival can contact a local hospital for a free Covid-19 test. Surin’s Public Health authorities have been asking locals not to panic.

 

Officials say they suspect the teenager contracted the virus from her relatives who recently came back from Denmark and have also tested positive for Omicron, according to the Thai media outlet Khaosod. He had dinner with his relatives on December 20 and tested positive for Omicron on Christmas.

Why is there panic in this case if he did not get together with his relatives until December 20th? Either he was already positive when visiting the festival at 15th and 17th, or (assuming he had no contact with his relatives before the 20th!) he was negative anyway, so there is no danger for the other visitors to the festival!? Sounds very strange for me... But yes, probably an evil of farang infected him before ...

 

[TV7]

 

I read in an (serious) article that this virus is seven times more contagious than the Delta and gives three times less severe symptoms than Delta. Also, two vaccines won’t do much protection, and a booster is necessary. Too make a long story short, that doesn’t look good. If with Delta 1 in 100 would end up in the hospital, now 1 in 300 would. But it’s the number 700 comparing to Delta (7 times more contagious) that will put 2,1 person into the hospital. So, the healthcare system will be under more pressure, even if it’s less fatal. Let’s hope that this new virus will be start of the end of covid and it will turn into a flu kind of illness.

 

[HolyCowCm]

1 hour ago, Cabra said:

I'm starting to question if the testing regiments being used are even accurate for omicron

Accurate for them as far as they care. 

[mcambl61]

More ridiculous overreaction and fear mongering nonsense. 

 

 

Enough with this vacuous inane knee jerk reaction 

[HolyCowCm]

1 minute ago, mcambl61 said:

More ridiculous overreaction and fear mongering nonsense. 

Enough with this vacuous inane knee jerk reaction 

I think the point is that the Clear Clean test and go window has came and went. Now back to oops, sorry you must comply and cannot go and must pay. Maybe two more days if you lucky can go, but wait and see and sorry, we cannot help you but you must pay. Thank you for coming, please come again. 

[MrNovax]

3 hours ago, Thaiger said:

514 Omicron cases reported in Thailand, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Of that number, 147 are local transmissions while others are from overseas,

Of those 367 id be curious how many were from vax'd and how many from unvax'd.  The reference the test and go which would imply a fair number of these are vaccinated people.  It would be interesting to know how many travelers total came in during that time frame.  lots of key data interestingly missing from this article.  

[PapayaBokBok]

2 hours ago, HolyCowCm said:

Thye are going to pin it on the foreingers to blame and not the locals or the powers that be who think they know sh*t from shinola.

Have to catch me first! triple vaxxed and on the move in CM!  I lecture the loy kroh massage gals cat calling me without masks daily as i bike riding--at least that wacky gal stalking me wore her mask! :)

[vvdb.fr]

A vaccinee can catch COVID, they are unlikely to have complications.

It reduces the number of people hospitalized and therefore the costs for the community.

If one family member has Omicron, the whole family will be infected. without a mask it's 5 minutes.

"We believe the most contagious virus is measles, which has a factor of around 18. This new variant of Covid-19 is a factor of 15. So, currently, it is the second most contagious virus in the world"

Edited December 28, 2021 by vvdb.fr
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[samiam123]

2 hours ago, TV7 said:

I read in an (serious) article that this virus is seven times more contagious than the Delta and gives three times less severe symptoms than Delta. Also, two vaccines won’t do much protection, and a booster is necessary. Too make a long story short, that doesn’t look good. If with Delta 1 in 100 would end up in the hospital, now 1 in 300 would. But it’s the number 700 comparing to Delta (7 times more contagious) that will put 2,1 person into the hospital. So, the healthcare system will be under more pressure, even if it’s less fatal. Let’s hope that this new virus will be start of the end of covid and it will turn into a flu kind of illness.

That is exactly what this is.  Everyone is scared to say it's mild and not causing mass hospitalizations because nobody wants to discourage people from getting vaccinations or boosters.  So everyone is fearmongering spreading misleading info about it now trying to keep people scared.  

I don't think boosters do much.  The latest studies suggest they only give you a few more weeks of extra protection from omicron.  Two jabs seems to be enough to keep the vast majority out of the hospital and that's all that matters.

Edited December 28, 2021 by samiam123

[bushav8r]

3 hours ago, beachwalker said:

I am from the UK.I had Covid 7/12/21 I got my NHS covid recovered cert and noted section 3 on the Thai pass that they recognised covid could cause a postive test and to have proof of recovery.My pre departure test in the uk on Christmas Eve was negative..So i went ahead with the flight.Arrived to test and go on the 27th ,had my PCR at the hotel.This morning at 11am I was told the test was inconclusive,I have to stay in room for 2 days while Dept of Public Health do a check.If the NHS had not given me my Covid travel pass and the Thai embassy webite on the Thailand pass page ,had siad about inconclusive tests ,I would have cancelled my flights.Now I am paying 3000 baht a day and I really dont know what will happen.

I hope you will be walking the beaches here soon.  

[Lawyers_Guns_and_Money]

3 hours ago, beachwalker said:

I am from the UK.I had Covid 7/12/21 I got my NHS covid recovered cert and noted section 3 on the Thai pass that they recognised covid could cause a postive test and to have proof of recovery.My pre departure test in the uk on Christmas Eve was negative..So i went ahead with the flight.Arrived to test and go on the 27th ,had my PCR at the hotel.This morning at 11am I was told the test was inconclusive,I have to stay in room for 2 days while Dept of Public Health do a check.If the NHS had not given me my Covid travel pass and the Thai embassy webite on the Thailand pass page ,had siad about inconclusive tests ,I would have cancelled my flights.Now I am paying 3000 baht a day and I really dont know what will happen.

You had plenty of warning signs of possibly being caught up before traveling. Now you'll just have to suck it up and pay the price. You only have yourself to blame...not the tests, the website, the cost, etc. 

[Lawyers_Guns_and_Money]

54 minutes ago, samiam123 said:

That is exactly what this is.  Everyone is scared to say it's mild and not causing mass hospitalizations because nobody wants to discourage people from getting vaccinations or boosters.  So everyone is fearmongering spreading misleading info about it now trying to keep people scared.  

I don't think boosters do much.  The latest studies suggest they only give you a few more weeks of extra protection from omicron.  Two jabs seems to be enough to keep the vast majority out of the hospital and that's all that matters.

The NY times publishes two numbers daily, the number of new cases and deaths. New cases in the US are up 100% , but deaths are down 5%. If it continues to play out that deaths continue to go down while "cases" are high, they will no longer be able to make decisions based on testing. 

[ace035]

I am not due for booster shot for Moderna until the 1st week of February so means, there's no plan to travel to Thailand as of now, shall see between March through May, but according to the health expert booster effective between 80-85% & last for only 10 weeks after booster.

[JamesR]

4 hours ago, beachwalker said:

I am from the UK.I had Covid 7/12/21 I got my NHS covid recovered cert and noted section 3 on the Thai pass that they recognised covid could cause a postive test and to have proof of recovery.My pre departure test in the uk on Christmas Eve was negative..So i went ahead with the flight.Arrived to test and go on the 27th ,had my PCR at the hotel.This morning at 11am I was told the test was inconclusive,I have to stay in room for 2 days while Dept of Public Health do a check.If the NHS had not given me my Covid travel pass and the Thai embassy webite on the Thailand pass page ,had siad about inconclusive tests ,I would have cancelled my flights.Now I am paying 3000 baht a day and I really dont know what will happen.

That is the reason I am not going to Thailand at the moment and have been holding off since July last year. 

I can't see it being much fun anyway as nothing much is going on there and there is too much risk of the rules being changed, flights being cancelled en mass due to staff sickness, all sorts of things can change instantly at the moment.

A trip is supposed to be for fun but it is not much fun under the current circumstances. 

[samiam123]

37 minutes ago, Lawyers_Guns_and_Money said:

The NY times publishes two numbers daily, the number of new cases and deaths. New cases in the US are up 100% , but deaths are down 5%. If it continues to play out that deaths continue to go down while "cases" are high, they will no longer be able to make decisions based on testing. 

I can't understand why anyone is still talking about # of cases.  It is becoming almost as meaningless as talking about how many people got the flu this week. 

The ONLY number that matters is the # of hospitalizations.  The media rarely puts that number their headlines because it's not as big and scary as the # of cases.  Also, I believe the vast majority of hospitalizations in the US are still Delta and the vast majority of those people are unvaxxed.  Like 80-90% of the people in hospitals are unvaxxed.  Of the ones that are vaxxed, they usually have pre-existing conditions.

Edited December 28, 2021 by samiam123

[ace035]

How the heck Thailand has already more than 500 cases of Omicron variant? This is freakin insane. For us here in the Philippines, only 4 cases of Omicron as of now & all the nightlifes are back to normal. The reason is they are not allowing any farangs from anywhere and only allowing former Filipinos( naturalized U.S citizen like me) & any "Balikbayans" from overseas or Middle East. I still have to wear face shield and double masked at the same time when going outside.

[Freeduhdumb]

12 minutes ago, ace035 said:

How the heck Thailand has already more than 500 cases of Omicron variant? This is freakin insane. For us here in the Philippines, only 4 cases of Omicron as of now & all the nightlifes are back to normal. The reason is they are not allowing any farangs from anywhere and only allowing former Filipinos( naturalized U.S citizen like me) & any "Balikbayans" from overseas or Middle East. I still have to wear face shield and double masked at the same time when going outside.

Test more people, get more "cases," test less people, get less "cases." Is that cave man enough? Ok, let's call that the KISS method. Lol. Common Sense... doesn't require a degree in epidemiology.