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Flashermac

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Everything posted by Flashermac

  1. "“If you aren’t sick, please don’t get tests because it’s useless and wastes money." Exactly. Why should he even have to tell this to people?
  2. Some Hospitals Apply ‘Farang Pricing’ for Coronavirus Testing BANGKOK — At least two hospitals in Bangkok are charging foreigners more for coronavirus tests, a survey found on Monday. While the vast majority of hospitals surveyed by Khaosod English apply the same fees to Thais and foreigners in their testing, Ramathibodi and Paolo Phaholyothin hospitals charge foreigners by about 40 percent more than Thai nationals. But regardless of nationalities, coronavirus testing fees in Bangkok generally cost in the thousands. The price is considered so steep that Roongreung Kitpati, an advisor to the Ministry of Health, said Sunday that those without symptoms or at-risk travel history should refrain from getting checkups, which could overcrowd hospitals and use up test kits. “If you aren’t sick, please don’t get tests because it’s useless and wastes money. Most tests yield negative results. But if you are in an at-risk group, such as contact with the infected, please contact the Department hotline,” Roongreung said. Many hospitals will also only provide Covid-19 testing if the person has symptoms such as fever over 37.5C, cough, runny rose, respiratory problems, and if they have travel history to an at-risk country, are in contact with someone who returned from such a country or currently has the virus, or are a medical personnel who is in close contact to the infected. Here are the costs if you do get a coronavirus test at a hospital: Public/University Hospitals Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital: Tests are 3,000 – 6,000 baht, same price for foreigners. Admission available. Ramathibodi Hospital: Due to limited test kits, testing will only be given to those with Covid-19 symptoms. Tests cost 5,000 baht for Thais, 7,000 baht to foreigners. Siriraj Piyamaharajkarun Hospital: Does not provide Covid tests unless patients already have Covid-19 symptoms. The hospital said they cannot determine the price for a test, since they can only be prescribed by doctors. Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute: Tests cost 8,000 – 14,000 baht, but may be free depending on the doctors’ discretion. Private Hospitals Ramkhamhaeng Hospital: 6,500 baht for a Drive Thru service where doctors will swab your nose and throat. Medical results will be sent through text messages within eight hours. Same price for both Thais and foreigners. Book via their Facebook, though the service is fully booked through Thursday. Vichaiyut Hospital: 7,500 baht, not including any prescribed medicine. Same price for Thai and foreigners, but tests are reserved for those showing symptoms. Bangkok Christian Hospital: 8,200 – 10,000 baht. Same price for Thais and foreigners. St. Louis Hospital: 8,000 baht but will only test those showing Covid-19 symptoms. Same price for Thais and foreigners. Phyathai 2 Hospital: 6,500 baht, but will have additional service fees. Same price for Thais and foreigners. Phyathai 3 Hospital: Same price as Phyathai 2, but will only test on those with symptoms or recent travel to at-risk countries. Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital: Will not say how much a test costs. Tests can only be prescribed by doctors, no walk-in check ups available. Samitivej Hospital Thonburi: 8,000 – 10,000 baht, same price for foreigners. Bumrungrad International Hospital: 10,500 baht for those with no Covid-19 symptoms, test results available within 48 hours. Those with symptoms pay 7,500 – 18,500 baht, but the hospital will not admit Covid-19 patients. They will be sent to other hospitals. Paolo Phaholyothin Hospital: 5,000 baht for Thais, 7,000 baht to foreigners. PatRangsit Hospital: 8,000 baht for both Thais and foreigners. Praram 9 Hospital: 10,000 baht for p Many hospitals will also only provide Covid-19 testing if the person has symptoms such as fever over 37.5C, cough, runny rose, respiratory problems, and if they have travel history to an at-risk country, are in contact with someone who returned from such a country or currently has the virus, or are a medical personnel who is in close contact to the infected. Here are the costs if you do get a coronavirus test at a hospital: Public/University Hospitals Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital: Tests are 3,000 – 6,000 baht, same price for foreigners. Admission available. Ramathibodi Hospital: Due to limited test kits, testing will only be given to those with Covid-19 symptoms. Tests cost 5,000 baht for Thais, 7,000 baht to foreigners. Siriraj Piyamaharajkarun Hospital: Does not provide Covid tests unless patients already have Covid-19 symptoms. The hospital said they cannot determine the price for a test, since they can only be prescribed by doctors. Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute: Tests cost 8,000 – 14,000 baht, but may be free depending on the doctors’ discretion. Private Hospitals Ramkhamhaeng Hospital: 6,500 baht for a Drive Thru service where doctors will swab your nose and throat. Medical results will be sent through text messages within eight hours. Same price for both Thais and foreigners. Book via their Facebook, though the service is fully booked through Thursday. Vichaiyut Hospital: 7,500 baht, not including any prescribed medicine. Same price for Thai and foreigners, but tests are reserved for those showing symptoms. Bangkok Christian Hospital: 8,200 – 10,000 baht. Same price for Thais and foreigners. St. Louis Hospital: 8,000 baht but will only test those showing Covid-19 symptoms. Same price for Thais and foreigners. Phyathai 2 Hospital: 6,500 baht, but will have additional service fees. Same price for Thais and foreigners. Phyathai 3 Hospital: Same price as Phyathai 2, but will only test on those with symptoms or recent travel to at-risk countries. Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital: Will not say how much a test costs. Tests can only be prescribed by doctors, no walk-in check ups available. Samitivej Hospital Thonburi: 8,000 – 10,000 baht, same price for foreigners. Bumrungrad International Hospital: 10,500 baht for those with no Covid-19 symptoms, test results available within 48 hours. Those with symptoms pay 7,500 – 18,500 baht, but the hospital will not admit Covid-19 patients. They will be sent to other hospitals. Paolo Phaholyothin Hospital: 5,000 baht for Thais, 7,000 baht to foreigners. PatRangsit Hospital: 8,000 baht for both Thais and foreigners. Praram 9 Hospital: 10,000 baht for p Many hospitals will also only provide Covid-19 testing if the person has symptoms such as fever over 37.5C, cough, runny rose, respiratory problems, and if they have travel history to an at-risk country, are in contact with someone who returned from such a country or currently has the virus, or are a medical personnel who is in close contact to the infected. Here are the costs if you do get a coronavirus test at a hospital: Public/University Hospitals Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital: Tests are 3,000 – 6,000 baht, same price for foreigners. Admission available. Ramathibodi Hospital: Due to limited test kits, testing will only be given to those with Covid-19 symptoms. Tests cost 5,000 baht for Thais, 7,000 baht to foreigners. Siriraj Piyamaharajkarun Hospital: Does not provide Covid tests unless patients already have Covid-19 symptoms. The hospital said they cannot determine the price for a test, since they can only be prescribed by doctors. Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute: Tests cost 8,000 – 14,000 baht, but may be free depending on the doctors’ discretion. Private Hospitals Ramkhamhaeng Hospital: 6,500 baht for a Drive Thru service where doctors will swab your nose and throat. Medical results will be sent through text messages within eight hours. Same price for both Thais and foreigners. Book via their Facebook, though the service is fully booked through Thursday. Vichaiyut Hospital: 7,500 baht, not including any prescribed medicine. Same price for Thai and foreigners, but tests are reserved for those showing symptoms. Bangkok Christian Hospital: 8,200 – 10,000 baht. Same price for Thais and foreigners. St. Louis Hospital: 8,000 baht but will only test those showing Covid-19 symptoms. Same price for Thais and foreigners. Phyathai 2 Hospital: 6,500 baht, but will have additional service fees. Same price for Thais and foreigners. Phyathai 3 Hospital: Same price as Phyathai 2, but will only test on those with symptoms or recent travel to at-risk countries. Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital: Will not say how much a test costs. Tests can only be prescribed by doctors, no walk-in check ups available. Samitivej Hospital Thonburi: 8,000 – 10,000 baht, same price for foreigners. Bumrungrad International Hospital: 10,500 baht for those with no Covid-19 symptoms, test results available within 48 hours. Those with symptoms pay 7,500 – 18,500 baht, but the hospital will not admit Covid-19 patients. They will be sent to other hospitals. Paolo Phaholyothin Hospital: 5,000 baht for Thais, 7,000 baht to foreigners. PatRangsit Hospital: 8,000 baht for both Thais and foreigners. Praram 9 Hospital: 10,000 baht for pa Many hospitals will also only provide Covid-19 testing if the person has symptoms such as fever over 37.5C, cough, runny rose, respiratory problems, and if they have travel history to an at-risk country, are in contact with someone who returned from such a country or currently has the virus, or are a medical personnel who is in close contact to the infected. Here are the costs if you do get a coronavirus test at a hospital: Public/University Hospitals Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital: Tests are 3,000 – 6,000 baht, same price for foreigners. Admission available. Ramathibodi Hospital: Due to limited test kits, testing will only be given to those with Covid-19 symptoms. Tests cost 5,000 baht for Thais, 7,000 baht to foreigners. Siriraj Piyamaharajkarun Hospital: Does not provide Covid tests unless patients already have Covid-19 symptoms. The hospital said they cannot determine the price for a test, since they can only be prescribed by doctors. Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute: Tests cost 8,000 – 14,000 baht, but may be free depending on the doctors’ discretion. Private Hospitals Ramkhamhaeng Hospital: 6,500 baht for a Drive Thru service where doctors will swab your nose and throat. Medical results will be sent through text messages within eight hours. Same price for both Thais and foreigners. Book via their Facebook, though the service is fully booked through Thursday. Vichaiyut Hospital: 7,500 baht, not including any prescribed medicine. Same price for Thai and foreigners, but tests are reserved for those showing symptoms. Bangkok Christian Hospital: 8,200 – 10,000 baht. Same price for Thais and foreigners. St. Louis Hospital: 8,000 baht but will only test those showing Covid-19 symptoms. Same price for Thais and foreigners. Phyathai 2 Hospital: 6,500 baht, but will have additional service fees. Same price for Thais and foreigners. Phyathai 3 Hospital: Same price as Phyathai 2, but will only test on those with symptoms or recent travel to at-risk countries. Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital: Will not say how much a test costs. Tests can only be prescribed by doctors, no walk-in check ups available. Samitivej Hospital Thonburi: 8,000 – 10,000 baht, same price for foreigners. Bumrungrad International Hospital: 10,500 baht for those with no Covid-19 symptoms, test results available within 48 hours. Those with symptoms pay 7,500 – 18,500 baht, but the hospital will not admit Covid-19 patients. They will be sent to other hospitals. Paolo Phaholyothin Hospital: 5,000 baht for Thais, 7,000 baht to foreigners. PatRangsit Hospital: 8,000 baht for both Thais and foreigners. Praram 9 Hospital: 10,000 baht for patients with symptoms, 8,000 baht for those without. Same price for Thais and foreigners. Mongkutwattana Hospital: 6,000 baht for both Thais and foreigners. Covid-19 Tests Unavailable At: BNH Hospital Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital Bangkok Hospital Siriraj Hospital Rajavithi Hospital; but treats patients sent via the Department of Disease Control for free. If you test positive for the coronavirus and wish to use your social security benefits, contact the Department of Disease Control hotline at 1422, who will then redirect patients for treatment at three state hospitals: Chulalongkorn Memorial, Rajavithi, and Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute. https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2020/03/16/some-hospitals-apply-farang-pricing-for-coronavirus-testing/
  3. Restaurants gutted by virus The coronavirus pandemic is taking a heavy toll on Thailand's restaurant business, with 5,000-7,500 operators expected to throw in the towel this year. Ladda Sampawthong, president of the Restaurant Business Association, said the contagion is only the latest in a series of negative factors. "We've experienced several difficult times in the past decade, and overcame all of them. But this pandemic is worse than any crises in the past," Mrs Ladda said. "We expect 10-15% of operators, especially large and mid-sized eateries, to exit the country's 400-billion-baht industry this year." The association has about 50,000 members nationwide. Mrs Ladda said the majority of the hardest-hit restaurants are located in tourist destinations. The association is consulting with commercial banks on financial assistance, including special interest rates on loans. The group plans to hold a meeting by the end of this month to seek new measures to support members. According to Kasikorn Research Center (K-Research), foreign tourists' food purchases make up about 15% of their total spending here, worth 1.93 trillion baht in 2019. In addition, locals are staying home because of the outbreak and the poor economy, which results in higher unemployment. Consumers are warier of spending, with K-Research recently cutting the projection for food business sales in 2020 to 402-412 billion baht, down by 26.5-36.5 billion baht. The research house said Thailand's food business grew 2.6% last year to 431 billion baht, compared with 4.2% growth in 2017 and 5.1% in 2018 to 400 billion and 420 billion baht, respectively. In 2016, the market was worth 383 billion baht. K-Research predicts that Thailand's food business could contract by 4.3-6.6% this year to 402-412 billion baht if the pandemic persists. https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/1879605/restaurants-gutted-by-virus#cxrecs_s
  4. Scientists found regions hit hard by coronavirus share similar climate Scientists have found “striking similarity” in temperature and humidity between regions that have reported major coronavirus outbreaks. The researchers found that the places share an average temperature of 5°C to 11°C (41°F to 52°F) and 47% to 79% humidity. They are located along the same temperature zone in the northern hemisphere. It includes outbreak epicenters such as China’s central province of Hubei, South Korea, Japan, Iran, Northwestern America and Northern Italy. The study, done by a group of scientists from the US and Iran, was published on March 9 and is awaiting review by peer experts. The researchers said they may be able to predict which regions will be most likely hit by the virus in the upcoming weeks using methods of weather modeling. While the researchers said their predictions are speculative and do not take into account human factors such as travel and public health measures, large cities indicated as at risk include London, Berlin, Prague, Hamburg, Vancouver, New York and Kiev. The study said a coronavirus outbreak could emerge in areas just north of the current outbreak zone. But if temperatures warmed rapidly, the risks to these areas might be mitigated, the researchers added. The study was part of wider efforts by scientists to understand which traits the new coronavirus shared with other human coronaviruses and flu viruses, which display strong winter seasonality. The team said that none of the cities affected by the coronavirus reported minimum temperatures below 0 degree Celsius (32°F), which may help to understand the virus's preferred climate. The study echoes the findings of two other recent studies undergoing peer review. Earlier, researchers from Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, found that transmission of the coronavirus was “highly sensitive” to high temperature. Another recent study, conducted by scientists in Beijing, showed that areas with lower temperatures and lower humidity suffered more severe outbreaks than places that were warmer and had higher humidity. https://www.inkstonenews.com/science/scientists-found-regions-hit-hard-coronavirus-share-similar-climate/article/3075085
  5. Airports of Thailand (AOT) president Nitinai Sirismatthakarn posted photos of an empty Suvarnabhumi Airport on his Facebook account, as a result of the Covid-19 crisis. https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30384122?utm_source=bottom_relate&utm_medium=internal_referral
  6. Thai Airport Staff Infected With Coronavirus as Tally Rises to 59 BANGKOK — Six new patients, including an immigration officer and an airport worker, tested positive for the novel strain of coronavirus, health officials said. Among the new patients are a 21-year-old immigration officer and a 40-year-old man working at Suvarnabhumi Airport, according to Department of Disease Control Sophon Iamsirithawon, bringing the total cases of confirmed infection in Thailand to 59. A 25-year-old man office worker, a 27-year-old woman returning from South Korea, a 40-year-old man returning from Japan, and a 36-year-old Singaporean restaurant owner were also found to have the virus. Sophon did not identify where the immigration officer was stationed or any personal details of the patients, but the announcement came to light hours after an owner of a restaurant at CRC Tower posted online that he tested positive for Covid-19. The Ministry of Health also reported three new cases of coronavirus infection in Thailand yesterday. They include a 41-year-old woman who had been in close contact with an infected patient, and a Thai couple returning from Italy. https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2020/03/11/thai-airport-staff-infected-with-coronavirus-as-tally-rises-to-59/
  7. I friend lives very close to the Bangkok nightlife area. He said there are almost no tourists now, and it's a buyer's market for the BGs and freelancers. The bars are really hurting.
  8. Others have been suggesting this for some time. Me? "I know nothing."
  9. Actor Max Von Sydow, who appeared in films and TV series including The Exorcist, Flash Gordon and Game of Thrones, has died at the age of 90. His family announced "with a broken heart and infinite sadness" that the Swedish-born actor died on Sunday. Von Sydow's other film credits included Hannah and Her Sisters, The Seventh Seal and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. He was nominated for two Oscars during his career - including best actor in 1988 for Pelle the Conqueror. https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-51803195
  10. If you can believe the PRC ... China says more than half of coronavirus patients cured https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/china-coronavirus-patients-cured-200301135019963.html
  11. This is the first time I've ever known of this happening.
  12. There will be no water splashing during Songkran — at least in Khon Kaen, Pattaya and Bang Saen — as the coronavirus outbreak has forced organisers to scrap activities that could expose more people to the bug that is bringing the world to a standstill. Khon Kaen Municipality on Thursday announced the cancellation of the Khon Kaen Songkran Festival, leaving only religious ceremonies to be held during the traditional Thai New Year period this year, as organisers were concerned about the virus. Events were scheduled to run from April 8-15 in the province, which typically boasts the most popular Songkran celebrations in the Northeast. The festival on Khao Niew Road rivals the celebrations seen in the tourist hub of Khao San Road in Bangkok.Thais and foreigners usually descend on Khon Kaen municipality every April to splash water and watch a parade amid a no-alcohol celebration. But Mayor Thirasak Thikhayuphan said Khon Kaen would have only religious activities such as offering alms to monks and blessing the elderly with water, to be held at Bueng Kaen Nakhon. The Khon Kaen Chamber of Commerce said it fully supported the decison made by the municipality. Chamber chairman Kamolpong Sanguankrakul commended what he called a bold decision, saying the early announcement would give businesses time to adjust their plans. Mr Kamolpong said business operators in Khon Kaen were already suffering from the plunge of visitors, with hotel occupancy rates down by half for a second straight month in February. Seminars, meetings and other activities have been called off until the end of next month, he added. The trade body is now turning to local residents, encouraging them to come out of their homes to spend and bolster the provincial ecomony, he added. The Songkran festival in Khon Kaen is not the only tourism casualty so far. Koh Phangan in Surat Thani has suspended its full-moon party for the same reason. The beach party will return only when things get back to normal, organisers on the southern island say. Pattaya City, meanwhile, has cancelled the traditional Songkran festival called wan lai scheduled for April 18-19. The festival that brings people into the streets for water splashing, as well as religious ceremonies, is normally held after the Songkran holidays in the rest of the country. All entertainment activities during the festival will be cancelled, the city said. “We are seeking cooperation from local residents and tourists to refrain from slashing water as it could cause the spread of the virus,” Pattaya Mayor Sonthaya Khunpluem said in a message on his Facebook account on Friday. The resort city has already postponed the Pattaya Music Festival planned for March 20-21 to a future date that has not been set. The festival was one of eight activities that have been called off or delayed this month. Another famous wan lai event is in Bang Saen but the Saen Suk Municipality said on Friday that events planned for April 16-17 would not take place due to worries about the virus. The prospects for Songkran activities in Bangkok, including the Khao San water-splashing days, now appear increasingly uncertain. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and Tourism Authority of Thailand will soon make a decision on whether they should go ahead. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1873189/pattaya-bang-saen-pattaya-scrap-songkran-parties
  13. A California woman cared for her 'perfect' succulent plant for two years. Then she found out it was fake. Caelie Wilkes was proud she had successfully cared for her succulent for about two years — after all, she had accidentally killed a similar plant in the past. This time, after getting the plant as a gift, she looked up how to properly care for it. She regularly watered the succulent; when others tried to help, she became protective, fearing they would overwater it. It seemed to pay off; the plant always looked amazing. Rejuvenated by the success of her first plant, Wilkes — a mother of two from Willits, California, northwest of Sacramento — started accumulating more. In late February, she decided it was time to repot it, and that's when she made the discovery that has led to international attention: The plant, her original plant, was plastic. There were no roots below the surface — only Styrofoam. ... https://www.yahoo.com/news/california-woman-cared-her-perfect-021732550.html
  14. Don't be ridiculous, Cav. The Thai post office isn't doing that. They are boiling all packages that arrive from outside the country, since heat kills the virus.
  15. Harvey Weinstein moved to jail after having heart surgery Have they started writing his obituary yet? I wonder if he had Joan Rivers' heart surgeon. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51763275?fbclid=IwAR1h1kgiSfX0JWHWtdPDpCXXYzw1FtVyIfyqPhx-bQCJ9XqmznJjODR569U
  16. I've been saying all along that the party poobahs would never let Bernie have the nomination. They can't control him, and he's a loose cannon. He does what he thinks is right, not what the party tells him to do. Trump forced his way into the nomination, and Bernie was doing the same thing ... only the Dems were organised enough to pull the rug out from under him. They did it in 2016 and they're doing it again. The party wants old Joe Biden, who will follow the script, as boring as he is.
  17. More than 1,100 Thai’s returning from South Korea before March 1st cannot be located Thailand’s Ministry of Labour has expressed concern that the whereabouts of 1,181 Thai workers, who returned from South Korea between February 24th and March 1st, are currently not known and the ministry is seeking help from the Immigration Bureau to find them. These workers returned in groups of up to 400 a week and are not among the 5,000 who have registered their desire to return to Thailand with South Korean immigration officials. They returned to Thailand before the Public Health Ministry rolled out more stringent screening on March 1st. Labour department deputy permanent secretary Mrs. Thienrat Nawamawat told the media today that 5,248 Thai workers returned from South Korea between December and the end of February, adding that, of that number, the whereabouts of 1,181 are not currently known. According to the Immigration Bureau, eight Thais, who returned on March 2nd, were isolated for further health checks, before entering 14 days of home quarantine, and two were sent to a hospital for further laboratory tests and observation. https://www.thaipbsworld.com/more-than-1100-thais-returning-from-south-korea-before-march-1st-cannot-be-located/
  18. 'Little ghosts' spark virus fears Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will call an urgent meeting on Wednesday to discuss what to do about 10,000 illegal Thai workers he believes may try to return home from South Korea to escape the Covid-19 epidemic there. The move came after the Ministry of Public Health on Monday expressed serious concerns about how to handle droves of so-called phi noi (little ghosts) from South Korea after 138 Thais who were airlifted from Wuhan in China last month had to spend two weeks in quarantine in Sattahip. It remains to be seen how many will be allowed to return home, Gen Prayut said, adding that South Korea will quarantine the workers for 14 days before letting them return to Thailand, and when they arrive in Thailand, they can expect another 14 days of likely self-quarantine. The Foreign Affairs Ministry said the South Korea Immigration Office passed on information that more than 5,000 Thais reported to the office from December last year to March 1 wishing to return home. "The problem is how to control such a large number of people if all of them are to be quarantined. The government must find proper measures. I realise that the people are not confident and scared ... But public health officials and medical personnel are well-prepared," the prime minister said. Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob said on Tuesday the ministry will propose an action plan to handle Thai workers returning from the South Korean city of Daegu to the meeting. Although the prime minister said there are 10,000 phi noi in South Korea, some estimates put the number much higher at 140,000. Under the plan, a special zone will be arranged at Suvarnabhumi airport to screen the Thai returnees. Those displaying any symptoms will be sent to hospital immediately while those with no signs of the virus will be asked to quarantine themselves at home for 14 days, Mr Saksayam said. He went on to say that he has instructed the Land Transport Department and the Transport Co to provide free buses to take asymptomatic workers home. "The reason why we will not be able to quarantine Thai passengers [from South Korea] in a specific area, similar to the process for the Wuhan returnees is that the number is very much larger. We have no space to accommodate them," Mr Saksayam said. He also said that the Transport Ministry will ask national carrier Thai Airways International and private airlines to consider whether it is possible for them to send aircraft to fly Thais in Daegu back home free of charge. Earlier in the morning on Tuesday, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul briefly showed an announcement signed by him on his Facebook page with a message that all visitors from nine countries and two territories as high-risk zones will be required to quarantine themselves for 14 days with no exceptions. The 11 countries and territories are Japan, Germany, South Korea, China, Taiwan, France, Singapore, Italy, Iran, Hong Kong and Macau. However, the post was deleted minutes later without explanation. The ministry later claimed the measures would be clarified in a further announcement. As of press time no new information about these measures had been posted on the ministry's website. In a related development, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon told reporters earlier there was no law in effect currently that can force anyone to isolate themselves. Suchart Pornchaiwisetkul, director-general of the Department of Employment, said that Thai workers who return from countries hit by the Covid-19 are required to observe a 14-day self-quarantine. He also said that South Korea has granted a reprieve to illegal workers who want to return home voluntarily, and they have to report to South Korean authorities by June 30. Under the reprieve, South Korean authorities will not forward the names of these illegal workers to their governments to give them an opportunity to return to South Korea as legal workers, Mr Suchart said, Public health volunteers working under the Ministry of Public Health will be asked to keep track of illegal workers who return from the world's second-worst Covid-19-hit country to make sure that their health statuses are all recorded accurately, according to Mr Suchart. Dr Opart Karnkawinpong, chief of the Department of Medical Sciences who on Tuesday chaired the ministry's daily press conference, said that the ministry will ask public health volunteers countrywide to support the ministry's efforts to monitor those workers and make sure they adhere to the 14-day self-quarantine. "We have one million public health volunteers who will play a key role in monitoring those suspected of having the virus at the local level. They can directly visit patients at home with useful suggestions. "What we need now is the names of those workers so we can go and ring the bell at their homes." https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1870819/little-ghosts-spark-virus-fears
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