100 days of no local COVID-19 transmissions
Update, 6.30pm: In a turn of events, Thailand just reported its first locally transmitted case in 100 days.
As of yesterday, 2nd September 2020, Thailand has gone 100 days with zero local transmissions of COVID-19.
Back in January, Thailand was the first country out of China to have reported a patient with the disease, which was then only known to the masses as the “Wuhan Virus“. Almost 9 months later and the country has managed a steady streak of no community outbreaks.
Public praised for cooperating with officials
On Wednesday, the Centre for the COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) shared that Thailand had made it to the 100-day mark of zero local cases since 26th May.
In a press conference, Prime Minister General Chan-o-cha praised the public for following the necessary protocol that had been put in place to curb the spread of the virus.
“I hope the people continue to cooperate to prevent a second wave of COVID-19,” he said. “If it recurs, people may suffer again.”
In July, a group of tourists from Egypt were tested positive for the virus in Rayong, which left locals on edge in fear of a new wave of cases.
Thailand currently has 3,427 accumulated cases, with 3,277 recovered patients and 58 deaths.
https://thesmartlocal.com/thailand/bangkok-during-covid19/
The price to pay for Thailand’s success
In March, the country went into a State of Emergency, with travel bans and curfews eventually being put in place.
The Land of Smiles once vibrant with tourists soon turned into a ghost town – and though efforts are being made to ease the flow of domestic and international travel once again, the cut runs deep within Thailand’s tourism sector.
Visitors at Chatuchak Weekend Market, which reopened in May after a 2-month closure
Thailand’s reliance on export and tourism has paid a hefty price, and currently faces what is believed to be the worst economic outlook in Asia, with the country’s GDP forecasted to drop a whopping 8.1% this year – worse than the Tom Yum Kung crisis in 1997.
404 factories shut down in the first half of the year alone, resulting in over 16,000 workers being let go from their jobs. Heartbreakingly, this led to many taking desperate measures such as turning themselves into jail just to have a roof over their heads and food to eat.
Image credit: The Smart Local Thailand
We also saw the aviation industry suffer, with professionals like pilots turning to GrabFood deliveries to make a living, while companies like Thai Airways filed for bankruptcy protection.
To combat this, the government has taken counter measures that include rolling out a ฿1.9 trillion stimulus package and ฿1 billion budget to develop a COVID-19 vaccine.
In October, Phuket will welcome long-stay tourists back into the country in order to aid the tourism industry once more. Mandatory 14-day quarantines and tests will be implemented before visitors are allowed to travel to other locations in the country.
One can only hope that the country bounces back to how it used to be, but if the year has taught us anything, it’s to hold our expectations with bated breath and celebrate the little wins.
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