Foreigners Import Coronavirus from Home Countries into Thailand

Thailand’s health department reports that 2 foreign nationals have been quarantined with the coronavirus after arriving in Thailand from their home countries. One patient is a Serbian football player, 29, while the other is an engineer from Denmark, aged 41. According to health officials is the first time foreign nationals have tested positive for the coronavirus in state quarantine.

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration said 3,312 patients, including 10 over the past 24 hours, or 94.66% of the total cases, have recovered. The remaining 119 patients with the coronavirus are still in hospital. The death toll remains unchanged at 58.

One of the new cases was a 29-year-old Serbian footballer who came from his country. After arriving on a chartered flight to Buri Ram province on July 19, he was in an alternative quarantine facility in the northeastern province.

The first test done on him on arrival was negative, but the second one conducted on the eighth day on Monday showed he was infected with no symptoms. He is being treated at Buri Ram Hospital.

The other new case was a 41-year-old Finnish engineer. He arrived in Thailand from Denmark on Monday and was in an alternative local quarantine facility in Bangkok.

Global Covid-19 coronavirus cases rise

In mid-May, he tested positive with no symptoms. Three days before he flew to Thailand, the test was negative. But on the third day after he arrived in Thailand, he was found infected with no symptoms. He is being treated in a private hospital in Bangkok.

Bangkok and Nonthaburi still led in the number of cases with 1,811, followed by the South (744), Central Plains (550), Northeast (112) and North (95).

The number of global Covid-19 coronavirus cases rose by 283,478 over the past 24 hours to 17.75 million, and the death toll increased by 6,243 to 682,998.

The United States had the most cases at 4.70 million, up by 70,904, followed by Brazil with 2.66 million cases, up by 52,509 and India with 1.69 million cases, up by 57,704.

Thailand is also ranked 108th worldwide in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases, with 3,312, the CCSA said.

Special groups of foreigners can now enter Thailand

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CSSA)reports that despite the latest 2 imported cases of coronavirus by foreigners, business operators can proceed to bring in their foreign visitors under Phase 6 of the easing of lockdown measures.

CCSA spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin said the CCSA has approved in principle the entry of four groups of foreign nationals and these visitors can resume their visits when local business operators have put in place disease control measures.

The entry is granted to foreign business representatives, specialists, diplomats, migrant workers, exhibitors, film crews, medical tourists and Thailand Elite card members. One requirement is that they are required to stay in “organisational quarantine” facilities and such facilities must meet disease control standards.

“If they want to resume their visits, those concerned must have organizational quarantine centres ready. We don’t have to say this easing will start on Aug 1. These groups of foreign visitors can resume the visits when the local operators are ready,” he said.

Source: The Nation, Bangkok Post