BANGKOK (AP) – For much of 2020, Thailand had the coronavirus under control. After a strict nationwide lockdown in April and May, the number of new local infections dropped to zero, where they remained for the next six months.
Thailand closed its borders and enforced mandatory quarantines for its own citizens and the handful of foreigners allowed to visit. But apart from a few outward signs of the “new normal,” such as the ubiquitous wearing of masks and memories to practice social detachment, life resumed as if the pandemic had largely run its course.
A new outbreak discovered in mid-December threatens to return the country to where it was in the harshest days of early 2020, when it left 3,045 cases and 59 deaths. Thailand’s COVID-19 coordination center has warned that the number of new daily cases could rise to more than 10,000 later this month in a worst-case scenario if the government stops doing more to limit the spread of the virus.
The outbreak, identified in mid-December, took place in a fish market in Samut Sakhon, southwest of the capital Bangkok, where thousands of Myanmar migrant workers work. It has now spread to 56 of Thailand’s 77 provinces.
On Tuesday, the country reported 527 new cases, most of them migrant workers linked to the market in Samut Sakhon. The day before, Thailand had 745 new cases, a record high since the pandemic was first discovered in the country last January.
Thailand now has 8,966 confirmed cases with 65 deaths.
Thailand hampers its path to recovery and is catching up in its bid to secure vaccines. Despite being a manufacturing center for the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, the government has yet to secure enough doses to cover the population of nearly 70 million people.
Thailand signed a joint venture agreement with AstraZeneca in October to produce up to 200 million doses of the vaccine in the country, but has managed to secure only 26 million doses for itself. Thailand expects those vaccines, which are locally produced by Siam Bioscience, to be delivered in June.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Monday that Thailand is trying to get 63 million doses, enough to cover just under half of the population. The cabinet on Tuesday approved a budget of $ 39 million for the vaccines, which will be offered free of charge to Thai citizens.
Meanwhile, China’s Sinovac Biotech is expected to supply Thailand with 2 million doses of vaccine, with an initial batch of 200,000 due to arrive in February, with subsequent deliveries expected in March and April.
‘I hope they arrive soon. There are so many cases right now that it is terrifying, ”said Watee Kongsilp, a street fruit seller in Bangkok.
Cin Amornchainon, an office worker, added, “If you ask me if our vaccine orders are slower than in other countries, it is. But I understand the budget constraints our country has. “
Neighboring countries in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia, are also trying to purchase vaccines.
Indonesia has been negotiating for months to secure millions of doses for its nearly 270 million people. It has deals with Sinovac, Novavax, AstraZeneca and COVAX and is in talks with Pfizer. Vietnam is still negotiating with pharmaceutical companies and trying to develop its own vaccines. Malaysia has agreements to cover up to 40 percent of the population.
For the time being, Thailand is bracing itself to increase the number of cases.
The Thai navy has built four emergency hospitals across the country, with up to 4,000 beds in Samut Sakhon and at least 500 beds in Rayong, on the east coast. Hospitals and expansions are also planned for Chantaburi and Chonburi, two coastal provinces southeast of Bangkok.
Prayuth, who is trying to balance public health with economic realities, has introduced a new set of restrictions, but has not completely locked up the country, similar to what it experienced in the spring.
The economic concerns are discouraging: Thailand’s closure for most international travel helped mitigate domestic coronavirus outbreaks but drained the tourism industry, which makes up about a tenth of the economy and provides many jobs. The Bank of Thailand estimates that the economy contracted by 6.6% in 2020.
“We don’t want to lock up the whole country because we know what the problems are. So can you all lock yourself up? Prayuth said at a news conference on Monday.
‘This is up to everyone. If you don’t want to get infected, stay home for 14 to 15 days. If you think like that, then everything is safe and easier for screening, ”added Prayuth.
On January 3, the Prime Minister signed an order designating 28 provinces, including the capital, as “highly controlled zones,” where public gatherings are prohibited and many businesses and other locations must close until at least the end of January. These include schools, gyms, nurseries, internet cafes, massage parlors, and more.
Restaurants are not allowed to serve alcohol and can operate from 6am to 9pm with strict social distance requirements but only serve takeaway from 9pm to 6am. The tables must be at least 1.5 meters apart.
“We have learned lessons from the previous lockdown,” said Taweesilp Visanuyothin, a spokesperson for the COVID-19 coordination center. “We have to consider imposing the measures as well as the impact on the economy.”
The cabinet is expected to extend the state of emergency, which will expire on January 15 to February 28.
As is the case elsewhere, minor mistakes can be costly.
Thailand did not register new local infections from May 26 to November 7, when two women illegally crossing the border from Myanmar tested positive for the virus, prompting authorities to launch a frantic attempt at contacts. Thailand and Myanmar, which has been hit harder by the virus, share a porous border of 2,400 kilometers.
Cambodia, which borders Thailand to the east and has been relatively mildly affected, has stepped up security at land border controls after at least 17 Cambodian workers returning from Thailand recently tested positive for the coronavirus.
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AP journalists Chalida Ekvitthayavechnukul in Bangkok, Hau Din in Hanoi, Vietnam, Victoria Milko and Edna Tarigan in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sopheng Cheang in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, contributed to this report.