Bangkok nightlife clusters expose Thailand's virus stumbles

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An outbreak at nightspots in Bangkok has sent new infections surging, suggesting Thailand may have been lulled into a false sense of security before mass vaccinations for COVID-19 begin.

FILE - In this Feb. 24, 2021, file photo, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha holds samples of Sinovac vaccine during a ceremony to mark the arrival of 200,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine shipment at Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok, Thailand. Prayuth was not particularly lauded for his leadership last year against the coronavirus, but for much of 2020 Thailand fought the disease to a standstill, with low infection and death rates envied by more developed countries.

On Wednesday, 1,335 new cases were confirmed, taking the total to 35,910, with 97 deaths. While that is much better than most other countries, Thailand’s cases in the first three months of this year were triple what the country had all of last year and its daily numbers are rising fast.The new outbreak has spread among mostly young, affluent and mobile Thais, and some of the newly infected had the more contagious variant first identified in the U.K.

This week, the holiday went ahead, and as many as a million Thais headed out to visit family or crowded onto beaches, even as some hospitals halted COVID-19 testing due to a rush by thousands of people worried they had been exposed or needing proof they were virus-free.

On Tuesday, the government raised eyebrows by posting photos of soldiers spraying forest areas along the border, even though experts say the greatest virus risk is airborne. It’s unclear why Thailand and several other Southeast Asian nations succeeded in constraining the pandemic for much of last year. Thailand’s extensive and experienced public health system played a large role, and Prayuth’s government generally deferred to medical experts’ advice.

 

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No tests - no cases.

1,543 new cases have been confirmed in Thailand, taking the total to 37,453, with 97 deaths. While that is much better than most other countries, Thailand's cases in the first three months of this year were triple what the country had all of last year.

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