Covid-19 Thailand – Latest Updates (15th July, 2020)
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Cases – 3,232 Recovered – 3,092 Hospitalized – 82 Died – 58
All flights from Egypt to be barred from landing in Thailand
All flights from Egypt will be barred from landing in Thailand, following an incident last week when members of an Egyptian military mission defied Thai regulations by not confining themselves to their hotel in Rayong.
One of the group was later found to be infected with COVID-19, causing alarm among residents of the province. Several schools were closed today, as a precautionary measure, as health officials try to trace people who might have been in close contact with the Egyptians.
Deputy Army Commander-in-Chief, General Nataphol Narkpanich, in his capacity as deputy chief of the committee to consider the easing of lockdown restrictions, said today (Tuesday) that the CCSA’s subcommittee will propose that the Government bar the landing of all flights from Egypt for the time being.
Additionally, the subcommittee will propose a review of privileges granted to foreign diplomats, military missions and their families, which exempt them from the mandatory 14-day quarantine imposed on all other foreign arrivals.
Thai traditional massage forced to reinvent in the Covid-19 era
THE famous Thai traditional massage is being forced to reinvent itself in the Covid-19 era as barriers are placed on human touch and masks hide the faces of masseurs.
This has implications on both its appeal to customers, and its role as employer of last resort when other industries falter in Southeast Asia’s second-biggest economy.
Massage parlours had to change the way they operate with some installing ultraviolet disinfection equipment in every room, and loading up on health and cleaning supplies. This has resulted in higher costs but customers are few.
According to a Bloomberg news report, the survival of this industry matters in Thailand, as wellness tourism generated expenditures of 376 billion baht in 2017.
About 530,000 Thais are directly employed in the sector, making up 1.4 per cent of Thailand’s workforce and 2.6 per cent of its GDP.
Massage, spa therapy and medical treatments are integral to the wellness-tourism industry, with Thailand’s 2,800 luxury spas alone accounting for US$1.3 billion. Nationwide, it is estimated there are about 10,000 massage outlets.
Full Story: NewStraitTimes
