Covid-19 Thailand – Latest Updates (17th July, 2020)

Latest Cases – 3,239 (+ 3)  Recovered – 3,096 (+ 1)  Hospitalized – 85   Died – 58

China suspends two flights that came from Bangkok with COVID

A day after China’s aviation authority barred two flights from Thailand because arriving passengers tested positive for COVID-19, both operating airlines responded that none disembarked while in Bangkok.

Two Thai airlines responded to a temporary Chinese ban on two of their flights after arriving passengers tested positive for COVID-19 by saying none had disembarked while in Bangkok.

After the Civil Aviation Administration of China’s announced that 11 travelers aboard Thai Lion Air and Thai AirAsia X flights landed there with the virus, both airlines said they were connecting flights transited at Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport.

Both airlines stressed that no passengers deplaned there. Thai AirAsia X said its flight was routed through Thailand for refueling and to take advantage of its flight status with Beijing.

Full Story: Coconuts

Too-tight Virus Policy Is Strangling Economy, Experts Warn

Thailand should overcome concern of a second wave of Covid-19 and instead relax restrictions on foreign investors and tourists in order to shore up its falling economy, say a prominent investor and leading economist.

“We should not worry too much about the threat of a second wave of infections, since the first wave of Covid-19 is generating far fewer cases compared with other countries,” prominent local investor Niwes Hemvachiravarakorn said on Thursday.

Thailand has implemented tight safety measures to combat the virus, but the Covid-19 issue has two dimensions – disease control and economic activities, he said.

Thailand may need to accept a low level of cases and develop a system to handle this, he said, referring to the absence of local infections for more than 50 days and only a handful of daily imported cases.

He suggested Thailand’s hot weather may be helping to keep the infection rate low, while Thais know now how to protect themselves as almost everyone wears a face mask in public.

Full Story: Nation