SAMUT SAKHON, Thailand: Thailand confirmed 427 new coronavirus infections and urged about 1,000 people spanning a quarter of the country’s provinces to seek tests on Tuesday, in a bid to contain its biggest COVID-19 outbreak yet.
The new cases include 397 migrants in the southwestern province of Samut Sakhon, where an outbreak was discovered at the weekend following positive tests for COVID-19 among hundreds of workers at a large seafood center.
More than 1,100 cases, mostly from neighboring Myanmar with no symptoms, have since been traced back to the now shuttered center, where scores of vendors typically deal in shrimps and other seafood sold widely.
Authorities said buyers from 22 provinces were known to have been there from Dec. 1-18 and should get tested.
“There are about 1,000 people across the country who went to buy goods at the market,” Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a spokesman for the country’s COVID-19 taskforce, told a briefing.
“But don’t panic. Anybody who went should be tested for COVID.”
Thailand had previously kept its epidemic in check, with about 4,300 confirmed cases and 60 deaths before the weekend, among the world’s lowest numbers.
Its success has been largely down to swift contact tracing and quarantine and strict entry requirements that have decimated its tourism industry, a crucial sector for its economy, Southeast Asia’s second-largest.
There were 16 other cases reported on Tuesday in eight different provinces, including five infections in Bangkok. Fourteen imported cases were also confirmed.
Myanmar is a key source of labor for Thailand’s seafood sector and authorities suspect some workers may have returned from the country since infections there started to surge in August. Myanmar has reported nearly 117,000 cases.
Thai authorities are setting up a field hospital in Samut Sakhon to test and treat migrant workers.
Thailand tells market buyers to seek tests as coronavirus cases climb
Thailand tells market buyers to seek tests as coronavirus cases climb
- Thailand had previously kept its epidemic in check, with about 4,300 confirmed cases and 60 deaths before the weekend
- Authorities said buyers from 22 provinces were known to have been there from Dec. 1-18 and should get tested
Stranded in paradise: Mideast war traps thousands in Bali
- Limited flights from UAE begin as governments seek to extract citizens from Middle East
- At least 4,400 people had flights to Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi canceled between Saturday and Monday
DENPASAR, LONDON, BERLIN: Passengers stranded on the Indonesian resort island of Bali clamored for flight news on Tuesday as the outbreak of war in the Middle East grounded planes and turned a tropical holiday dream into an ordeal for many.
Hundreds were crowded at Ngurah Rai International Airport, many dressed in shorts, flip-flops and summer dresses, their expressions dour.
Many sat on the floor, exhausted, and one man repeatedly hit a wall in frustration. “I just kind of want to see my family ... right now it’s a bit stressful,” British tourist Adam Woo, transiting through Bali after holidaying on the neighboring island of Lombok, said. The 23-year-old student said he saw the missiles start flying on the news “and I was a bit worried about my flight” — especially after Dubai airport was hit in Iran’s response to a US-Israeli attack.
“Obviously, everyone around the world at the moment is kind of stuck,” said Woo. “All the travel agencies are swamped with people calling in. So, it’s literally impossible to even get on the phone with someone.”
He said he was looking for an alternative flight via China.
Around Woo, many at the airport were lugging around heavy luggage with slumped shoulders, frustration etched on many a face.
Many queued on foot and on chairs outside information centers hoping for news on replacement flights, receiving occasional briefings with little news.
The airport’s immigration office said in a statement at least 4,400 people had flights to Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi canceled between Saturday and Monday.
With would-be passengers at risk of overstaying their visas, the Bali immigration office introduced a same-day emergency stay permit free of charge for affected foreigners.
Thirty-five have applied so far, according to immigration head Felucia Sengky Ratna.
Airports company Angkasa Pura said 15 flights from Bali to Doha and Abu Dhabi, and vice versa, have been canceled between Saturday and Monday.
National carrier Garuda Indonesia has grounded all flights to Doha until further notice.
Meanwhile, stranded travelers began departing the UAE aboard a small number of evacuation flights on Monday, even as most commercial air traffic across the Middle East remained suspended.
The limited flights out of Dubai and Abu Dhabi took place as the US State Department urged its own citizens in 13 countries, including UAE, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon and Oman, to “depart now via commercial means due to serious safety risks.”
Sweeping airspace closures and flight cancelations across the region left many fewer options for heeding the advice.
The State Department has evacuated non-emergency personnel and families in six nations, adding the UAE to its list on Tuesday.
In Italy, the government has assisted with flights to Milan and Rome in the wake of mounting criticism against Defense Minister Guido Crosetto.
The minister sparked a political controversy at home after being stuck in Dubai with his family during the initial phase of the attack on Iran.
Crosetto returned to Rome on Sunday on a military aircraft. The left-wing opposition has called for Crosetto’s resignation, saying he should not have traveled to the Middle East during a crisis.
