Bangkok, Thailand
Sunday 27 June 2021
It has been around one and a half year since Thailand first suffered from the new coronavirus infection ( Covid-19) and the first reported case here on January 13, 2020 was a Chinese tourist from Wuhan, China. Ever since, we experienced the first wave, followed by the second wave, and we now are struggling for survival against the third wave of the spread of this deadly viral infection. Unfortunately we haven't seen no end of this spread yet.
The news of third wave of the Covid-19 spread in Thailand came to the public after the latest Songkran holidays or Thai New Year, the most important holiday in Thailand when millions of people travel around in April each year. Most return to visit their family hometown or take a long holiday trip in provinces. This year, among those travelers are a number of people infected with the coronavirus from their fun gathering at a hi-end pub and bar in Bangkok's Soi Thonglor, Sukhumvit area despite the restriction of the public's gathering during that time to prevent Covid-19 spread. Showing no concern about the spread, Some of these people are bar-goers and others, workers there.
Until now, more new cases of infected people have been detected and reported each day although many are treated at hospital and return home after recovery later following their quarantine and medical treatment. Medical teams and healthcare volunteers have worked hard against time and the deadly virus. Yet, the numbers of the dead increase day by day. Beds in hospitals for serious cases appear being in shortage while many field hospitals have been setting up for patients with mild or no symptoms.
The Thai monarchy has also provided a great support to help people in Thailand , both Thais and foreigners from Covid-19 disease and its effects. To hospitals, communities, and the general public, our beloved Thai king and queen as well as the royal family have given hundreds of mobile vehicles and apparatuses for Covid-19 detection and screening, financial support, food, medication and other supplies continuously. Besides, the king also has assigned privy councilors to look after the welfare of his subjects and kept him updated on several missions to help his people.
At present, vaccination seems the only means to cope with the spread of Covid-19 besides recommendation of mask wearing, hand cleaning and social distancing to everyone. The problem is the insufficiency of the vaccine supply for the public. At first not many people wanted to get vaccination because they don't trust the new vaccines. But since the spread of the disease keeps on and more severe cases appear along with increasing promotion of vaccination by the government, the numbers of people who seek vaccination escalate so exponentially during the past two months.
Until now, fewer than ten percent of the Thai population already received the complete two-dose vaccine while most people are still waiting for the first dose, ones of whom are my family and I. Each week news of new lots of vaccines coming is broadcast , but the process of vaccine distribution to the public seems slow and poorly organized. Like me, many people have no choice but wait and see when their queue will arrive.
Gigi
