With a drop in infections, new easing measures and a tracing application now in tow, Thai citizens are breathing much easier and flocking to malls and department stores for their much needed outdoor therapy.
However, risks of a second wave of infections remain high and Thais may be taking the news a little too lightly.
There have been numerous reports of overcrowding in malls and citizens not adhering to social distancing rules after parks, shopping centers, gyms, and department stores reopened last Sunday, raising concerns of a second wave of infections.
The government said on Monday that the number of people using the official tracking and tracing app is increasing everyday. So far, 11.7 million people And 106,235 shops have registered for the application.
But government spokesman Dr Thaweesin Visanuyothin said that Thais have not been taking the application as seriously as they should.
Of 27.1 million check ins at various locations since the application launched there have been only 19.2 million checkouts.
That means that Thais are only half heartedly using the application and this could lead to problems searching for infections later on, Dr Thaweesin warned.
For some shoppers though, the low rate of infection was a signal that normalcy was around the corner.
“Of course I am still taking precautions but it is not as strict as before,” said Wanada Srisowapri, a shopper at Central Westgate.
“There were zero cases discovered this weekend so I think we can all relax a bit.”
Not a matter of if, but when
Dr Andrea Ammon, chief of the European Union health advisory body on infections, warned of an imminent second wave of coronavirus infections last Thursday as countries start easing tough lockdown measures, emphasising that the resurgence is not a matter of if, but “when and how big.”
“I do not want to draw a doomsday picture but I think we have to be realistic,” she added. “The next wave could be far worse… it is not the time now to completely relax.”
Scientists have warned that the disease may never really go away, as it can lurk in some people without causing any outwards signs of sickness.
Second wave now hitting Asia’s virus recoveries
After managing to contain their outbreaks through strategic, tough lockdown measures and rapid testing regimes, Asian countries that have seen some of the most success in controlling the spread of outbreak, such as Singapore, Hong Kong, and South Korea, are now facing resurgences.
After 23 successful days of zero local infections, Hong Kong has recently identified its newest patient last week, a 66-year-old patient with no recent travel history. Some of her family members have been tested and are now confirmed to be infected as well.
South Korea has also identified over 100 new cases earlier in May from several nightclubs frequented by gay customers. As health authorities try to test more than 5,500 people who visited the clubs since April, some speculate that there may be fears of coming forward given the country’s stigma on homophobia.
Singapore took a few months to reveal a resurgence of infection amongst its migrant workers. With a population of more than 300,000, they work in Singapore as cleaners, builders, gardeners and live in 43 purpose-built dorms on the outskirts of the island.
In April, there were just 19 migrant worker cases, but by the start of May, 15,833 were infected.
“Given the asymptomatic population, these cases are going to emerge from unexpected sources,” said Nicholas Thomas, an associate professor in public health at the City University of Hong Kong. “It is inevitable that the restarting of societies is going to lead to more cases emerging.”
Hard to trace
While the Thai Chana application have been touted by the government as safe and user privacy valued immensely, some citizens have dismissed the app fearing government tracking.
“Yes, I am using the Thai Chana application but I am not always following through and clicking enter because I do not want this government to track my movements,” said Jeab, who did not provide her full name. She is a shopper at EmQuartier.
“There are privacy concerns and I don’t trust this government.”
Far from over
“Most people are living in denial about the seriousness of the COVID-19 disease and what the future implications are to even have the virus in one’s body,” Thailand Medical News commented last week.
“People think it is over, which it is definitely not, despite the fall in infections,” Dr Ammon noted.