PATONG bars and nightclubs are to be sprayed with cleansing fluid from 2pm on Sunday in an attempt to forestall the spread of swine flu following confirmation of a single case in one Phuket nightclub.
According to local health authorities, a Thai woman living in Patong now has been confirmed as having the virus.
However, while Thai authorities remain concerned about outbreaks, officials in Australia now say they have stopped counting the number of cases because there are so many.
The World Health Organisation declared a pandemic yesterday, but made the point that there is no need for travel restrictions, border closures, or an over-reaction.
Dr Pongsawat Rattanasang, Director of Public Health in Phuket, said today that the anonymous woman's case was the first on Phuket.
He checked for himself yesterday that the patient was improving.
She was coughing and had a sore throat, but he said she would be well enough to stop taking medication on Monday.
''There is no need to worry too much,'' he told Phuketwan. ''People should try to avoid catching it but it is not the nasty disease that it seemed at first.''
Patong nightclubs and bars have agreed to fumigate voluntarily as a precaution and there was no cause for public alarm, Dr Pongsawat added.
The unnamed club where the woman had been working will remain closed for three days in an effort to spray and eradicate the virus.
A meeting of officials at Provincial Hall in Phuket City on Friday opted for the spray on Sunday as a proper cause of action.
However, in other parts of the world, where numbers of cases are much higher than in Thailand, reaction is now low-key because of the scale of the outbreak.
Tens of thousands of cases can be expected in Thailand, and in other countries. Millions of people will catch the virus.
Australian tourism authorities have been blaming local state governments for over-reacting to the outbreak, causing needless bad publicity.
Australian travellers are now likely to be ''exporting'' the swine flu to countries they visit. The largest numbers of tourists on Phuket are visitors from Australia.
No Panic Required: Patong Joins Swine Flu 'Club'
Latest Cases of swine flu reportedly contracted in Thailand indicate that health authorities would be wasting their time by reacting too strictly to outbreaks in Patong and Pattaya.
No Panic Required: Patong Joins Swine Flu 'Club'
Patong Beer Mat Aussie Denied Disneyland Trip
Latest Annice Smoel, who pleaded guilty to stealing a beer mat from the Aussie bar in Patong to conclude a nightmare holiday on Phuket, now says she is barred from the US.
Patong Beer Mat Aussie Denied Disneyland Trip
Woman Smuggled Heroin from Phuket: Police
Latest a woman arriving in Sydney on a flight from Phuket has been accused of smuggling heroin into Australia by police. They say she concealed packets of the drug internally.
Woman Smuggled Heroin from Phuket: Police
Phuket's Tourism 'Not Affected by Swine Flu'
Latest Swine flu is having no perceptible impact on tourism on Phuket, industry leaders say. Thailand is just one of 73 countries that have now reported outbreaks.
Phuket's Tourism 'Not Affected by Swine Flu'
Miss Poland Beauties Will Boost Phuket Tourism
Photo Album Contestants in the Miss Poland 2009 contest will spend two weeks in Phuket and Pattaya this October and promote holidays in Thailand while they have some fun.
Miss Poland Beauties Will Boost Phuket Tourism
MediaWATCH: Swine Flu 'Not Main Danger'
News Digest: Diseases carried by mosquitoes are more dangerous than swine flu; Fires causes alarm on two flights; Troubled south wins economic boost; Cllinton to visit.
MediaWATCH: Swine Flu 'Not Main Danger'
MediaWATCH: Shocked Carradine Family Call FBI
News Digest The family of actor David Carradine, shocked by a Thai newspaper, call for FBI help; corruption levels surveyed; Mexican shootout in Acapulco.
MediaWATCH: Shocked Carradine Family Call FBI
MediaWATCH: Stayput Monk Takes On US Law
News Digest A stayput monk fights the US Government; Mosque massacre as the Thailand PM talks peace in Malaysia; Karen flee Burma brutality; Pirate film for Phuket.
MediaWATCH: Stayput Monk Takes On US Law
According to local health authorities, a Thai woman living in Patong now has been confirmed as having the virus.
However, while Thai authorities remain concerned about outbreaks, officials in Australia now say they have stopped counting the number of cases because there are so many.
The World Health Organisation declared a pandemic yesterday, but made the point that there is no need for travel restrictions, border closures, or an over-reaction.
Dr Pongsawat Rattanasang, Director of Public Health in Phuket, said today that the anonymous woman's case was the first on Phuket.
He checked for himself yesterday that the patient was improving.
She was coughing and had a sore throat, but he said she would be well enough to stop taking medication on Monday.
''There is no need to worry too much,'' he told Phuketwan. ''People should try to avoid catching it but it is not the nasty disease that it seemed at first.''
Patong nightclubs and bars have agreed to fumigate voluntarily as a precaution and there was no cause for public alarm, Dr Pongsawat added.
The unnamed club where the woman had been working will remain closed for three days in an effort to spray and eradicate the virus.
A meeting of officials at Provincial Hall in Phuket City on Friday opted for the spray on Sunday as a proper cause of action.
However, in other parts of the world, where numbers of cases are much higher than in Thailand, reaction is now low-key because of the scale of the outbreak.
Tens of thousands of cases can be expected in Thailand, and in other countries. Millions of people will catch the virus.
Australian tourism authorities have been blaming local state governments for over-reacting to the outbreak, causing needless bad publicity.
Australian travellers are now likely to be ''exporting'' the swine flu to countries they visit. The largest numbers of tourists on Phuket are visitors from Australia.
Phuketwan Phuket News
No Panic Required: Patong Joins Swine Flu 'Club'
Latest Cases of swine flu reportedly contracted in Thailand indicate that health authorities would be wasting their time by reacting too strictly to outbreaks in Patong and Pattaya.
No Panic Required: Patong Joins Swine Flu 'Club'
Patong Beer Mat Aussie Denied Disneyland Trip
Latest Annice Smoel, who pleaded guilty to stealing a beer mat from the Aussie bar in Patong to conclude a nightmare holiday on Phuket, now says she is barred from the US.
Patong Beer Mat Aussie Denied Disneyland Trip
Woman Smuggled Heroin from Phuket: Police
Latest a woman arriving in Sydney on a flight from Phuket has been accused of smuggling heroin into Australia by police. They say she concealed packets of the drug internally.
Woman Smuggled Heroin from Phuket: Police
Phuket's Tourism 'Not Affected by Swine Flu'
Latest Swine flu is having no perceptible impact on tourism on Phuket, industry leaders say. Thailand is just one of 73 countries that have now reported outbreaks.
Phuket's Tourism 'Not Affected by Swine Flu'
Miss Poland Beauties Will Boost Phuket Tourism
Photo Album Contestants in the Miss Poland 2009 contest will spend two weeks in Phuket and Pattaya this October and promote holidays in Thailand while they have some fun.
Miss Poland Beauties Will Boost Phuket Tourism
Recent Phuketwan MediaWATCH
MediaWATCH: Swine Flu 'Not Main Danger'
News Digest: Diseases carried by mosquitoes are more dangerous than swine flu; Fires causes alarm on two flights; Troubled south wins economic boost; Cllinton to visit.
MediaWATCH: Swine Flu 'Not Main Danger'
MediaWATCH: Shocked Carradine Family Call FBI
News Digest The family of actor David Carradine, shocked by a Thai newspaper, call for FBI help; corruption levels surveyed; Mexican shootout in Acapulco.
MediaWATCH: Shocked Carradine Family Call FBI
MediaWATCH: Stayput Monk Takes On US Law
News Digest A stayput monk fights the US Government; Mosque massacre as the Thailand PM talks peace in Malaysia; Karen flee Burma brutality; Pirate film for Phuket.
MediaWATCH: Stayput Monk Takes On US Law
swine flu is not paniky - but as a blessing in disguise people has been more hygiene conscious - but we have daily deaths in thousands due to malnutrition, hunger, diabetis, bp, aids, diorrhea etc.let us not forget that, please.
Posted by balasubramanian on August 12, 2009 21:35