Pitfalls of exceptions for COVID-19 travel quarantine: lessons from a dignitary visit to Thailand

J Travel Med. 2021 Feb 23;28(2):taab010. doi: 10.1093/jtm/taab010.

Abstract

A dignitary from a European country made an official visit to Thailand in November 2020. Due to the nature of this visit, a standard 14-day quarantine was not implemented. After a series of meetings with diplomats and hotel staffers, the dignitary was diagnosed with COVID-19. Here, we detailed the transmission and the genomic investigation from the visit, presenting the factors that need to be considered when a standard quarantine was waivered.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; genome; personal protective equipment; quarantine; travel restrictions.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Letter

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19 / epidemiology
  • COVID-19 / transmission*
  • COVID-19 Testing / methods*
  • Contact Tracing
  • Humans
  • Masks
  • Pandemics
  • Quarantine / legislation & jurisprudence
  • Quarantine / methods*
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Thailand / epidemiology
  • Travel