Thai Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration to consider higher level of restrictions later this week

Thailand-

The Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) which organizes and runs the Kingdom’s overall Covid-19 response measures has stated through a spokesperson this morning that they are planning to discuss further restrictions and measures later this week in regards to Covid-19.

The measures had been proposed at an emergency meeting on Sunday, April 25th, by the Public Health Ministry led by Dr. Kiattiphum Wongrajit. These measures will go through several levels of approval before being discussed and potentially implemented by the overall CCSA on Thursday or Friday of this week.

The proposals come as Thailand continues to record over 2,000 cases of Covid-19 a day, although it has seen a reduction in cases over the past several days.

It is important to note these are currently proposals and are “set in stone” to happen. However, some of them, according to Dr. Kiattiphum, are very likely to move forward.

The proposals include:

-Scrapping the current color-coding system by zone and implementing a stronger system with essentially three colors-Dark Red with “special restrictions”, Red in terms of the current highly controlled measures seen in provinces like Chonburi and places like Bangkok, and orange.  There would not be “lesser zones” or measures at this time as the government wants to discourage travel to zones that may have “more relaxed” rules.

-As we previously announced, the Thai Prime Minister has stated that each provincial governor has been given what is being called “targeted” measure approval, but not a total lockdown.  These will differ based on the situation in each province and could even include curfews by province.

-The “Dark Red” maximum control zone will have “special measures and restrictions meant to reduce points of contact” of people in those zones. Specific details on what provinces this would be or what these measures would be were not stated. The government does not want to use the word “lockdown.”

-Measures to free up more hospital beds, including partnerships with hotels, sports stadiums, and other areas. Thailand has stated their policy of requiring all Covid-19 positive patients, even those who are asymptomatic, to require medical supervision and not self-isolate at home is not going to change for the time being.

These decisions should become more clear by the end of the week, as well as zones that could become “Dark Red” maximum control zones and what that would mean.  Chonburi, being one of the provinces with the highest number of cases still, would likely be considered for a Dark Red zone, The Pattaya News notes.