1 month closure of Bangkok, southern work camps ordered

While Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul claimed the situation in Bangkok hospitals was not critical, senior doctors at many hospitals are proposing a 1-week full lockdown of the capital city. Perhaps meeting in the middle, late this afternoon PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announced the 1-month closure of all construction work camps in Bangkok as well as 4 provinces in the south of Thailand.

In his role as the director of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, PM Prayut made the announcement that construction camps, as well as other high-risk locations, were on a 1-month closure in Bangkok, Narathiwat, Pattani, Songkhla, and Yala. Calling it a “disease control situation,” the prime minister shied away from specifically using the word “lockdown.”

“Lockdown will forbid everyone to leave their houses, but this is not. People can still go to work but with some limitations. No curfew will be implemented as well.”

The closure will begin Monday, June 28 and are hoped to curb the spread of Covid-19, as cramped work camps are fertile breeding groups for clusters of infections. Closing down these areas is similar to the shutdowns first put into effect early into the Covid-19 pandemic in April of 2020.

The Ministry of Labor announced that plans are in the works to offer some form of financial assistance to the migrant workers that will be affected by these closures. According to the prime minister, the monetary relief is expected to be launched within the next week.

Public cooperation was requested by the government to reduce unnecessary travel and follow travel restrictions to try to prevent the spread of Covid-19. One argument against a full Bangkok lockdown was the fear that many people put out of work by the closures would head to their hometowns around the country, thus spreading Covid-19.

They also urged everyone to get vaccinated if possible, especially those considered high risk due to 7 chronic diseases or old age. Government officials encourage those eligible to get both doses of their vaccines between now and August.

Officials expect to decide a new round of Covid-19 regulations over the weekend and announce the revisions on Monday. With the closure of work camps and high-risk areas in a “this is not a lockdown” lockdown, the CCSA is also considering relaxing restrictions on the operation of restaurants and other Covid-19 safety measures.

SOURCE: The Pattaya News