Amended communicable disease law includes powers to retain curfew, order lockdowns

As the government prepares to debate the future of the emergency decree, set to expire next Thursday, a new legal amendment means some of its powers could remain. The Bangkok Post reports that the amended Communicable Disease Act gives officials the power to retain the current curfew and to impose new lockdowns. The government says the law will be used to fight serious disease outbreaks.

The amendment was approved by Cabinet earlier this week and now needs parliamentary approval before being published in the Royal Gazette, making it official. According to a Bangkok Post source, the amendment will not go before Parliament until November, meaning it’s unlikely to come into force before then.

Chawetsan Namwat says various bodies will also need time to make the changes required by the amendment before the law can be implemented and therefore it’s unlikely to take effect as early as October 1.

“The executive decree is unlikely to take effect on October 1 as expected by some sides.”

Meanwhile, officials meet today to discuss the future of the emergency decree, which has been in place since March 2020 and is due to expire on September 30. A sub-committee of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration will forward its recommendation to the main CCSA committee prior to its meeting next Monday.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post