CCSA: response teams not lockdowns if holiday brings Covid-19

The saying goes, “hope for the best, plan for the worst.” After crowded and energetic New Year’s Eve celebrations and extensive travel for the New Year’s holiday, the CCSA is making plans to handle the inevitable surge in Covid-19 infections. In order to curb any outbreaks resulting from the holiday, the CCSA has readied response teams to deploy to affected areas.

While they brace for new Covid-19 infections, the government insists they do not intend to reinstate any of the harsh lockdowns Thailand has suffered from over the last year. Instead, the response teams are designed to be able to implement disease control measures and treat infected patients quickly to quash viral spread.

Supot Malaniyom, the head of operations for the CCSA and secretary-general of the National Security Council, offered words of encouragement, saying if everyone follows the Ministry of Public Health’s regulations the Covid-19 pandemic will pass in time.

He said the government recognises that the New Year’s holiday will tempt many people to take part in risky activities and they are concerned for everyone in Thailand. The CCSA has asked public companies to use work from home plans for those who have travelled over the holiday similar to the government’s 7-day work from home policy.

The CCSA will meet during this first week of January to assess the Covid-19 situation and follow up on the plans and rules to handle it. Though lockdowns seem to be off the table, tighter regulations and other measures may be enacted if infections rise after the New Year’s holiday.

SOURCE: National News Bureau of Thailand