Interior ministry sends new measures to provincial governors to fight coronavirus

The permanent secretary of Thailand’s interior ministry has sent an urgent communiqué to the nation’s provincial governors, telling them that the newly formed National Covid-19 Coronavirus Disease Management Centre will require new measures at the provincial level to combat the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus.

These measures are issued under the national state of emergency declared last week by the government of PM Prayut Chan-ocha…

1. Prepare a local quarantine area. This must include an investigation/detention center, field hospital, food, beverage, donation points and public relations points for news providers and news outlets. If there are budgetary restrictions potentially preventing these actions the provincial governor must immediately report to the Ministry of the Interior for an expanded line of credit to help address these urgent actions.
2. Ensure it is made very clear by local, regional and provincial governors that the message should be Do Not Travel unless completely essential. Checkpoints should be in place and all officials should be working to ensure that people are encouraged to stay at home and practice social distancing. All officials should also have and rehearse a disaster response plan. (There is no current national ban on travel, however several provinces have taken stricter measures.)
3. Measures should be in place to prevent stockpiling of essential goods and hoarding, especially those who wish to profit by reselling needed goods. Any offense should be strictly prosecuted per the law.
4. Plan for a transportation system of essential goods, such as food and medicine, and clearly state and develop points for food and beverages to be given to residents who need assistance.
5. All provinces must report to the Ministry of the Interior on the status of their current plans by 6:00 PM every day.

The PM stated last week that if the country doesn’t see improvement in the control of the spread of Covid-19, and if people don’t comply with advice to practise social distancing, stricter measures may be necessary, including expanding curfews and limiting gatherings and travel further.

SOURCE: The Pattaya News