PM will decide whether to relax Covid-19 restrictions

A spokeman for the Centre of Covid-19 Situation Administration says PM Prayut Chan-o-cha will decide in the next 10 days whether to relax remove restrictions imposed as part of the Emergency Decree to fight the spread of Covid-19.

Dr. Taweesilp Visanuyothin says that the decision regarding the curfew and business closures “will depend on the situation ahead.”

“As we move closer to April 30, it depends on public cooperation and compliance. Even though the number of new infections is falling, we want a much more satisfactory figure.”

“33 provinces have reported no new confirmed cases of Covid-19 over the past 2 weeks from April 5-18, while 9 provinces remain completely free of the virus. We still urge the public not to let their guard down despite the fall in infections.”

The eastern province of Sa Keao, on the Cambodian border, is the latest province to discharge its final Covid-19 patient. Read more HERE.

Responding to reports that some shopping centres are preparing to resume operations on May 1, Taweesilp insisted that the PM will evaluate the situation in the final week of April, before allowing any businesses to reopen.

While the government and the PM decide whether to lift restrictions, here is a summary of the last Cabinet meeting’s measures to help alleviate the Covid-19 crisis:

1. Approval of establishing a Health Service with special compensation benefits.
   • Giving permission to 38,105 extra payments to public hospitals
   • 2,792 newly graduated medical students to work with the government.
   • Giving extra bonuses to medical staff.
     • Medical staff to receive 1,500 per month.
     • Volunteer staff to receive 1,000 per month.
   • Readjusting the time of retirement for government official jobs.
   • Reducing the interest rates of Krung Thai Bank and Aom Sin Bank.
   • Giving allowances to people who are confirmed with case of Covid-19.
   • Issuing specific Covid-19 health insurance for 320,000 employees.
2. Approval of the draft proposal of the Special ASEAN Summit plus 3 on Covid-19 Disease.
3. Agree to improve the details of the 2021 budget to help the Covid-19 pandemic by…

• Reducing all regular expenses by 25% on items that will not be affected by the reduction.
• Reducing expenses that have only one year restriction by 50%.
• Reducing any excise cost or budgets that will not be majorly affected.
• Opening a central fund to help contain the Covid-19 virus.
• Acknowledging PM Prayut’s appointment of a committee leader to oversee the affected people by the epidemic, to provide comprehensive and fair benefits for medical centres that are related to the disease.

In a nationally televised statement April 17, Prayut said:

“At the moment, I am focusing on 2 key areas of work. The first concerns health issues, meaning – what we need to do to reduce the spread of Covid-19, and enhance our capacity to treat patients. The second area of work concerns providing assistance to the Thai people, so that all citizens will have enough money to live on. This involves approving a number of assistance programs and the Ministry of Finance has been delegated to be the main agency responsible for coming up with and implementing such measures. My role is to direct and manage the entire work of the government, so that each ministry and agency can do its job correctly, appropriately, and effectively.”

“Aside from our prominent tycoons, I also want to hear the opinions and expert advice from our private sector. Therefore, next week, I will also meet directly with our business societies to listen to their viewpoints, including the many medium and small businesses. I want to learn more about the real situation, without initially going through state agencies.”

SOURCE: Thai Gov / Bangkok Post / Thailand PRD