Police chief orders staff to work from home after 42 officers test positive

National police chief Suwat Jangyodsuk has ordered half the staff at Royal Thai Police headquarters to work from home, after 42 officers tested positive for Covid-19. The chief has also instructed units nationwide to adopt the same measure where possible. The Bangkok Post reports that at least 42 police officers have tested positive for the virus, according to RTP spokesman, Yingyos Thepjamnong.

Yesterday, the Police General Hospital in Bangkok was reportedly inundated with officers asking to be tested for Covid-19. Several hospitals in the capital have suspended testing, amid speculation they have run out of beds to accommodate those who test positive.

Meanwhile, Yingyos has hit back after an MP from the ruling Palang Pracharath Party said all concerned factions would be invited to attend an inquiry into the latest Covid-19 outbreak in the capital. Bangkok is experiencing a rapid rise in infections linked to a cluster at nightlife venues in the Thong Lor area.

In defending the police, Yingos says the organisation has consistently adhered to the government’s disease prevention regulations. He insists the Metropolitan Police Bureau has regularly advised Bangkok businesses on Covid-prevention measures, while operating 24-hour security patrols in the capital, in order to prevent people violating Covid restrictions.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post