Reduction in mandatory quarantine back on the table again

After initially saying a plan to reduce the mandatory quarantine period was being shelved due to public concerns, Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has announced it’s back on. A proposal to reduce quarantine for foreign arrivals from 14 days to 10 is being submitted to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration next week.

A report in the Bangkok Post says Anutin was speaking at a “Smart Living with Covid-19” seminar, where he was addressing concerns over the government’s policy on re-opening the country. He says the proposed reduction in quarantine was made based on a full assessment of the capacity of public health officials. Anutin says Thailand is now in a better position to fight the virus, with increased knowledge, experience, manpower, medical supplies, and facilities, including more hospital beds and testing laboratories.

The Health Minster says he’s confident that the health control measures already in place are sufficient and that the proposed 10-day quarantine would only be applied to those arriving from “low-risk” countries.

Opas Kankawinphong from the Department of Disease Control, is also supportive of the reduction, pointing out that in most cases, the virus is detected in the first 10 days. Most infections found after that period are either asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, with a lower risk of transmission.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post