Covid-19 task force to debate partial re-opening of Thailand in line with PM’s pledge

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration is expected to debate a plan to re-open the country before the end of the year, in line with the PM’s pledge last June. Back then, Prayut Chan-o-cha vowed to re-open the country within 120 days, but Covid-19 infections have risen significantly since those words were uttered. Despite this, the Bangkok Post reports that the government appears resigned to having to live with the virus. Following a slight drop in cases yesterday, officials are also hopeful that we may have reached the peak.

Opas Karnkawinpong from the Department of Disease Control says the National Communicable Disease Committee has agreed to submit 4 issues to the CCSA, under a plan to re-open the country through measures known as, “Smart Control and Living with Covid-19”. This is aimed at controlling the virus and protecting the healthcare system through vaccinating at-risk people, developing new vaccines, adhering to disease prevention measures, and accelerating the work of Covid-19 response teams in the community.

Factories would continue to adopt a “bubble and seal” approach to bring infection clusters under control. If more than 10% of workers are infected, they will be transferred to field hospitals, while others can continue working on-site and have their health monitored. This will allow factories to remain open and workers to be paid.

According to the Bangkok Post report, Opas says the current lockdown measures are due to end on August 31, at which point the government will discuss the country’s planned re-opening. He adds that any agreed re-opening would not necessarily involve the whole country. Referring to the Phuket sandbox scheme, he says it’s a good example of how locally transmitted infections can be controlled, allowing the island’s re-opening to foreign tourists to continue.

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SOURCE: Bangkok Post