CCSA proposes extending Thailand’s State of Emergency for another 2 months
Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration is proposing an extension of the nationwide Emergency Decree for another 2 months. At a meeting today, the CCSA and Public Health Ministry noted that it may take until the end of July to bring the latest Covid wave under control. The last declaration of a State of Emergency has been in place since March 2020 and was set to expire at the end of May as the government can only declare the status for up to 3 months at a time.
Now, as Thailand’s third wave of infections has proved the most damaging, the efforts to control the spread of the virus are proving to take longer as the amount of infections has reached over 94,000 cases since early April.
The Emergency Decree of 2005 has received criticism from those who say PM Prayut Chan-o-cha could use the sweeping powers granted to him to further assert an authoritarian control over the country. The decree was put in place last year and has been extended ever since.
Meanwhile, foreigners living in Thailand will be able to register for a Covid-19 vaccine starting the first week of June, as part of the country’s mass vaccination campaign. They can register for a vaccine on-site at hospitals, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Natapanu Nopakun, recommends that expats register for the vaccine at a hospital that has their health records on file. Expats will need to a passport, work permit or social security number as a form of identification when registering for a vaccine.
Thai citizens can avail of 3 channels to register for the Covid-19 vaccine rollout when the mass vaccination campaign starts. The PM says Thai nationals seeking a Covid-19 vaccine will be able to register through the Mor Prom platform, through on-site registration, and via special target groups who will receive vaccine supplies. In addition, spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri says there will be no “walk-in” vaccination centres, after PM Prayut Chan-o-cha stopped the programme.
Thailand, today, is reporting 3,481 new infections of the Covid virus and 32 Covid-related deaths in the past 24 hours. 951 of today’s new cases come from Thailand’s prisons.
SOURCE: Thai PBS World
