BANGKOK, 22 December 2020: Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has announced measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the wake of a new surge of infections, mostly among foreign workers in Samut Sakhon, a coastal province adjacent to the Thai capital.
The country reported a surge of infections in Samut Sakhon at a seafood wholesale market where 516 migrant workers tested positive on Saturday and another 360 on Sunday.
Health officials are now testing for Covid-19 infections among foreign workers at all fresh-food markets in Bangkok, as well as among traders selling and buying seafood from Samut Sakhon. Around 10,000 tests have been carried out since the weekend.
The public and private sectors have been asked to refrain from organising activities that attract crowds, such as the New Year festival and crossover night prayers to celebrate New Year. If they want to organise such an activity, they must submit a disease control plan to seek permission from BMA.
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration cancelled its year-end countdown events. Private sector sponsored countdown parties are now likely to follow suit including the city’s biggest New Year countdown at Ratchaprasong intersection. If private countdown celebrations go ahead, the organisers will have to submit their safety plans to City Hall for consideration in advance.
The BMA announcement noted that restaurants, hotels, shopping centre, and entertainment places must screen people using their services. For example, they must ensure that their customers wear face masks. Cleaning must also be carried out in accordance with the set standards to ensure public safety.
Restrictions have also been tightened up at entertainment venues, boxing rings and fresh markets. For pubs and bars, each table must be 1.5 metres apart, and no dancing is allowed. For boxing rings, a limit on the number of fans will be imposed, and all must wear face masks in the stadium at all times and keep socially distanced. All shoppers must scan the Thai Chana application when entering the markets, and all migrant workers must wear face masks.
Thailand, the first country outside China to report coronavirus infections, has largely kept the outbreak under control. On Monday total infections stood at 5,289 and 60 deaths.
Other Southeast Asian countries, including Singapore and Malaysia, have also reported thousands of cases among migrant workers.
