Covid restrictions to be eased further in May
Thailand is likely to further ease Covid-19 warnings late this month, as the country is preparing to redesignate the coronavirus outbreak an endemic.
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Thursday that Thailand was expected to reduce its Covid-19 warning from Level 3 at present to Level 2 around late this month to June, as the pandemic situation was at a “declining stage”.
The country’s Covid-19 warning is now at Level 3, revised from the highest Level 4, after the situation improved from the “combating stage” to the “plateau stage” earlier this year.
Measures are being taken as part of efforts to declare Covid-19 an endemic, including giving booster shots, improving treatment for vulnerable patients, and promoting the policy of “universal prevention” and “Covid-free setting”.
Anutin, who also doubles as deputy prime minister, attributed the improvement in the Covid-19 situation to cooperation between all sections of society.
“We need to relax the measures so that people can live their lives in the ‘new normal’ environment and the economy can recover. The measures must be taken carefully, and all the sectors must be involved,” he said.
The public health minister on Thursday chaired a meeting of the government committee tasked with redesignating Covid-19 an endemic.
Also attending the meeting were the ministry’s permanent secretary, Kiattiphum Wongrajit, and representatives from concerned agencies and organisations from both the private and public sectors.
They included the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Tourism and Sports, and Interior, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Thai Private Hospital Association, Federation of Thai Industries, and Tourism Council of Thailand.