Thais told to stay home to lessen burden of medical personnel
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha has urged Thais to stay at home and avoid travelling to other provinces following a Public Health Ministry announcement today (March 20) that the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases had soared to 322 , said Tewan Liptapanlop, head of Prime Minister's Office .
Meanwhile, daily face-mask production has increased to 2,280,000 pieces. Tewan said people should stop hoarding the item as it is now an illegal act.
In regard to putting Bangkok under lockdown, the premier said it would not be a solution to the virus outbreak. He asked people to stay home, which in turn would free up more medical personal to focus on tackling the virus and treat the infected, according to Government spokeswoman Narumon Pinyosinwat.
Dr Yong Poovorawan, a virologist at Chulalongkorn University, said Covid-19 is a new disease which has now spread to more than 150 countries. Government needs to plan for the long-term in dealing with the pandemic, he added .The government will purchase more medicine for treating patients in serious condition.