THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
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Public cooperation key to lifting lockdown: Disease control expert

Public cooperation key to lifting lockdown: Disease control expert

While social distancing measures had cut Thailand’s daily infection rate to single figures for almost two weeks, people must be on guard for a second wave of Covid-19 contagion, a Disease Control Department specialist warned on Wednesday (May 13).

Dr Anupong Suchariyakul cited renewed outbreaks of coronavirus in China and South Korea as a message to Thais that relaxing their “new normal” hygiene practices could result in a second phase of the virus crisis.
The warning came as Thailand’s daily count of Covid-19 cases dropped to zero for the first time on Wednesday.

Public cooperation key to lifting lockdown: Disease control expert
"The single-digit daily rises are a good trend, but our guard must not be lowered. We have to keep wearing face masks, keep social distancing and wash our hands frequently. If the Covid-19 situation stays this good, I believe that on May 17 [Sunday] the government will allow the reopening of more businesses under “new normal” conditions of cleanliness and hygiene. Thailand should be able to move forward and ease measures as soon possible if people cooperate," said Dr Anupong
The relaxed restrictions will be considered every two weeks by evaluating the infection rate. A low number of new cases would indicate that the disease was under control, so measures could be relaxed further. At the same time, businesses must present the measures that they will use to curb infections to the government’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) for consideration. Venues where there is a high risk of contact, including beauty institutes and football fields, may remain closed under the restrictions for the near future.

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