"Emergency decree"

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration on Friday extended the emergency decree nationwide for two months, until May 31, in a bid to curb infections.

Restaurants and pubs will be allowed to serve alcohol until 11pm, under a relaxation of restrictions ordered at a Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) meeting chaired by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha today.

The Committee of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Monday approved extending the state of emergency to the end of February.

The government has issued new restrictions to control the spread of Covid-19.

The government plans to implement a new law on communicable diseases to empower the disease control committee into new issuing measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 next year, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Tuesday.

Six law students from Chulalongkorn and Thammasat universities filed a complaint with the Bangkok Civil Court on Wednesday, demanding that the government lift the “severe” state of emergency, which has been in effect from last week.

Dr Tossaporn Serirak, a former Pheu Thai MP who became famous after being arrested while helping injured protesters on Friday, was granted bail by Pathumwan Municipal Court on Monday.

Police said the “severe” state of emergency gives them the power to arrest anyone considered to be breaking the law, adding that arrest warrants are being sought for protesters who allegedly broke the traffic police box at Bang Na intersection on Sunday night.

An announcement published in the Government Gazette on Thursday said the state of emergency was invoked under Article 11 of the Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations.

The Cabinet on Tuesday decided to extend the emergency decree by another month until the end of October in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19.

A Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) panel on Thursday said the government should extend the emergency decree for another month. The decision will be discussed by the CCSA next Tuesday before being considered by the Cabinet on Wednesday (September 30).

The opposition has warned the government against using the Covid-19 outbreak as an excuse to extend the state of emergency and control the ongoing anti-government protests.