Thailand reinforces measures against Covid-19 to check fresh outbreak
Bangkok, Dec 27 (efe-epa).- Several regional governments in Thailand announced measures such as temporarily closing businesses and imposing travel restrictions in order to try to control an uptick of Covid-19 cases in the country since last week.
The health authorities on Sunday announced having detected 121 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus, 94 of them spread by local transmission.
The governor’s office of the touristy province of Rayong, located around 180 kilometers southeast of Bangkok, overnight announced the closure of shopping malls, shops and entertainment establishments from Monday onwards following the detection of 27 fresh cases during the day.
Other provinces such as Chachoengsao, Chumphon and Nakhon Ratchasima announced restrictions on the entry and exit of people across their borders for immigrant workers, whom the authorities have blamed – without evidence – for the resurgence of Covid-19 in the country.
However, so far, no region has implemented stronger measures such as imposing a night curfew or extensive lockdowns.
The recent outbreak in Thailand is believed to have started last week at a seafood market in Samut Sakhon province, bordering Bangkok, and the infections have already spread to nearly 40 other provinces.
The Thai authorities claim to have current outbreak under control as the vast majority of cases are linked to the seafood market.
However, they have also admitted to not having been able to trace the possible source of the infection.
The hotspot at Samut Sakhon generated alarm in the country as infections linked to this outbreak already account for more than 40 percent of the total 6,141 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 60 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
Authorities blamed as a source of the regrowth in Samut Sakhon, although the first diagnosed case was that of a 67-year-old Thai worker.
The authorities have pointed at immigrants as the source of the outbreak, even though the first diagnosed case was that of a 67-year-old Thai worker.
Since then, they have quarantined workers from the market and nearby dormitories, mostly immigrants, and implemented containment measures across the province. Meanwhile, in Bangkok, they have announced the closure of schools and recommended work from home until early January. EFE-EPA
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