Last updated on May 6th, 2021 at 10:22 am
On Monday, the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) warned that there is still a risk of new Covid-19 infections, citing more than 3,000 illegal migrant workers being caught trying to sneak into Thailand.
The alert came despite the fact that Thailand registered its 42nd consecutive day in which no new local transmissions had occurred. In the past month alone, more than 3,000 unauthorized migrant workers had been arrested while attempting to infiltrate into Thailand, CCSA spokesperson Taweesilp Visanuyothin said, citing a study issued by security authorities.
He added that many of them had been caught and detained by the Immigration Bureau, including some who had made their way into the inner provinces and some had been sent back to their own countries.
So, when traveling on this long holiday, it is very necessary for everyone to never let their guard down against Covid-19 as more of those who have entered the country illegally may be among you.
He also referred to findings from a recent survey conducted by Suan Dusit Poll which showed that two-thirds of people were feeling comfortable about the situation in Covid 19. He said that was worrying and still urged everyone to wear face masks, wash their hands frequently, and keep social distance until an effective vaccine was found.
As for the government’s policy to bring in international patients pursuing care for non-Covid-19 illnesses, he said a total of 1,169 such people from 34 countries and 1,521 accompanying friends and family had enrolled for such a cause to visit Thailand over the next three months.
All of those people would be required to prove that they had tested negative Covid-19 within 72 hours of leaving their country, plus undergo a mandatory Covid-19 screening test at the airport upon arrival in Thailand to confirm that they were still free of the virus and stay in hospital for at least 14 days before leaving, he said.
The director-general of the Department of Disease Control, Suwant tochai Wattanayingcharoenchai, said three patients — from Myanmar, the Maldives and Qatar — had arrived in Thailand during the first five days of July under the medical program.
The CCSA reported five new confirmed cases of Covid-19– four Thai men and a Thai woman who had returned from Kuwait. As the number of Thais left stranded overseas rises due to lockdowns by Covid-19, there has been a request for priority to be granted to repatriating 49 Thai nationals currently trapped in the UK and in need of urgent medical care.
According to Dr Taweesilp, the CCSA is seeking to negotiate with British authorities to give priority to those in most urgent need.
