Effective today, and until at least April 15, Thailand will bar all arrivals due to the increasing number of Covid-19 coronavirus cases.
Thaveesilp Wissanuyothin, spokesman of the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration, says that PM Prayut Chan-ocha has ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue a new directive prohibiting any new arrivals.
Thaveesilp claims Thais returning from abroad and international tourists are partially liable for the ongoing spike in the amount of new infections.
"While the amount of overseas travelers has declined dramatically, the PM maintains that something needs to be done to curb overseas arrivals in order to further flatten the curve."
He says the Minister needs to see tight restrictions placed on overseas arrivals between 2 and 15 April. The Ministry of International Affairs has been charged with seeking ways to enforce the PM Order.
Asked if the government is heading toward enforcing a curfew to impose its "keep at home" plan, Thaveesilp said, "Only wait for what the Prime Minister has to say today."
It states that 4 of the 6 Thais who have recently returned from Italy tested positive for the infection, with another 50 individuals coming into touch with them being quarantined.
As many as 47 of the 132 Thai Muslims in southern Thailand who returned from a religious event outside Kuala Lumpur last month have tested positive and 4 died. As a consequence, more than 1,000 residents had to be quarantined.
Thaveesilp claims that such statistics further fuel fears that the transmission of the lethal virus can not be curbed if people from abroad continue to be permitted to reach the nation without further stringent screening.
He said the PM instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to further intensify the controls on Thais preparing to return from abroad, telling them to delay their trips until after April 15.
The latest policy, he added, extends to all Thai nationals overseas, including U.S. Field Service exchange program students residing in the U.S. with their host families, with the exception of those previously provided with visas to return to Thailand.
The total number of coronavirus cases in Thailand hit 1,875 today with 104 new infections confirmed over a 24-hour period, a fifth consecutive drop in the daily number. 3 more deaths were reported.
Source: Thai PBS World
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