Thailand’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has added six more provinces to its “watch list”, in addition to the southern border provinces of Yala, Pattana, Narathiwat and Songkhla, due to concerns over a rising trend in new COVID-19 infections.

CCSA Assistant Spokesperson Dr. Apisamai Srirangsan said today (Monday) that Nakhon Si Thammarat in the South, Chiang Mai in the North, Khon Kaen in the Northeast, the western province of Tak and two eastern provinces of Rayong and Chanthaburi are now on the list.

She said that tighter controls, similar to those already in force in the southern border provinces, will now be imposed to contain the spread of the disease, pointing out that new infection clusters have emerged from funerals, weddings, at schools and among migrant workers.

According to the CCSA, 58.8% of the Thai population have received their first vaccine shot and 42.9% have received both doses, but only 11.9% of 500,000 pregnant women are fully inoculated.

According to the COVID-19 Information Centre today, Thailand recorded 8,165 new COVID-19 cases, 55 more deaths and 9,574 new recoveries. 99,227 patients are still undergoing treatment.

Meanwhile, the operations centre of the CCSA today agreed to assign police, troops and local administration officials to check the readiness of businesses in Bangkok as a priority, to make sure they meet the requirements for reopening.

The centre, which met today, has expressed concern over continuing infections in provinces which are now open to foreign tourists without the need for quarantine on arrival, but expressed hope that the Thai people will strictly comply with the basic health safety measures.

Tomorrow, the centre will meet with representatives of the tourism sector and remind them of the need to adhere to the measures set by the CCSA, even though qualified tourists are no longer required to enter quarantine.