People in the border district of Betong, Yala province, have been warned not to lower their guard and to wear face masks every time they are outdoors after a Thai woman, in local quarantine after her return from Malaysia with two friends on November 25th, tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday (Thursday).
Suriya Boonphan, the senior assistant district chief, said today that the woman had a fever, cough and muscle pains.
In the northern province of Chiang Rai, where ten COVID-19 cases were confirmed yesterday, checkpoints, manned by troops, health and local officials, have been deployed along a 195-km stretch of border, between Mae Sai and Chiang Saen districts, to stem the illegal influx of Thais and migrants from Myanmar.
Razor wire, CCTV systems and lighting have been installed at natural border crossings frequently used by the illegals to sneak into Thailand.
Colonel Samrith Chatwattanasakul, commander of the Third Cavalry Battalion task force, said that, as the COVID-19 outbreak in Myanmar is growing, illegal border crossings into Thailand are expected to increase.
Health officials have stepped up efforts to educate hotel staff in Mae Sai district about how they should deal with guests arriving from Myanmar and how to protect themselves from the virus.
All arrivals from Myanmar will be subject to 14-day mandatory quarantine on arrival.
About 80 Thais, mostly women working at the 1G1 Hotel in Myanmar’s Thachilek township, are expected to return to Mae Sai district today through the formal immigration checkpoint.
