Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health is considering listing Italy as one of the high-risk countries for COVID-19 infection, travellers arriving from which will be screened at their port of entry into Thailand, Dr. Thanarak Plipat, deputy director-general of the Disease Control Department, told a media conference today.

He said that the additional measure, now under consideration, stems from the sharp rise in COVID-19 infections in Italy.

He said that the ministry has not yet imposed a travel ban on Thai citizens, but has advised those who want to travel overseas to postpone their trip for the foreseeable future, adding, however, that if the travel is necessary, they must take steps to protect themselves with face masks and sanitizers.

Those who return from high-risk areas with a fever, cough, sore throat or illness associated with respiratory system, will be put under mandatory 14-day observation to make sure they do not have coronavirus.

Meanwhile, the ministry announced that the last Thai returnee from the Chinese city of Wuhan, who was treated for COVID-19 at Chon Buri Hospital, has fully recovered and returned home.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Thailand remain at 35, with 20 of them having recovered, and the remainder still in hospital. All of them are improving.

The total number of suspect cases under observation, however, has increased to 1,252 because the ministry has expanded screening to cover travellers from South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.  The ministry has also stepped up monitoring of pneumonia cases in eight provinces frequented by Chinese tourists.

Of the 1,252 cases, 1,006 have already returned home and 246 are still under treatment or observation.