Thailand’s Public Health Ministry has instructed all provincial administrations to open emergency health centres, as a precautionary measure in case COVID-19 begins to spread, following the outbreak in Chiang Rai after infected Thais returned illegally from Myanmar.
Public Health Permanent Secretary Dr. Kiatipoom Wongrachit said that the pandemic is still spreading in Myanmar and several Thai people who worked there, and have returned to Thailand, have been found to be infected.
Under the precautionary measures, all provincial hospitals must put medical personnel, medical supplies and labs on standby, to cope with any emergency.
Call centres are to be opened in every province to allow people at risk to call for advice.
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Meanwhile, four pub-restaurants in the northern province of Chiang Rai have been ordered to close for 1-2 weeks for disinfection and cleanup, by the provincial administration, after they were visited by COVID-infected returnees from Myanmar’s Thachilek township.
The closure of Tawandang Saadsaengduen Chiang Rai, Unseen Chiang Rai, 8080 and the Library Chiang Rai is an effort to convince customers that they will be safe when they reopen for business.
In Chiang Mai province, the Provincial Communicable Diseases Committee reported this evening that a 26-year old Thai woman, who worked at the 1G1 Hotel in Thachilek, snuck back to Thailand and arrived in Chiang Mai on November 30th, thenentering local quarantine.
On December 3rd, she had a fever and cough and tested positive for the virus.
