COVID-19: Thailand To Extend Emergency Decree To End Of August

By Linda Khoo Hui Li BANGKOK, July 22 (Bernama) -- Thailand will extend its state of emergency by another month till the end of August to contain COVID-19 outbreak as the kingdom opens its doors to selected foreigners, including migrant workers from neighbouring countries in a move to revive its economy hard hit by the pandemic. While the kingdom has reported zero local COVID-19 transmission for almost two months, National Security Council Secretary-General General Somsak Roongsita said the situation around the globe raised concern as the number of cases continues to rise. At the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) meeting chaired by Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan o-cha today, he said CCSA has agreed to allow selected foreigners, including migrant workers from neighbouring countries, especially from Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, in the infrastructure sector and food industry to enter the kingdom. Besides that, he said medical tourists, foreigners participating in international conferences and trade fairs, foreign film production crews and Thailand Elite cardholders (those with long-term residence visas and multiple-entry residence visas) were among those allowed to the enter the country. However, no date was mentioned on when they would be allowed to enter the kingdom. “The state of emergency is still necessary to effectively control COVID-19 pandemic in the kingdom as Thailand reopens its door to selected groups of travellers to help revive the country’s economy. “(The) extension of the state of emergency is only to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. It has nothing to do with political rallies,” he said at a press conference here Wednesday. The extension is subject to Cabinet approval next Tuesday. The current state of emergency will be due on July 31. Thailand has extended its state of emergency four times so far with the first from March 26 to April 30, then to May 31, and then to June 30 to combat COVID-19 before extending it again. As Thailand has recorded single-digit COVID-19 cases and zero local transmissions for 59 days, many questioned the need to extend the state of emergency. Despite mass gatherings banned under the state of emergency to curb the spread of COVID-19, about 2,500 people protested at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument calling for the government’s resignation. Another two protests were held in Chiang Mai and Ubon Ratchathani on Sunday. Meanwhile, CCSA spokesman Thaweesilp Wissanuyothin said the selected groups other than migrant workers set to enter the kingdom include diplomats and business travellers who have to undergo 14-day quarantine at state facilities. The migrant workers allowed to enter the kingdom in the infrastructure sector and the food industry will undergo quarantine at their workplace to reduce the cost for their employers. Meanwhile, Thailand has reported six new COVID-19 cases, all Thai nationals who returned from abroad and have been undergoing 14-day quarantine at state facilities. It has still recorded zero new fatalities, with the infection tally now at 3,261 cases and 58 deaths. The six new patients are four Thai male students who returned from Egypt, and two Thai females who returned from the United States and Germany respectively. -- BERNAMA