Thailand announces stricter measures to curb surge in COVID-19 cases

Published in Royal Gazette on Saturday night, the statement said the new measures will take effect in Bangkok and its five neighbouring provinces namely Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon and Nakhon Pathom as well as in four southern provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani, Songkhla and Yala.

Besides that, all construction sites will be closed while construction workers' camps will be sealed where workers will be isolated in camps in Bangkok and nine other provinces for at least 30 days.

To date, Bangkok has 575 construction sites with about 81,000 workers, where a total of 38 clusters found in construction sites and camps since May.

Health authorities blamed a lack of cooperation from migrant workers in construction sites and factories that contributed a surge in COVID-19 cases as workers sneaked out when construction workers' camp were closed which led to more clusters in the communities.

Over the last 24 hours, Thailand recorded 3,995 new COVID-19 cases and 42 fatalities, bringing the total infections in the kingdom to 244,447 and 1,912 deaths.

In a statement, Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) said of the new cases, 3,960 were local transmission and 35 imported cases.

It said the new fatalities involved 27 men and 15 women aged between 32 and 93 years old, including a Laotian.

"43,607 patients remain hospitalized where 1,725 in critical condition and 489 depending on ventilators," it said.

To date, there are 111 clusters detected in Bangkok including in construction sites and camps, factories, markets and shopping malls and residential areas.