Medical workers at a COVID-19 vaccination site in Bangkok, Thailand, on April 7 (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)The move came after a new cluster of infectionslinked to entertainment venues in Thong Lo swiftly spread to other areas.
Bangkok Deputy Governor Kriangyos Sudlabha saidas for public and private organisations which cannot cancel their plannedSongkran festivities, the BMA urges them to employ strict measures to preventthe spread of COVID-19.
On April 7, the BMA also announced the closureof all entertainment venues on Khaosan Road, which is famous among foreignersin Bangkok, from April 7 to 12 and that it will provide free coronavirus testsfor all merchants in the area.
Earlier, Bangkok also shut entertainment venuesin Klong Toey, Watthana and Bang Khae districts until April 19.
The Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administrationrecently banned all water splashing activities during the festival, except fortraditional practices like bathing Buddha images and pouring water into elders’palms.
Deputy Governor Kriangyos Sudlabha said the MBArecommended people to perform the traditional practices at home and avoid goingout to crowded places.
Thai authorities used to expect that Songkranfestivities will help stimulate tourism and the economy. However, facingcomplex developments of the outbreak, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said theGovernment may impose pandemic control measures during the Songkran festivalnext week, from April 13 to 15.
On April 8, Spokesman of the Thai GovernmentAnucha Burapachaisri confirmed that the PM has ordered an immediate 14-dayshutdown of entertainment venues or restaurants where a COVID-19 infection isfound.
Restaurants are still allowed to open, but theyhave to take strict COVID-19 preventive measures, the spokesman said, addingthat the PM also granted the communicable disease committee in each provincethe power to consider shutting down any business for at least two weeks if itis related to an outbreak in their province. In case of an emergency situation,the provincial governor could issue a temporary shutdown order on publicplaces, provided that such an order is approved by the provincial communicabledisease committee.
Meanwhile, Thailand has recorded at least 24first domestic cases infected with B.1.1.7, the coronavirus variant firstdetected in the UK and found to be 1.7 times more transmissible than theoriginal variant.
As of April 7, Thailand had recorded 29,905cases of COVID-19, including 95 deaths. It has carried out the vaccinationprogramme since February 28, with over 320,000 doses injected so far./.
VNA
