The Prime Minister of Thailand signed on 3 January 2021 a new administrative order to control the recent COVID-19 outbreak in Thailand. The order comprises 28 provinces being regarded as controlled areas.

The Prime Minister signed an order for the COVID-19 Situation Management Center designated 28 provinces as the most controlled areas and signed eight measures to control the COVID-19 epidemic, effective from 06:00 of 4 January 2021. Earlier, Dr. Thaweesil Wissanu Yothin, a spokesman for the COVID-19 Situation Management Center, revealed on Jan 3 that the ERC working group had reviewed the measures that were released on 2 Jan. That defines the area divided into Maximum Controlled Area (Red), Controlled Area (Orange), and Maximum Surveillance Area (Yellow), as well as the measures, are taken in the Maximum Controlled Area. After several parties made additional comments. The FDA working group reviewed the sixth COVID-19 outbreak control measures and proposed the Prime Minister to sign.

The 8 measures enforced are as follows:

  1. Prohibiting the use of buildings or places that are at risk of transmission of disease.
  2. Prohibition of activities that high risk of transmission of disease such as meetings, seminars or catering etc.
  3. Location closure for businesses selling services at risk of transmission of disease such as a pub, bar, or karaoke etc.
  4. Operation conditions in the situation area designated as the area maximum control over the place, business or activity can be operated under the conditions, time conditions and organization, and various regulations.
  5. Appropriate measures  to the situation in the area to prevent the transmission of the disease in accordance with the situation of the district. Governor of Bangkok Or the provincial governor may consider taking action under the Communicable Disease Law in order to close, limit or prohibit the operations of an area, place or vehicle, or order to suspend other activities in the area of responsibility.
  6. Screening for cross-provincial travel. The competent official shall inspect and screen the traveling by using the transport routes across the provincial area. Especially the traveling of the person From the situation area designated as the highest control area.
  7. Request cooperation for private sector entrepreneurs to consider working patterns during this period, which may be off-site or day-swapping, or time-lapse in order to reduce the number of workers and the quantity of travel as a measure to reduce the risk of infection.
  8. Empowering the ad hoc committee to consider loosening the enforcement of measures to prevent and stop the spread of COVID-19 in 2019, review, screen, and propose to the Prime Minister to consider allowing loosening or tightening measures applicable to places, businesses or activities.

The order and the 8 measures enforced can be downloaded here (in Thai language only): The Government order and the 8 Measures.