On January 4, 2020, at 08.30 hours, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Labour Mr. Phairoj Chotikasathian joined the Center for the Covid-19 Situation Administration Operational Meeting at Santi Maitree Building (inside), Government Houses. General Natthaphon Nakaphanich chaired the meeting. The meeting reported the progress of the Covid-19 situation and the following agendas:
1. Report on the progress of the Covid-19 situation in the country.
2. Special permission of certain foreigners to remain in the Kingdom under the Covid-19 outbreak situation.
3. Driving measures to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.
4. Travel into the Kingdom by air, water, and land and stays in state detention facilities
5. Business/activity audits following relaxation measures.
The Center for the Covid-19 Situation Administration Operational Meeting reported the Covid-19 situation in the country, which has continued to increase and spread throughout the region. Therefore, intensive surveillance is required as follows:
Step 1. Limit the time to open/close establishments at risk of infection. Find and control a group of people in illegal wrongdoing. Avoid organizing activities with large groups of people. Ask for cooperation to not travel across provinces. Schools to discontinue teaching or using online forms. To promote work from home throughout areas specified by the CCSA. To have measures to control the travel of persons from the most vulnerable areas. Expedite proactive detection of infected people and surveillance in areas with infections and connected areas obtained from disease investigation by the Ministry of Public Health.
Step 2. Increase the period to open/close establishments at risk of infection. Increase concentration to accelerate the search and control illegal activity. Refrain from organizing activities that involve large groups of people. Increase concentration in cross-provincial travel control measures. Schools to stop teaching except for necessary activities. Accelerate and increase work from home measures to the fullest capacity. Expedite proactive detection of infected people and disease monitoring in risky areas, risky activities, or groups of people at risk. Limit the time to leave households in areas specified by the Provincial CCSA and comply with the requirements Issued following Section 9 of the Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations and fax in the Ministry of Interior, at the most urgent at MorTor. 0234/Wor7834, signed December 30, 2020. The measures will strictly prevent the spread of disease as a whole. The government urges the emphasis for cooperation in all sectors, including the public sector, the private sector, and civil society to follow measures to prevent Covid-19, including the DMHTT measures (D – Distancing, M – Mask wearing at all times, H – Handwashing frequently, T – Testing temperature/Covid-19 screening, T – Taichana to be installed and used with the Morchana application).
In addition, Mr. Phairoj Chotikasathian clarified the reason for granting permission for migrants of the three nationalities (Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar) who migrated illegally or stayed beyond the permitted time. Such migrants are granted a temporary stay in the Kingdom to report themselves and seek permission to work under special circumstances. The measures promote the resolution of the Covid-19 pandemic and allow businesses to continue, and allow migrant workers to work with the former employers first. The meeting asked to further look into issues related to the Ministry of Labour, whether a migrant worker who has been convicted of illegally entering the Kingdom is impending punishment and will be returned to the country of origin, will help resolve the labour shortage further consideration.
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Division of Public Relations
4 January 2020
