The Ministry of Labour emphasized for all related agencies to integrate with provincial offices for public relations efforts in local areas to create awareness on ways to prevent illness and maintain health among employers and employees in the workplace, including workers’ camps. The initiative aims to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus among migrant workers.
Deputy Permanent Secretary of Labour Mrs. Theanrat Nawamawat, as the Ministry of Labour’s spokesperson, reported the progress on measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus among foreign workers. The Ministry of Labour has instructed associated agencies under the leadership of the Provincial Labour Offices, Provincial Employment Offices, and Provincial Labour Protection and Welfare Offices to work with agencies in each province to publicize the awareness of urgent measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among foreign worker groups. Many areas are currently operating under the measures. Most recently, it was reported by the Ayutthaya Provincial Employment Office that the COVID-19 Virus Management Center in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, led by Mr. Phanu Yamsri, Ayutthaya Provincial Governor, expressed concern about health issues in construction workers’ camps during the COVID-19 outbreak. He instructed for the integration of agencies in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, including the Provincial Labour Office, the Provincial Employment Offices, the Provincial Labour Protection and Welfare Offices, the Provincial Public Health Office, the Ayutthaya Municipality, the Provincial Internal Security Operations Command, the Provincial Police Office and the local government organizations to carry out public relations initiatives to create awareness of urgent measures to prevent the COVID-19 spread in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province. The project is aimed at employers and employees at construction sites and construction workers camps.
Mrs. Theanrat further said that between April 22-27, 2020, agencies under the Ministry of Labour in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province integrated efforts with provincial offices to carry out public relations to raise awareness of urgent measures to prevent the COVID-19 spread among migrant workers. It introduced and documented ways to prevent COVID-19 by self-screening. It also put up vinyl signs to promote awareness in 4 languages such as Thai, Burmese, Laos, and Cambodian. The project gave out sanitary masks and hand washing gels and conducted random tests on 581 workers using the Rapid Test, for workers in 10 construction sites. The tested workers included 315 Thai workers and 266 foreign workers, comprising 114 Myanmar nationals, 5 Laotian workers, and 147 Cambodians. From the inspection of accommodations, for most workers, the conditions were not hygienic, in which the local officials have been advised to follow up on the issue.
Division of Public Relations
30 April 2020
