March 23, 2020 Pol. Gen. Aswin Kwanmuang, Governor of Bangkok, has issued an announcement regarding the control of the outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

         Due to the rapidly increasing number of COVID-19 cases, which is classified as a dangerous communicable disease according to the Ministry of Public Health's announcement on the names and key symptoms of dangerous communicable diseases (No. 3) of 2020, Bangkok, being a major economic, transportation, and tourism hub with a high population density, is at significant risk for rapid disease transmission. Timely disease control and limiting public gatherings are therefore essential to prevent widespread outbreaks and reduce the chances of infection in high-risk areas.

The Governor of Bangkok, with the approval of the Bangkok Communicable Disease Committee, has announced the following guidelines for controlling the outbreak of COVID-19:

1. Request for cooperation to refrain from traveling outside Bangkok. This is because: 1.1 If you do not have the virus in your body, you may contract it during travel. 1.2 If you have a mild infection that could resolve on its own, traveling may worsen your condition. 1.3 If you are infected, you could spread the virus to others during your travels, including loved ones at home, who may be elderly or children.

2. Request for cooperation to stay at home. Regularly clean surfaces in your home, take care of your health, and protect yourself and your household from infection to prevent outside contamination.

3. Request for cooperation from workplaces, both public and private sectors, to implement measures to prevent the spread of the virus. This includes cleaning surfaces and restrooms, ensuring seating arrangements maintain a distance of at least 1-2 meters, and promoting health and infection prevention among employees, such as wearing masks, providing hand sanitizer stations, and managing waste according to the Ministry of Public Health's guidelines. Consider staggered work hours, remote work, and encourage the use of online systems, such as video conferencing.

4. Request for cooperation from those who have visited boxing stadiums, entertainment venues, or places with reported COVID-19 outbreaks, as well as those who have been in close contact with infected individuals, to observe symptoms at home. Follow the Ministry of Public Health's recommendations for the public. If you experience fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing, seek medical attention.

5. Request for cooperation to avoid crowded places and maintain a distance of 1-2 meters from others.

6. Request for cooperation from government, state enterprises, and private sectors to cancel large gatherings or activities that could lead to large crowds. This includes high-risk events such as seminars, training sessions, trade shows, concerts, film and television production, and live studio audience events.

7. Request for cooperation from all forms of public transport to reduce passenger congestion. This includes increasing ticket sales channels, ensuring a distance of at least 1-2 meters between passengers, increasing service frequency, cleaning commonly touched areas, providing hand sanitizer stations, conducting temperature screenings, and managing waste according to the Ministry of Public Health's guidelines. If a passenger shows symptoms of illness, coughs, sneezes, or has a runny nose, request that they wear a mask.

 

Source: komchadluek, Bangkok.