The Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) are considering to announce stricter controls to contain the threat posed by the Covid-19 virus.
The harsher measures seek to curb the novel coronavirus spread, with some citizens and companies choosing not to comply with the existing restrictions.
On Friday, CCSA spokeswoman Apisamai Srirangson revealed that some people had broken the curfew and violated the ban on gatherings in the maximum control zones.
Dr. Apisamai gave an example of the Control Disease Department finding maskless individuals gathered on the back of pickup trucks playing cards on multiple occasions.
According to official reports, there were 92 complaints of illegal meetings and 102 of business premises breaking opening hours restrictions in the period of July 5 to 14.
Police hotline numbers 191, 1599 and the Royal Thai Armed Forces 1138 hotline are designated as channels for Covid-19 rule violation complaints, Dr. Apisamai added.
Security authorities have revealed this week that there were 159 cases related to the breaching of the two-week curfew. 59 illegal gatherings had also been reported.
Forty-five individuals were prosecuted after agents responded to people’s complaints. The rest received warnings, Dr. Apisamai went on to say.
Meanwhile, the Transport Ministry claimed that the public did not abide by the interprovincial travel ban, as people left maximum and strict Covid-19 control areas.
Dr. Apisamai said the CCSA’s director, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, had ordered medical advisers to submit recommendations as soon as possible over concerns regarding people’s compliance with the control measures.
“The CCSA is concerned about this and may have to intensify measures and suspend more business activities, or as many as possible… It will be announced soon,” she added.
“Area-based lockdowns and maximum and strict controls are imposed in only ten provinces to minimize the impact, but there is concern about compliance,” she stated.
The spokesperson claimed that breaching Covid-19 restrictions had resulted in the current high number of coronavirus infections being reported during this week.
She added that those strict measures might limit travel and cause inconvenience but are aimed at reducing the number of transmissions and the death rate amid the third wave of the pandemic.
The government declared Greater Bangkok, which encompasses the capital and five adjacent provinces, and four southern border provinces as maximum and strict Covid-19 control zones in late June.
Moreover, it imposed partial lockdowns and a night time curfew from 9:00 p.m. until 4:00 a.m. in these designated areas.
