The Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) announced on Friday that it would lift some coronavirus restrictions and allow some businesses to reopen.
Starting from September 1, restaurants, some stores in shopping malls, stadiums and public parks in provinces classified as dark red zones can open as long as they follow strict disease controls.
CCSA assistant spokeswoman Apisamai Srirangson said Thais must adapt to “coexist safely” with the pandemic disease.
Moreover, she added that the government’s new strategies to deal with Covid-19 would include measures for economic recovery.
“Business and activities will summarize so that people can restore their normal life and highlight their hardship as much as possible,” Dr. Apisamai stated.
Business premises authorized to reopen on Wednesday, including restaurants, must maximize their disease control measures, ensuring social distancing and good ventilation.
Business owners must also ensure that all staff and customers have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and have negative antigen test results weekly.
Provincial communicable disease committees will be in charge of approving reopening for commercial premises that meet such criteria, Dr. Apisamai added.
Authorities decided that Covid-19 control zoning would remain unchanged.
Twenty-nine provinces, where Covid-19 outbreaks were reported and deaths continued rising, will remain as dark red areas of maximum and strict controls.
Red zones of maximum control will include 37 provinces while orange zones of disease control another 11.
Eateries in the dark red areas can reopen, and open-aired venues can use 75% of their seating.
Air-conditioned premises must reduce their seating capacity by half. Moreover, in the shopping centers, some businesses were authorized to open.
The group includes hairdressers, but only for haircuts and sessions by appointment, and beauty salons for foot massages.
All commercial premises within shopping centers are allowed to operate until 8pm.
But schools, spas, theaters, gyms, amusement and water parks, swimming pools and meeting rooms must be closed.
Also, outdoor shopping centers and some of their commercial premises, including massage parlors and hairdressers, were authorized to open as before.
The government also announced that the curfew from 9pm to 4am would be maintained in the 29 dark red provinces.
