Thailand will lift most coronavirus restrictions on retail and dining from next Wednesday and permit gatherings of up to 25 people in Bangkok and other high-risk areas, its COVID-19 task force said on Friday (Aug 27).
Why from September 1st and not, say, from tonight is anybody’s guess. Perhaps the COVID virus knows the date as well as the time.
However, it will be some relief that shopping malls, salons, barber shops, foot massages and sports fields in 29 high-risk provinces including Bangkok are allowed to resume operations, while restaurants can open to diners, the task force said.
Restrictions on air travel will also be lifted but passengers must present vaccine certificates showing at least one dose, as well as a negative test result.
Taxis and other public vehicles will be permitted to operate at 75 per cent capacity but drivers must be fully inoculated (two doses).
Community malls, convenience stores and similar establishments will be able to open until 8pm. However, all staff must be double-jabbed and undergo regular antigen tests.
Parks, sports fields, stadiums, and outdoor exercise places can open but gyms and fitness centres must remain closed. Educational institutions can also open at their own discretion.
The limit on public gatherings will also be lifted from five to 25 people.
The government said people should only travel between provinces when absolutely necessary, adding that the 9pm-4am curfew still applied.
The CCSA also emphasised three protocols for Covid-free settings.
1. Covid-free environment: ventilation system, hygiene, health safety and social distancing.
2. Covid-Free Staff: Vaccinated and test with ATKs every week.
3. Covid-Free Customers: Green card (vaccinated) or Yellow card (recovered from infection or negative ATK result in last in 7 days).
“We need to adjust the way we handle and live with the disease safely … by adjusting strategy and (building) confidence so disease control measures are in line with reviving the economy safely,” task force spokeswoman Apisamai Srirangsan told a briefing.
However, he failed to mention that as hardly anybody in Thailand has managed to get themselves double jabbed this is all rather academic, seeing as none of the above will have suitable staff to operate anything within these rules.
