Special groups of foreigners can now enter

Business operators can proceed to bring in their foreign visitors under the so-called Phase 6 of the easing of lockdown measures when they are ready, said the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CSSA).

CCSA spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin said the CCSA has approved in principle the entry of four groups of foreign nationals and these visitors can resume their visits when local business operators have put in place disease control measures.

The entry is granted to foreign business representatives, specialists, diplomats, migrant workers, exhibitors, film crews, medical tourists and Thailand Elite card members. One requirement is that they are required to stay in “organisational quarantine” facilities and such facilities must meet disease control standards.

“If they want to resume their visits, those concerned must have organisational quarantine centres ready. We don’t have to say this easing will start on Aug 1. These groups of foreign visitors can resume the visits when the local operators are ready,” he said.

The CCSA on Fridayreported six new cases of coronavirus disease infection among returnees from Egypt and the Netherlands, raising the total to 3,310.

Dr Taweesilp said five of the new patients had returned from Egypt. Four were male students, two aged 21 years and two aged 24.

The four arrived on July 24 and were quarantined in Chon Buri province. They tested positive on Wednesday while being asymptomatic.

The other returnee from Egypt was a man aged 28. He arrived at Suvarnabhumi airport on Thursday with a fever and breathing problems. He tested positive right away and was sent to a hospital in Chachoengsao province.

The returnee from the Netherlands was a 52-year-old male chef who worked on a ship. He arrived last Saturday and was quarantined in Samut Prakan. He tested positive on Wednesday.

Dr Taweesilp also warned that with rising Covid-19 infection rates overseas, Thailand could not expect to remain permanently free of new local community infections. Authorities could only hope to prolong the infection-free period as long as possible, and then cope with any outbreak as it occurs.

Written by Mongkol Bangprapa
Source: Bangkok Post
Published on 1 Aug 2020