COVID-19 cases have disturbingly spiked in Thailand, thrusting the country into a second wave or, as dubbed by authorities, a “new emerging phase” of outbreaks.
On Dec 17, a 67-year-old merchant at a seafood market in Samut Sakhon felt sick, went to a private hospital and tested positive for COVID-19. It is the country’s first local case since Thailand imposed strict border control in March, forcing every visitor entering the country into a two-week quarantine.
This prompted authorities to perform widespread contact tracing on all those working at the market. Almost 2,000 people were mass-tested over the next few days and on 20 December, three days after the first case was recorded, almost 700 tested positives, 90 percent of them migrant workers from neighboring countries. More cases were reported in other provinces, including Bangkok. On Dec 22, daily infections across Thailand hit a record high at 1,063.
In response, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has detailed a number of elevated precautionary protocols. Dancing in bars and clubs is now prohibited, and the BMA is putting up checkpoints around the city and also asking Bangkokians to consider working from home. The administration is also considering canceling New Year’s Eve parties and countdown events, as well as mass gatherings organized without authorized permission. On Tuesday, Yuthasak Supasorn, the governor of Tourism Authority of Thailand, affirmed the BMA’s announcement, clarifying that New Year’s Eve events can still push through but only if strict safety procedures are followed.
Iconsiam and CentralWorld, two of Bangkok's biggest shopping centers which are hosting the two massive biggest countdown events, haven’t announced the cancellation on their New Year’s Eve parties.
The Prime Minister appeared on public TV on Tuesday, Dec 22 to express his worry on the “new wave” of outbreaks in the country and to ask Thais to follow pre-announced rules and to “stay healthy”. The PM also promised to make a decision on whether New Year parties can still go on within the week.