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TCEB Situation Update COVID-19 Virus on 31 August 2021

 

TCEB Situation Update

COVID-19 Virus on 31 August 2021

Easing of Lockdown Measures and Operation of Domestic Flights 

Following a continuous decline in infection as monitored by the Ministry of Public Health, the Prime Minister has signed the regulation number 32, dated 28 August 2021 to ease certain lockdown measures, effective 1 September 2021. The new relaxation enables partial opening of facilities, such as shopping center, fresh market, beauty salon, massage and domestic flight operation in and out of the city/provinces declared maximum control area with tight restrictions or dark red zone.

The details of eased lockdown measures and domestic flight operation are as follows: 

1. Area zoning
The area zoning as stipulated by the order number 11/2564 of the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) dated 1 August 2021 remains in effect. Bangkok remains in maximum control area with tight restrictions, or dark red zone. 

2. Ban of activities posing infection risk
Regulation number 30 dated 1 August 2021 remains in force regarding the banning of crowd-gathering activities, procedures of permission request, consideration of request, exemption of certain activities from permission request. However, the maximum number of attendants in activities held in each zone is adjusted as follows:
1) Maximum control area with tight restrictions – maximum attendants are capped at 25
2) Maximum control area – maximum attendants are capped at 50
3) Control area – maximum attendants are capped at 100
4) High surveillance area – maximum attendants are capped at 200
5) Surveillance area – maximum attendants are capped at 500

3. Preparation measures for future enforcement 
The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) and concerned agencies will inform the public and entrepreneurs of the maximum prevention measures and urge them to follow to be in line with Universal Prevention for COVID-19, which MOPH will enforce in the future.
Entrepreneurs or responsible persons of the organisations should see to it that Covid Free Setting, prescribed by MOPH, is followed in order to lower the infection risk in establishments, venues or permitted activities. This will be evaluated within one month. The aim is to enable their readiness for the future enforcement of Covid Free Setting, which will ensure continued and sustainable safety of the reopening of establishments and the permitted activities.

4. Extended enforcement of control measures in maximum control area with tight restrictions
The prohibition, control measures and directives as announced for enforcement in the previous regulation remain in effect for at least 14 days until 14 September 2021, such as prohibition on leaving residence between 21.00 – 04.00 hrs. of the next day. This includes the execution of duties outside usual workplace of the public sector officials and personnel of the private sector and any measures established by the authorities, which are not contradictory to this regulation.

5.  Adjustment of integrated control measures in maximum control area with tight restrictions
The city/provincial communicable disease committee will see to it that the establishments, venues and activities are operated or undertaken in line with the officially established disease control measures as follows:
1) Schools and all types of educational institutes can carry out their teaching, examination, training or      activities with high attendance. They will be supervised by the representatives of the Ministry of  Education, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, or the representatives of concerned agencies in cooperation with the city/provincial communicable disease committee who will act in accordance with disease control measures and suitability of the circumstances.
2) Food and drinks, except alcoholic drinks, can be consumed onsite at their outlets/shops but not beyond 20.00 hrs. and with the limit of client number. If it is an air-conditioned establishment, the limit is 50% of the full seating capacity. In case it is an open-air area, including street hawkers, push carts, the limit is 75% of the full seating capacity. This measure is applicable to shops/outlets in shopping centers, department stores, community malls or similar establishments.
3) Beauty salons and barber shops can resume operation.
4) Health services or traditional Thai massage services can provide only foot massage.
5) Markets operated at certain time and place can provide consumer items only and not beyond 20.00      hrs.
6) Department stores, shopping centers, community malls or similar establishments can operate until 20.00 hrs. But certain businesses or activities are subject to conditional opening or cessation until further notice.
a. Beauty clinics, beauty salons must operate via appointment, while hairdressing salons or barber shops must operate via appointment and service for each individual client is limited to one hour.
b. Health services and traditional Thai massage services take appointment order only and provide only foot massage.
c. Tuition schools, cinemas, amusement parks, water parks, swimming pools, exercising venues,fitness, game arcades, banquet or meetings remain prohibited
        7)  Public parks, sport squares, sport venues, swimming pools for sport purposes or water activities for recreational purposes, or public swimming pools, outdoor exercise spots, sport venues or indoor exercise venues with good ventilation can operate until 20.00 hrs. Competition can be held but with no spectators. Criteria for using such facilities will be made by the city/provincial communicable disease committee.
        8) The Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Sports Authority of Thailand or concerned agencies must inform the city/provincial communicable disease committee when the athletes of national team will use the facilities for training without spectators and with strict adherence to officially established disease control measures

6. Leaving maximum control area with tight restrictions for cross-provincial travel
This is allowed but restricted to necessary cases only. If the traveler is an infected person or person with a risk profile, he/she can make a travel but must follow the measures specifically designed for the case. The authorities still have the power to conduct examination and screening to ensure the observance of disease control measures.

7. Public transport
The city/provincial transport office under the Ministry of Transport or concerned agencies will see to it that all types of public transport in maximum control area with tight restrictions and all types of cross-provincial public transport are operated in line with the directives of the operation center of CCSA. The number of passengers will be limited to 75% of the full capacity, social distance is practiced, air ventilation is operated, en-route stopover is made and disease control measures are followed. The supervision by the authorities will be made on the basis of the appropriate condition of the vehicle and travel condition. The service must be sufficiently and appropriately provided for the public, especially for vaccination and medical treatment purposes.

8. Evaluation of the situation 
In case the operation center of CCSA conducts the evaluation of this regulation and agrees to any adjustment deemed fit, the case will be submitted to the Prime Minister for consideration.

Resumption of domestic flight operation in and out of maximum control area with tight restrictions (dark red zone)
Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has been working with related agencies to prepare the measures for the resumption of domestic flight operation in and out of the city/provinces in dark red zone. The airlines will examine the documents to ensure that they are in line with entry and exit policy of the city destination. The key required travel documents, despite the possibility of different requirements of each city, can be summarised as follows:
1. Documents verifying that full vaccination requirement is met, or
2. Documents showing test result either by RT-PCR or Antigen Test Kit (ATK), or 
3. Documents verifying the exemption as required by each city destination, such as persons getting infection for less than 90 days, persons completing the quarantine requirements, or passengers under sandbox programme
Vaccination documents displayed to the authorities must show results received from hospitals or verification from Mor Prom application. Any persons wishing to undergo testing can search for certified labs at https://service.dmsc.moph.go.th/labscovid19. The listed labs can issue vaccination verifying documents accepted by the airlines (currently, the airline association is working with Mor Prom application so that all required evidences can be featured on the application and when this is completed, they can be used for travel).

In this connection, the airlines and airport operators must adhere to the following measures and directives:
1. Airlines must limit their flight operation between 21.00 and 04.00 hrs. of the next day.
2. Passengers must be limited to 75% of the full capacity of each particular flight.
3. Seating in the flight must be arranged with social distancing practice. For passengers travelling together, the distance can be narrowed but suitability must be factored in.
4. Airlines must inform the passengers of the entry and exit measures of the city destinations and that they must declare their reasons of travel at https://covid-19.in.th before departure.
5. Airlines must strictly examine key documents of the passengers as required by disease control measures of the city destinations. If they are not completed, passengers can be denied the travel. Measures of each province can be checked at http://www.moicovid.com
6. While on board, passengers are not allowed to take food or drink, except for emergency/a-must cases. Airlines can arrange the drink for the passengers but at the spot far from other passengers as much as possible.
7. Airport operators must execute the passenger flow, baggage collection and facilitate onsite public health personnel so that they can perform their duties in line with the measures of the city destinations.
8. Airlines and airport operators must provide full vaccination for their front-line staff dealing with passengers and provide them with disease testing every week.
9. Airport operators must strictly conduct screening of people visiting the airport. They must wear mask, undergo temperature check (with infrared light to avoid physical touch). Without mask or in case of temperature higher than 37.3 degree Celsius or respiratory symptoms, such cough, sore throat, running nose, gasp, they will be completely denied entry.
10. Airport operators must execute the measures in line with the standards established by the Ministry of Public Health, for example, social distancing practice, availability of hand gel/alcohol, cleaning and disinfecting the area and provision of required tools and equipment. They can deny entry to people not following such measures or demand their exit from airport premises.
11. Each shuttle bus must carry passengers not over 50% of the capacity. Surface cleaning must be undertaken before and after service.
12. Airlines must collect the information of the passengers for at least 30 days and submit it when public health agencies require.
13. Airport operators must see to it that all shops in the airport strictly execute the measures of the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).
14. In case of flight cancellation and flight consolidation, the passengers must be informed properly as stipulated by the announcement of the Ministry of Transport on the protection of the passengers’ rights in using the service of Thai airlines on a domestic route, B.E. 2553
15. Airlines and airport operators must issue warning to passengers who are confirmed an infection case or high risk of exposure that they must not travel. Any violation is subject to penalties stipulated in Communicable Disease Act, B.E. 2558
16. Airlines and airport operators must conduct stricter monitoring of service users to ensure that they follow the measures of CAAT on the operational guidelines for servicing the passengers on domestic routes during the situation of COVID-19 which was announced on 9 April 2021.
17. Airlines and airport operators must prepare verification and exemption documents for their staff performing public transport duties if examination by the authorities is required.














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