Thailand’s Prime Minister has announced a state of emergency starting on Thursday to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The state of emergency will include a combination of legal force and “requests for cooperation,” Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said in a televised address on Tuesday.
He said people would be asked to stay at home and the measures would be enforced in areas where there is a risk of the virus spreading.
He said further measures would be discussed after the official declaration on Thursday.
“Whether places would remain open or closed will be part of the next phase of measures that we will come up with,” Prayut said. “It depends on how well people cooperate.”
Once enacted, the decree gives the prime minister the authority to restrict people’s movements unless they are given exceptions by authorities.
It would bar people from holding gatherings while some roads, buildings, or areas will be declared restricted zones.
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Authorities could also arrest, search, or stop certain individuals from leaving the country.
The government has already issued a shutdown order that started on Sunday for businesses in Bangkok such as malls, restaurants, and schools, to last three weeks to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand had announced that starting Sunday, everybody coming to Thailand must present a certified health certificate that was conducted within 72 hours on arrival.
Thailand has already sent 73 foreigners back to their country of origin for not meeting the aviation body’s requirements, the health ministry said on Tuesday.
Thailand reported three deaths and 102 new cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday.
The country has seen a total of 827 cases of the virus. Four people have died after testing positive for the virus.
(DPA)
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