Tough new measures signed off as virus cases hit 42
>>A 21-year-old salesman yesterday tested positive for Covid-19, taking the number of confirmed infections in the country to 42.
Sukhum Kanchanaphimai, the permanent secretary for public health, said the man’s job brought him into contact with foreign tourists and he had become ill on Feb 24 and sought treatment for a fever and cough at a private hospital a day later.
He is now being treated at N op para tr aj at hanee Hospital in Kannayao district of Bangkok, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told a daily news briefing.
So far the country has not yet had a death from the virus, although 28 patients have recovered and 14 are being treated in hospital.
Meanwhile, a Public Health Ministry announcement designating Covid-19 as a dangerous communicable disease will take effect today, giving authorities more weapons to combat the virus.
The “dangerous communicable disease” announcement, signed by Mr Anutin, is based on provisions in Sections 5 and 6 of the Communicable Disease Act. It was published in the Royal Gazette on Saturday.
The national committee on communicable diseases agreed to the designation to allow health authorities to respond more quickly to contain the outbreak.
The announcement empowers officials to order people suspected of being infected with Covid-19 to undergo mandatory quarantine, as well to close venues affected by the outbreak, among other measures.
The ministry also announced plans to begin handing out 100,000 free face masks every day beginning tomorrow. They will be distributed at the ministry compound in Nonthaburi and are limited to a maximum of three per person.
Government House spokeswoman
Narumon Pinyosinwat said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has cancelled his trip to attend the Asean-US Special Summit in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 14 after the US postponed the event due to the outbreak.
Meanwhile, Suankularb Wittayalai school director Jinnapat Pi bul with itt ham rong said 53 Mathayomsuksa 5 students and their six teachers have agreed to self-quarantine for 14 days after returning from Japan, one of the high-risk Covid-19 countries.