Buri Ram lockdown:
Move comes despite having no infections
In a bid to prevent the further spread of Covid-19, Buri Ram authorities decided to place the entire province under lockdown, despite not having reported any confirmed cases so far.
The lockdown, which was announced by Buri Ram governor Thatchakorn Hattathay in a statement released yesterday, took immediate effect.
As Covid-19 had already been declared a dangerous communicable disease by the government last month, provincial authorities are now able to make their own decision to prevent the spread of the virus — but Buri Ram was the first province to announce restrictions on movements.
All people entering the province — both foreigners and local residents — will be required to undergo strict screening at their points of entry, after which they will be asked to observe self-quarantine for 14 days.
Authorities and volunteers will be assigned to monitor their statues, and those with fevers will be sent to hospitals.
Gatherings of more than 50 people in single venues — including seminars, entertainment events, religious ceremonies, summer courses and talad nad (roaming markets) — are banned for the next 30 days.
Provincial authorities are also urging people to refrain from visiting friends and relatives during Songkran to help curb the spread of the virus.
The announcement is expected to have an extensive impact on businesses, especially within the tourism sector.
In a separate development, singeractress Lydia Sarunrat said yesterday she had tested positive for Covid-19, but both of their children remained healthy. Lydia, 32, wrote on her Instagram page that she had tested positive for the disease, which she believed she contracted from her husband, actor Matthew Deane, because she had not been out lately.
On Friday, Matthew, 41, announced he had caught Covid-19 and warned people who had been in close contact with him to get checked. Lydia said the symptoms began with nasal congestion, cough and a fever.
She said her son Dylan, 4, tested negative. She had not had their sevenmonth daughter Demi tested yet out of fear of infection if she took her outside. Both children are happy, playful and healthy, she wrote.
“The most important thing in this time of crisis is to cope with it and keep on fighting. The most difficult thing is to say goodbye to the family and the children. I do not know how long I must leave ... but at least they have their grandparents,” Lydia wrote.
She also said her husband no longer has a fever but he had his lungs X-rayed on account of his allergies and existing asthma. She also said it was difficult to find a bed to get Covid-19 treatment.
The chief of the army’s welfare department has also been infected with Covid-19. He is said to have attended a match at Lumpini boxing stadium, where Matthew is believed to have contracted the virus.