Aswin orders ‘soft lockdown’ in capital
SUPERMARKETS TO STAY OPEN, RESTAURANTS LIMITED TO TAKEAWAY, BUT OTHER CLOSURES SWEEPING
>>Starting today, shopping malls and markets in Bangkok and adjacent provinces, except those selling food and essential consumer goods, have been ordered to close for three weeks in an effort to slow the spread of Covid-19.
The closures in Bangkok, ordered by Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang, come as the number of Covid-19 infections surged by 89 yesterday, the highest since the first case was reported in January taking the total to 411 infections in the kingdom.
The order sent many city residents rushing to supermarkets to stock up on food and essential items yesterday despite assurances that supermarkets and convenience stores will remain open and restaurants can still offer take-out food.
On March 17, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) ordered eight types of establishments including schools, theatres, massage shops and sports arenas to close for 14 days.
In the latest order, seen by some as a soft lockdown, the closures cover 26 types of business including department stores, barbershops, beauty salons and cosmetic clinics and will be in place until April 12.
Governors of Bangkok’s neighbouring provinces, Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan and Samut Sakhon, followed suit.
Public Health Minister Anutin Charvirakul yesterday made an emotional plea calling on the public to trust the ministry’s effort to control the Covid-19 outbreak and asking for cooperation with social distancing.
“We have prepared everything in terms of medical staff and medical tools. What we need is strong support from the public and confidence in our medical team. They are ready to ensure the safety of all Thais. We must pass through this crisis together. We won’t make you disappointed,” he said.
Mr Anutin said Bangkok is the largest outbreak hotspot with 80% of patients living in the capital.
He also said the situation will be improved if the spread of the disease can be contained in the capital. Most patients found in other provinces are those who have travelled from Bangkok, he added.
Pol Gen Aswin earlier said the March 17 measure was adopted after warnings from medical experts about a spike in infections if no sweeping actions were taken.
“Closing these establishments will have an economic impact but the people’s health is the top priority, and staying home can mitigate the risks of Covid-19,” he said.
The governor also suggested that companies should ask employees to work from home while urging city residents to refrain from stockpiling food as restaurants would remain open to offer take-home meals while fresh markets and supermarkets would not close.
However, shortly after that announcement was made, there were reports of people rushing out to stock up on supplies with long queues seen at check-out counters and traffic congestion reported near many superstores.
City Hall spokesman Pongsakorn Kwanmuang yesterday asked social media users to refrain from using the phrasing “closing shopping malls and markets” to avoid panic buying and hoarding of food supplies. “People can order takeaway food at restaurants. Markets and shopping malls remain open to sell food and essential goods,” he said.
>>The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has placed special bins for used face masks in 173 locations across the capital and has brought mask-disposal procedures up to the highest standards, the city administration said.
Of the 173 orange bins labelled “For Used Masks Only”, 38 can be found in public parks in the city, said Chatree Wattanakajen, director of the BMA’s Department of Environment. The rest of the bins can be found at the 50 district offices as well as BMA-run public health centres and hospitals under the BMA’s supervision.
The orange bins are kept separate from ordinary rubbish bins and have been placed in highly visible areas to stop the stealing of used masks for reuse or resale.
Households can also place used masks in Ziploc bags or bags that are tightly sealed and hand them to garbage-collection trucks, which have special bins to hold these masks.
“Used masks are incinerated at garbage disposal facilities in Nong Kham and Onnut,” Mr Chatree said.
The facilities have a combined disposal capacity of 60 tonnes a day, which is sufficient for the 40 tonnes of used masks discarded by Bangkok hospitals daily, he added.
Manit Techa-apichoke, chief officer of Krungthep Thanakom Co Ltd, the BMA’s investment arm and agency in charge of collecting waste from hospitals in Bangkok, said waste has multiplied as the number of Covid-19 infections continues to rise.
Currently, Covid-19 patients are being treated at BMA-run hospitals. And though City Hall is practising stringent measures in dealing with hospital waste, measures have been further tightened in light of the spread of the virus.
Mr Manit said special procedures have been introduced to handle the Covid-19 waste. When alerted by hospitals that bins holding Covid-19 waste and used masks are full, garbage trucks are sent immediately to collect the waste.
The garbage collectors wear full protective suits and gear to pick up the waste. Once the waste is loaded, collectors remove the suit and discard it along with the waste before they are sprayed from head to toe with disinfectant.
The trucks have a special storage compartment to hold toxic or dangerous waste. Before the trucks arrive at the disposal facility, the collectors don a new protective suit to offload the waste, before discarding the suit and being sprayed by disinfectant again.
The Covid-19 waste is incinerated twice, Mr Manit said.