Timely info crucial during outbreak

After all the advances made against the novel coronavirus disease at the end of last year, many around the world had hoped the turn of the year would bring about more good news on the Covid-19 front. But merely a day after the annual countdown, Thais awoke instead to a fresh slew of restrictions, many of which had been lifted barely six months ago. Bars are once again closed, gyms and sports venues are shut and “high-risk” gatherings are banned again, just as they were when the first wave of Covid-19 swept across Thailand in March last year. That flicker of hope for a return to normalcy was quickly extinguished, as the entire nation realised that no matter how good Thailand had been at tackling the first wave when it hit, the threat had never gone away and was merely lying dormant, waiting for someone to drop the ball.

The still-rising number of cases linked to Samut Sakhon’s seafood market, as well as the gambling dens in Rayong, Chon Buri and Bangkok, should serve to remind everyone that in an outbreak, it takes just one blunder, one lapse in judgement, to make a bad situation worse. To minimise the chances of mishaps in a state of emergency, clear and firm directives are needed. However, it is becoming apparent that unlike the first wave, things are going to be a little bit different this around.

The government, in a bid to avoid placing the nation under another unpopular lockdown, despite a rising number of cases across the provinces, initially put in place a Covid-19 zoning system, with provinces falling into four zone categories depending on the number of new cases and the rate of spread.

The decision to implement such a system, one which has also been chosen by many governments in lieu of a full lockdown, was taken to minimise the second wave’s impact on the economy. The rationale behind it was understandable — a full lockdown could sound the death knell to many businesses across various sectors, and closing down areas which saw little reason to hunker down could prove to be disastrous to the government, given its sagging popularity.

A full lockdown could sound the death knell to many businesses across many sectors.

But as the infection cases keep rising, with 216 new virus infections yesterday, the government dropped the zoning system for new tougher measures, separating the worst-hit provinces into three categories — maximum risk (28 provinces including Bangkok), high risk (11 provinces) and those under close monitoring (38 provinces).

It set new limitations, i.e. the suspension of some business operations and meetings that could potentially fan infections, though it avoids using the term “lockdown”.

The new limitations are to take effect tomorrow, Jan 4, until Feb 1. If the situation remains serious, the CCSA will escalate the measures.

To an outside observer, it may seem like the government is being reasonable. But those accustomed to dealing with Thailand’s bureaucracy should be forgiven for viewing the plan with cynicism. After all, even during the first wave of the pandemic — when curbs and curfews were issued under a central command — there was a whole range of conflicting information from multiple sources of authority which only served to confuse (if not, waste) people’s time.

Surely, in times of crisis, there are better, more official channels to share information from than a social media platform?

But when it comes to public communication during an emergency, the authorities could still use a lesson or two.

Will the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), as the dedicated agency dealing with the pandemic, and all other official spokespeople for the government keep up with these added layers of information? Everybody certainly hopes so, but the signs seem to suggest otherwise.

With less than half a business day left before closing yesterday, for instance, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration still couldn’t make up its mind on whether to allow eateries to accept dine-in patrons with strict social distancing measures, or make them switch to take-outs only.

The government needs to step up its game, because if it wants the new system to work as intended, information needs to come out in a timely manner, and in clear terms.

Otherwise, the entire system will only contribute to “pandemic fatigue” felt among the public, which would lead to slip-ups that may potentially render the blood, sweat and tears shed by Thailand’s frontline medical workers all but futile.