Police ranks depleted:

Figures released yesterday by the the Royal Thai Police show that 113 officers have contracted Covid-19 while almost 1,000 policemen have put themselves in quarantine for 14 days.

Deputy police spokesman Pol Col Sirikul Krittaphittayabul said 52 of the infected police were officers from the Metropolitan Police Bureau, while a total of 961 officers have been in quarantine.

Three Immigration Bureau officers who previously contracted the virus have recovered, he said.

Each police unit has adjusted its operational plan in line with the government’s disease containment measures such as allowing officers to work from home and have remote meetings while avoiding disruptions to police services for the public, according to Pol Col Sirikul.

Officers working during the Songkran long holiday were exposed to risks as they helped holidaymakers, the deputy spokesman said.

Songkran activities in many provinces have been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ayutthaya, the latest province to announce the cancellation of Songkran fun, yesterday issued an urgent announcement to inform the public that it had decided to cancel its elaborate Sanphet Road Songkran celebrations.

Meanwhile, the Bangkok Mass Transit System Public Company Limited, the operator of the BTS Skytrain, yesterday confirmed that one of its station staff had tested positive.

The employee contracted the virus after visiting an entertainment venue on Ratchadapisek Road on April 3. He worked at Ratchadamri Station from April 5-6 and took a sick leave on April 9 — one day before he tested positive for the virus, the company said.

Other employees who had been in contact with the man had also taken a Covid-19 test prior to self-isolating.

The company later replaced the infected employee’s team with a new one and disinfected the station.

Another electric train operator, the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand, said it had been informed that a car park attendant of Phra Ram 9 Station was infected.

The employee went to a night club on April 4. From April 5-7, he worked at car parks at Thailand Cultural Centre Station, Phra Ram 9 Station and Huai Khwang Station, which were all closed for disinfection.